IVY GOURD (Coccinia Grandis / Coccinia Cordifolia / Cephalandra Indica)
The Ivy Gourd is a tropical vine that is also known by many names such as Scarlet Gourd (Hoong Gua in Mandarin), Thai Spinach, Kovai, Tindora, Baby Watermelon, Little Gourd & Gentleman's Toes. It can be found from Africa to Asia, including India, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, eastern Papua New Guinea and the Northern Territories, Australia. Regarded as a very invasive weed, it can grow up to four inches per day. It grows in dense blankets, shading other plants from sunlight and hijacking nutrients, effectively killing vegetation underneath.
The young leaves and slender tops of the stems are cooked and eaten as a potherb, in soups, or as a side dish, often with rice. The young and tender green fruits are eaten raw in salads, or boiled, steamed, fried, added to dishes like curry or soups or even fermented. The ripe, scarlet fruit is fleshy, on the sweet side, and eaten raw. It can also be candied. The fruit is very common in Indian cuisine. It is commonly eaten as a curry, by deep-frying it along with spices; stuffing it with masala and sautéing it, or boiling it first in a pressure cooker and then frying it. It is also used in sambar, a vegetable and lentil-based soup. In Indonesia and many South East Asian countries, the people also consume the fruit and leaves. In Thai cuisine it is one of the ingredients of the Kaeng Khae curry.
The young green fruit resembles a small, smooth pointed cucumber. It is packed with seeds inside and while the skin is not tough, it has just a little more resistance than a cucumber. The fruit grows red from the inside out. It is possible to have it reddish on the inside and not yet red on the outside. When green it is ever so slightly sour. When fully ripe it gets very soft.
In traditional medicine, the fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure and jaundice. In Bangladesh, the roots are used to treat osteoarthritis and joint pain. A paste made of leaves is applied to the skin to treat scabies.
Do you know … ivy gourd extracts and other forms of the plant can now be purchased in health food stores as it is claimed to help regulate blood sugar levels, hence making it suitable for diabetic patients.
The young leaves and slender tops of the stems are cooked and eaten as a potherb, in soups, or as a side dish, often with rice. The young and tender green fruits are eaten raw in salads, or boiled, steamed, fried, added to dishes like curry or soups or even fermented. The ripe, scarlet fruit is fleshy, on the sweet side, and eaten raw. It can also be candied. The fruit is very common in Indian cuisine. It is commonly eaten as a curry, by deep-frying it along with spices; stuffing it with masala and sautéing it, or boiling it first in a pressure cooker and then frying it. It is also used in sambar, a vegetable and lentil-based soup. In Indonesia and many South East Asian countries, the people also consume the fruit and leaves. In Thai cuisine it is one of the ingredients of the Kaeng Khae curry.
The young green fruit resembles a small, smooth pointed cucumber. It is packed with seeds inside and while the skin is not tough, it has just a little more resistance than a cucumber. The fruit grows red from the inside out. It is possible to have it reddish on the inside and not yet red on the outside. When green it is ever so slightly sour. When fully ripe it gets very soft.
In traditional medicine, the fruits have been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure and jaundice. In Bangladesh, the roots are used to treat osteoarthritis and joint pain. A paste made of leaves is applied to the skin to treat scabies.
Do you know … ivy gourd extracts and other forms of the plant can now be purchased in health food stores as it is claimed to help regulate blood sugar levels, hence making it suitable for diabetic patients.