Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Economic importance

Fruit may be long, oblong or round depending upon the variety. Immature fruits are consumed in a number of ways. Kofta is most popular preparation. The fruits contain 0.2% protein, 2.9% carbohydrates, 0.5% fat and 11mg of vitamin C per 100g fresh weight. It is good for people suffering from biliousness and indigestion.
Bottle gourd is a commonly grown vegetable in India. The fruits of bottle gourd can be used as a vegetable or for making sweets (e.g. halva, kheer, pedha and burfi) and pickles. As a vegetable it is easily digestible, even by patients. A decoction made from the leaf is a very good medicine for curing jaundice. The fruit has a cooling effect; it is a cardiatonic and diuretic. The pulp is good for overcoming constipation, cough, night blindness, and as an antidote against certain poisons. The plant extract is used as a cathartic and the seeds are used in dropsy.
The fruits are variable in shape and size. They are 15-100cm long and light greenish in colour. While the tender fruits are widely used as a vegetable, the dry hard shells of the fruits have been used for making a wide range of articles of common use, including bowls, bottles, ladles, containers, floats for fishing nets, pipes and musical instruments. In addition, the seeds and seed oil are edible. Bottle gourd is suitable for cultivation in dry areas.