Tindora, botanical name Coccinia grandis, also known as tendli (in India), ivy gourd, baby watermelon, little gourd, gentleman's toes, tonde Kai, tindora, rashmato,or (misleadingly) gherkin, is a tropical climbing vine that is both cultivated and found growing wild. Its fruit and shoots both are edible.

It can grow upto 4 inches per day, and gradually covers other vegetations by becoming dense shading other plants from sunlight and nutrients, effectively killing vegetation underneath.

They are best when cooked, and are often compared to bitter melon. The fruit is commonly eaten in Indian cuisine. People of Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries also consume the fruit and leaves. In Thai cuisine, it is one of the ingredients of the kaeng khae curry.

Nutritional Facts

• good source of several micronutrients, including Vitamin A and beta carotene.
• It has been shown to have hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties.
• anti-oxidant, anti-triglyceride, and anti-bacterial
• used in treating jaundice, abscesses and high blood pressure.

Some of the recipes are:

• Dondakaya curry
• Tindora ka salan
• Stuffed Tindora
• Tindora Masala
• Garlicky Tindora