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As per the journal 3 Biotech published under NIH, tendli is a powerhouse of nutrients. It is low in calories and high in dietary fibre, making it an excellent choice for weight management. Packed with vitamins like A, C, and B, it supports immunity and skin health. The high antioxidant content of tendli helps combat free radicals, promoting overall health. Additionally, it is known for its anti-diabetic properties, helping regulate blood sugar levels. The vegetable is also rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium, contributing to bone and heart health.
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It is used in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to curries and even pickles, adding a mild, slightly tangy flavour. It is often paired with spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric to enhance its taste. If you’re looking for a vegetable to add to your daily diet that keeps you fresh, hydrated and helps you cope with seasonal sickness, give these regional dishes a try.
Tendli Sukka, Gujarat & Goa
To make tendli sukke, the first thing you need to do is get fresh ivy gourd—the smaller or younger the veggie, the better the taste. While most people chop ivy gourd into long cuts, you can cut them into round discs to make them stand out for this dish. But it is not just the cut of the vegetable that makes this tendli sukke remarkable. In fact, it is the unique spice blend that adds a particularly Konkani flavour to the dish. If you want to try out this dish for dinner tonight, then getting started with the spice paste would be a great first step.
Kadle Manoli, Karnataka
The Kannada dish, kadle manoli proves the point too. An uncomplicated sabzi, it’s made with chickpeas and ivy gourd making it nutritious enough for health enthusiasts and as tantalising and satiating for the taste-seeking food lovers. Ivy gourds that are lightly tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves and flavoured with jaggery and salt transform into a dry and mouthful sabzi with the tropical masala paste of coconut and red chillies. A combination of the Tulu word Kadle which means black chickpeas, and Manoli meaning ivy gourds or tindly. The dish is famously considered to be a part of Mangalorean cuisine. It is prepared on special occasions including marriages. The veg bowl just uses a coarse coconut-based ground masala to lightly flavour and perk up everything.
Tendli Bhaat, Maharashtra
Tendli, also known as tondli masale bhaat, is a traditional Maharashtrian one-pot dish made without onions or garlic. This rice-based recipe is often prepared for parties or special events and is typically eaten with a dollop of ghee and accompanied by solkadhi or taak. Also, normally, dry coconut is used for the masala, but you can substitute it with desiccated coconut. This meal is often made using Ambemohar, a fragrant rice, although any non-sticky rice can be used.
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Kundru Bhaja, West Bengal & Odisha
These crispy fries, made with tendli spears covered in seasoned breadcrumbs, can be prepared in three ways: deep-fried, baked, or air-fried. These acidic and flavourful fries make a nutritious snack when paired with a great garlic aioli or served over grilled chicken or fish and mashed potatoes.
Tendlechem Lonche, Goa
Slice the ivy gourd into thin spears and combine with salt, red chilli powder, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and a little oil. Allow it marinate in an airtight jar for a few days to develop and enhance the tangy tastes before serving over rice and dal. You may also pickle the ivy gourd spears in a brine of vinegar, salt, and sugar before refrigerating and utilising them as a crunchy pickle accent in sandwiches and wraps.
