Tinda

Praecitrullus fistulosus, commonly known as Tinda, also called Indian squash, round melon,[1] Indian round gourd or apple gourd or Indian baby pumpkin, is a squash-like cucurbit grown for its immature fruit, a vegetable especially popular in South Asia. It is the only member of the genus Praecitrullus.

For the town in Siberia, see Tynda. For the river in Congo, see Tinda River.

Tinda
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Subfamily: Cucurbitoideae
Tribe: Benincaseae
Genus: Praecitrullus
Pangalo
Species:
P. fistulosus
Binomial name
Praecitrullus fistulosus
(Stocks) Pangalo
Synonyms
  • Citrullus fistulosus Stocks
  • Citrullus lanatus var. fistulosus (Stocks) Duthie & J.B.Fuller

The plant is as with all cucurbits, a prolific vine, and is grown as an annual. The plant also is prickly with small thorns similar to the zucchini. The fruit is approximately spherical, and 5–8 cm in diameter The seeds may also be roasted and eaten. Tinda is a famous nickname among Punjabi families in both India and Pakistan. This unique squash-like gourd is native to India, very popular in Indian and Pakistani cooking with curry and many gourmet dishes. Green colored, apple-sized fruits are flattish round in shape and 50–60 grams in weight. Plants are vigorous, productive and begin to bear fruits in 70 days after planting.

Tinda is also called "tindsi" in Rajasthan. In Marathi, it is called dhemase ढेमसे. in Hindi and Marathi also called "dilpasand" In Sindhi language, it is called meha (Sindhi: ميها‎).

Tinda can be confused with tendli or kundru due to similar-sounding names from different languages and regions. Tinda in Punjabi, Hindi and most North Indian languages is "Indian baby pumpkin".

Tinda is considered a boring vegetable by many in North India – part of the reason is it is used in a lot of curries during high season and tastes bland unless used with a lot of spices. Further, its seeds are not favoured by many.

References
  1. "Newly Notified Varieties of Seeds". Seednet.gov.in. Retrieved March 4, 2017.


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