hello - a question!

[Rajendra Shinde]

Dear All,

I have received this query. Honestly, I have no clue..can some one contribute?

I deaily folllow your column ' kutuhal' in Marathi newspaper 'Loksatta'.
I'm trying to find out the real reason behind a query of mine. I  hope you
will help me. My question may sound stupid to you.
I have taught since my childhood that 'tondli' (ivy gourd in english )
should not be eaten when they have become red from inside. No reason was
available. Now in my in laws place they say you can eat it. There is no
harm.
So the question is what is the reality. Should we eat or not. If the
answer is no why not. If the answer is yes then why so. Can please take
the effort to find out the solution for this?

Thanks,

Shinde

[Vijayasankar]

Dear Dr. Shinde,

If it is about Coccinia grandis (= C. indica, Cephalandra indica ['Kovai' in Tamil]), then I can say that it is safe to use the fruits at any stage. I have eaten plenty of ripe fruits when they turn fully red. Its sweet. While the green unripe fruits preferred as a vegetable, we generally avoid the fruits which turned reddish inside because they are more bitter and leathery and hence may change the taste and texture of the curry. Also the fact is the fruits that turned reddish inside, have mature prominent seeds that I don't prefer to have in the dish. Otherwise, I don't think it is harm to consume these ripening fruits.
You may find a picture of fruits, some turned reddish inside, in this wiki page  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sliced_kovals.jpg

 

Regards 

 

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

[Ushadi micromini]

@ Dr. Shinde:
No harm at all... matter of fact the red pulp is very little around
the
ripening seeds, little though there is its a little sweeter than
in green fruit,
and of course astringent to the taste... and makes good veggeii...
esp if a few are mixed in with the green ones...
I know because I have eaten them, tasted them raw, and made into
curry...

Matter of fact.. even reddened ripening karela also tastes good mixed
in...
and its seeds heavenly deep fried...

So moral of the story: feel free to eat it... no harm done...

Usha di
=======

On Aug 5, 10:27 pm, Vijayasankar <vijay.botan...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Dr. Shinde,
>
> If it is about Coccinia grandis (= C. indica, Cephalandra indica ['Kovai' in
> Tamil]), then I can say that it is safe to use the fruits at any stage. I
> have eaten plenty of ripe fruits when they turn fully red. Its sweet. While
> the green unripe fruits preferred as a vegetable, we generally avoid the
> fruits which turned reddish inside because they are more bitter and leathery
> and hence may change the taste and texture of the curry. Also the fact is
> the fruits that turned reddish inside, have mature prominent seeds that I
> don't prefer to have in the dish. Otherwise, I don't think it is harm to
> consume these ripening fruits.
> You may find a picture of fruits, some turned reddish inside, in this wiki
> page  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sliced_kovals.jpg
>
> Regards
>
> Vijayasankar Raman
> National Center for Natural Products Research
> University of Mississippi
>

> On Fri, Aug 5, 2011 at 9:16 AM, Rajendra Shinde <rdshi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Dear All,
>
> > I have received this query. Honestly, I have no clue..can some one
> > contribute?
>
> > I deaily folllow your column ' kutuhal' in Marathi newspaper 'Loksatta'.
> > I'm trying to find out the real reason behind a query of mine. I  hope you
> > will help me. My question may sound stupid to you.

> > I have taught since my childhood that 'tondli' (ivy gourd in english )should not be eaten when they have become red from inside. No reason was

> > available. Now in my in laws place they say you can eat it. There is no

> > harm.So the question is what is the reality. Should we eat or not. If the

[Rajendra Shinde]

Thank you Usha di, Dr. Vijayshankar and Ms. Madhuri..I appreciate your replies.

Shinde