Pointed gourd (parwal)

Trichosanthes dioica · Fruit vegetable

40 pairings

The pointed gourd, known across South Asia as parwal, parval or potol, is the small green fruit of Trichosanthes dioica, a perennial climbing vine in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). Spindle-shaped and striped, it is harvested young and almost always eaten cooked as a vegetable, prized for its mild flavour and easy digestibility.

Picking a good onedrag

Young, firm, seeds softYellow, seedy, mealy

Market freshFirm, evenly striped, no yellow anywhere. Trim the ends and it is ready to slice, stuff, fry, or simmer into dal.Everyday best

SkinEven green and taut, stripes clear, no yellow

SqueezeFirm, springs back at the middle, still dense

Stem endDry clean scar, shoulder firm, not sunken

Cut face and seedsFirm pale flesh, seeds pale and still soft to a nail

SmellClean, barely anything at all

What to look for, from young, firm, seeds soft to yellow, seedy, mealy.

What one gives you

28 g

Typical weight

one specimen

Preparing