Tindora

Ivy gourd is the correct English name for this petite cucurbit, but tindora is what you’re more likely to see, since it is in Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi markets that you’ll find these gourdlettes. Each fruit is a mere 2 inches long and either a uniform lime green or marked with blurred lighter stripes. The pale flesh is packed with gel-coated seeds like a cucumber’s, but the gel may be orange if the green fruit is ripening. Exceptionally firm, crunchy, and juicy (not watery), the vegetables suggest dense miniature Kirby-type cucumbers with added slickness, tartness, a grassy freshness, and a touch of bitterness.