Many thanks to all who have "enlightened me on tendlim. I agree it's a healthy vegetable and cooked the Goan way, i.e. either a curry or dry with coconut and bhindichem sol(kukum), it makes a mouth-watering dish! Tendlim pickle is a Goan's delight!! It might be interesting if Plant Breeders in India or elsewhere in Asia could tell us how tendlim(tindora) was first produced -i.e. a cross between a gherkin and some other veg?
Mervyn Maciel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gabe Menezes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" <goanet@goanet.org> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 10:39 AM Subject: [Goanet] On Indian gherkins (Tendlim) > http://www.sailusfood.com/2006/05/19/dondakaya-vepudu-tindoraindian-gherkin- stir-fry/ > > Indian Gherkin is a widely consumed vegetable, available in India > through out the year. Called Dondakaya (Telugu) or Tindora/Tondli > (Hindi), these cute looking small, stubby, green colored Indian > gherkins which grow aggressively on vines are used to prepare > delicious stuffed curries, stews, pickles, salads and stir fries. > Dondakai - Tindora - Tondli - Ivy gourd - Gherkins > > To many, dondakaya is an unusual vegetable, not very common, unlike in > our parts of India where its pretty popular. You will find extremities > with regard to the popularity of dondakaya, where one either hates > this vegetable or just loves it. I, for one love this vegetable and > prepare it regularly at home and why not, its available in abundance, > fresh, cheap, healthy and tasty. > > I have looked up the internet and came up with the common names by > which Gherkins are known in other languages as well as some > interesting information about this vegetable. > > * Scientific Name- "Coccinia Grandis", > * Gherkins, Ivy Gourd, Gentleman's Toes (English) > * Dondakaya, Dondakai (Telugu) > * Tondakayi (Kannada) > * Vargoli (Hindi) > * Tindora, Ghiloda (Gujarati) > * Tondli, Tendli (Marathi) > * Kovakkai (Malayalam) > * Kovaikai (Tamil) > * Goli (Rajasthani) > * Kundru (Utter Pradesh) > > * Dondakaya or Tondli is a small oblong shaped, smooth skinned, > light green to dark green shade, abundantly available Indian vegetable > * Has a mild sour flavor with a crunchy juicy texture > * Has medicinal value and used widely in Traditional Thai and > Ayurvedic Medicine > * Contains beta-carotene and a good source of protein and fiber > * Medical Research suggests that gherkins may suppress the > activity of certain enzymes involved in glucose production, such as > G-6-phosphatase and helps control diabetes > > In Andhra, gherkins are abundantly available and, Dondakaya Vepudu > (stir fry dish) and Gutti Dondakaya Kura ( a stuffed dish) are popular > preparations, of course this humble looking vegetable is cooked along > with other vegetables to prepare stews like avial etc. > > There are many variations to the dondakaya fry, depending on the > region its being prepared.Today's recipe is Dondakaya Vepudu, a > popular Andhra style preparation, where the finely sliced gherkins are > infused with a tempering of fresh curry leaves and mustard seeds and > stir fried in a coarse powder of roasted dry red chillis, cumin seeds > and peanuts. > > This stir-fry recipe is simple, though the preparation part of slicing > the gherkins is time-consuming, but worth the effort. The dondakaya > stir-fry has a nice crunchy texture with a mild spice-sweet nutty > flavor due to the red chillis and peanuts and goes well with steamed > white rice. > > -- > DEV BOREM KORUM. > > Gabe Menezes. > London, England > _______________________________________________ > Goanet mailing list > Goanet@lists.goanet.org > http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.407 / Virus Database: 268.12.13/463 - Release Date: 04/10/2006 > > _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org