Ivy gourd is a small green vegetable widely cooked across India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. Botanically known as Coccinia grandis, it has a mild, fresh flavor and firm, slightly crisp flesh that softens while still holding some texture when cooked. Ivy gourd can be stir-fried, sautéed with spices, cooked in curries and sabzi, simmered with lentils or coconut, added to sambar, fried until crisp, stuffed, pickled, or combined with other vegetables for simple everyday dishes.
🥒 Did you know? Ivy gourd has many regional names. In India it may be called tindora, tendli, tondli, kundru, kovakkai, dondakaya, or tondekayi, depending on the region; in Sri Lanka it is known as kowakka. It is also called scarlet gourd or little gourd in English, and some searches use the reversed phrase gourd ivy. In Southeast Asia, Coccinia grandis is also grown for its edible young leaves and shoots as well as its fruit.
In this collection, you’ll find ivy gourd recipes inspired mainly by Indian, Sri Lankan, and Southeast Asian cooking. Explore tindora and kundru sabzi, dondakaya and kovakkai recipes, curries, stir-fries, coconut dishes, sambar, lentil preparations, crispy fries, stuffed ivy gourd, pickles, soups, and other traditional ways to cook this versatile climbing vegetable.
What Is Ivy Gourd?
- Botanical name: Coccinia grandis
- Common English names: Ivy gourd, scarlet gourd, little gourd
- India: Tindora, tendli, tondli, kundru, kovakkai, dondakaya, tondekayi and other regional names
- Sri Lanka: Kowakka
- Southeast Asia: Fruits, young shoots and leaves are eaten in several regional cuisines
- Taste: Mild, fresh and slightly vegetal, without the strong bitterness associated with bitter gourd
- Texture: Firm and crisp when raw, becoming tender while often retaining a slight bite when cooked
- Appearance: Small oblong green fruit, often marked with pale lengthwise stripes; ripe fruits turn bright red or scarlet
- How it’s used: Stir-fried, sautéed, curried, simmered, stuffed, fried, pickled or cooked with lentils, coconut and spices
- Popular dishes: Tindora sabzi, kundru fry, dondakaya curry, kovakkai poriyal, tendli bhaji, sambar, coconut curries, stuffed ivy gourd and pickles
- Common pairings: Onion, garlic, ginger, chili, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut, lentils, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, sesame, rice and roti
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🍳 Ways to Cook Ivy Gourd
Stir-Fried & Sautéed
- Kovakkai Fry (Dondakaya Fry), No Onion No Garlic Side Dish (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Curry / Poriyal, Simple Tamil Nadu Everyday Stir-Fry (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd & Potato Fry (Kovakka Potato Fry), French-Fry-Style Cut (India, Kerala) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Stir-Fry (Kovakka Upperi), with Toasted Coconut Finish (India, Kerala) – Click to Get Recipe
- Quick & Easy Ivy Gourd Fry (Kovakka Fry), with Optional Crispy Rice Flour Coating (India, Kerala) – Click to Get Recipe
- Spicy Fennel Tindora Stir Fry, Quick No-Boil 30-Minute Recipe (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd Stir Fry, Simple Summer Recipe with Golden Onions (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Fry, Slow-Roasted with Onion-Tomato Base (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd (Kovakkai) Fry, Chennai Family Heirloom Recipe (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Dry Masala & Coconut
- Dondakaya Kobbari Vepudu, Andhra Ivy Gourd with Fresh Ground Coconut-Coriander Masala (India, Andhra) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Masala, with Peanut, Sesame, Poppy Seed & Coconut Blend (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Thondekai Masala, Kannada-Style with Ground Coconut Paste (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Dondakaya Koora, Simple Andhra Ivy Gourd Curry with Chana Dal Tempering (India, Andhra) – Click to Get Recipe
Curries & Coconut-Milk Curries
- Dondakaya Curry (Tindora Curry), No-Grind Fast Everyday Curry (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd Curry (Kovakkai Kulambu), Kerala-Style with Roasted Coconut, Coconut Milk Option (India, Kerala) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Curry (Dondakaya Curry), Andhra-Style with Raw Coconut Spice & Tamarind (India, Andhra) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Rice (Dondakaya Annam / Kovakkai Sadam), Ground Coconut Masala Rice (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Simmered & Stewed
- Huli-Menasina Kodhel, Coconut-Tamarind Gravy with Garlic Tempering (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Coconut Gravy (Thondekayi Huli Menasina Kodilu), Mangalorean Style (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Thondekai Huli Menasina Kodilu, Havyaka-Style Smashed Ivy Gourd Sambar (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tondekai Huli Menasina Kodilu, Simplest Naturally Vegan Curry (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tondekai Majjige Huli, Buttermilk-Based Ivy Gourd Stew (India, Mysore) – Click to Get Recipe
Stuffed Ivy Gourd
- Stuffed Kovakkai (Tindora) Fry, Spiced Coarse Onion-Dal Paste Filling (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Gutti Dondakaya Vepudu, Andhra Karam Podi Stuffed Ivy Gourd (India, Andhra) – Click to Get Recipe
- Stuffed Tindora Masala, Adapted from Chef Sanjay Thumma’s Recipe (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Stuffed Tendli (Kundru) with Coriander-Fennel-Mango Powder Masala (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Stuffed Tindora Masala, Maharashtrian Gherkin Specialty (India, Maharashtra) – Click to Get Recipe
Crispy Fried
- Kovakkai Fry (Tindora Fry), Crispy South Indian Lunch Thali Side (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Thondekai Palya (Dondakaya Fry), Crunchy Coconut-Masala Crispy Stir Fry (India, Karnataka) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Varuval, Pressure-Cooked Then Pan-Crisped Tindora Fry (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Roasted & Air-Fried
- Tindora Stir Fry, Ivy Gourd in Air Fryer with Chickpea Flour Coating (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Fry, Air Fryer Method with Toasted Peanuts (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Spicy & Crispy Tindora Roast, Oven-Baked with Ground Aromatic Spices (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Air Fryer Tindora Fry (Kurkuri Kundru), Healthier Take on Deep-Fried Classic (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora / Dondakaya Fry in Air Fryer, with Rice & Corn Flour Coating (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Recipe, Air Fry or Bake-and-Freeze Meal Prep Method (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd (Tindora) Fry, Original Home-Style Ground Masala Recipe (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Rice, Pulao & One-Pot Dishes
- Tindora Rice (Kovakkai Sadam), One-Pot Lunchbox Pressure Cooker Recipe (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Rice (Kovakkai Sadam), Stir-Fried with Leftover Rice (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Sadam, Variety Rice with Roasted Spice Blend (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Rice (Dondakaya Annam), Simple South Indian Lunch Box Rice (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Rice, Aromatic One-Pot with Roasted Coconut & Lentil Blend (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Dal, Lentils & Chickpeas
- Kovakkai Paruppu Usili, Ivy Gourd with Steamed & Crumbled Toor-Chana Dal (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Paruppu Usili, Tamil Brahmin Style with Mixed Lentils (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Paruppusili, Steamed Red Gram Lentil Balls with Ivy Gourd (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Dal (Kovakkai Paruppu Curry / Dondakaya Pappu), No Onion No Garlic (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Paruppu Usili, Brahmin-Style Steamed Lentil & Ivy Gourd Crumble (India) – Click to Get Recipe
Don't Miss
90+ Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia): Stir-Fries, Curries, Chips & Bold-Flavored Dishes & More
Pickles & Preserves
- Kovakkai Pickle (Tindora Achar), Instant Mango-Pickle-Style Recipe (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
Chutneys, Relishes & Dips
- Kovakkai Thogayal (Tindora Chutney), Onion-Green Chili Twist on Classic Thogayal (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Chutney, Lentil-Free Version from Revathi Shanmugam’s Recipe (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Chutney (Tindora Pachadi), with Coconut & Roasted Dal Grind (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora Chutney (Dondakaya Pachadi), Spicy Andhra-Style with Tamarind (India, Andhra) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Thogayal, Oven Half-Cooked Method for Quicker Prep (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai (Ivy Gourd/Tindora) Chutney, Neighbor’s Family Recipe (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Kovakkai Thogayal for Rice, with Roasted Garlic Tempering (India, Tamil Nadu) – Click to Get Recipe
Salads & Quick Sides
- Tindora (Ivy Gourd) Salad, Lime-Marinated with a Cornichon-Like Bite (US-Inspired) – Click to Get Recipe
- Ivy Gourd Salad, with Cabbage, Apple & Honey-Chili Dressing (India, Fusion) – Click to Get Recipe
- An Ivy Gourd Salad, Raw with Sizzling Mustard-Cumin-Curry Leaf Tadka (India) – Click to Get Recipe
- Tindora (Ivy Gourd): Uses, Benefits & an Easy Recipe, Intro Guide for Western Cooks (US-Inspired) – Click to Get Recipe
Ivy Gourd Cooking Tips & Ideas
Tip #1 – Choose Small, Firm, and Bright Green Ivy Gourds
- The best ivy gourds for cooking are young, tender, and have a mild flavor.
- Look for small, firm gourds that are bright green and feel heavy for their size.
- Avoid any that are pale, yellowish, large, or soft, as these are more mature—their flesh may be red inside, and they will be tougher and significantly more bitter.
- This single choice at the market is the most important step for any recipe, from a simple stir-fry to a stuffed dish.
Idea #2 – Wash and Dry Thoroughly to Avoid a Slimy Texture
- Ivy gourd grows close to the ground and can collect dirt. Wash them thoroughly in a bowl of cold water, then rinse under running water.
- After washing, it is crucial to pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Excess surface water can cause the vegetable to become slimy during cooking instead of crisping up, so this step is essential for achieving the perfect texture in stir-fries and pan-fried dishes.
Tip #3 – The "Taste Test" – A Five-Second Step to Avoid a Bitter Dish
- Before you cook an entire batch, cut a tiny slice from one raw gourd and taste it. It should be mild and slightly vegetal.
- If it tastes harshly or intensely bitter, discard that gourd immediately.
- The bitterness does not cook out and will ruin your entire dish. This quick test saves you from wasting ingredients and time on a bad batch.
Idea #4 – You Usually Don't Need to Peel
- Unlike many other gourds, ivy gourd has a tender, edible skin that becomes soft when cooked.
- Peeling is not only unnecessary but also removes valuable fiber and nutrients. The skin also helps the pieces hold their shape during cooking.
- Unless the gourd is unusually large and tough, simply wash it well and trim the ends.
Tip #5 – The "Two-Step" Cut for Perfectly Cooked Pieces
- For even cooking and the best texture, start by slicing the gourd in half vertically (lengthwise).
- Lay each half flat on the cutting board and then slice it into thin, uniform pieces (half-moons, thin rounds, or slender strips).
- This cut maximizes the surface area that comes into contact with the hot pan, which helps prevent steaming and promotes even browning.
Idea #6 – Salt and Rest the Slices to Reduce Bitterness
- If your ivy gourd has a slightly bitter edge, a quick salt treatment can help.
- After slicing, sprinkle the pieces with a generous pinch of salt, mix well, and let them sit for 10 minutes.
- You will see some liquid bead on the surface carrying away bitter compounds. Rinse the slices well under water and pat them dry again before cooking.
Tip #7 – The "Sear-First" Method – The Secret to Crispy, Not Mushy, Tindora
- The single most important technique for a great stir-fry is to sear the ivy gourd before adding any spices or liquids.
- Heat your pan, add oil, and then add the dried, sliced gourds in a single layer.
- Cook them on high heat for a few minutes without stirring to caramelize the edges, concentrating the natural flavor and ensuring a crispy, non-slimy texture.
Idea #8 – Cook Uncovered to Prevent Steaming
- To keep your ivy gourd crisp, cook it uncovered.
- Covering the pan traps steam, which prevents the gourd from browning and gives it a soft, mushy texture.
- Let the moisture evaporate as it cooks, and only cover the pan if a recipe specifically calls for simmering.
Tip #9 – Salt the Pan, Not the Gourd, for a Crispy Roast
- For an extra layer of crispiness, try this restaurant trick: after adding the ivy gourd to the hot pan, sprinkle the salt directly onto the surface of the pan rather than over the vegetables.
- The salt will make the gourd release its moisture and start to roast in the oil.
- This classic technique helps achieve a perfectly crispy exterior.
Idea #10 – Add a Tangy Ingredient to Balance the Flavor
- Ivy gourd’s slightly bitter and earthy notes are beautifully balanced by a touch of acidity.
- At the very end of cooking, add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice or a splash of vinegar.
- This brightens the entire dish and makes the flavors pop—a common finishing touch in many Indian and Sri Lankan recipes.
Tip #11 – Pair with Coconut for a Creamy, Sweet Balance
- Grated coconut or coconut milk is a classic pairing with ivy gourd.
- The natural sweetness and creaminess of coconut perfectly complement the gourd’s mild, slightly vegetal flavor.
- You can add grated coconut as a finishing garnish or use ground coconut in a masala paste, as seen in dishes like Kovakkai Poriyal and Dondakaya Kobbari Vepudu.
Idea #12 – For Stuffed Recipes, Cut a Deep Slit and Don't Overfill
- For dishes like Stuffed Kovakkai, make a long, deep slit along the length of each gourd, keeping the ends intact to form a pocket.
- Remove the seeds if they are large.
- When filling, avoid overstuffing, as this can cause the gourd to break during cooking. Filling it about three-quarters of the way full is ideal.
Tip #13 – For a Quicker Cook, Use a Pressure Cooker or Microwave
- If you’re in a hurry, you can pre-cook the ivy gourd to speed things up.
- Pressure cooker method: Cook the sliced gourds with a sprinkle of salt and 2 tablespoons of water for 2-3 whistles.
- Microwave method: Place in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high for 5-8 minutes until slightly tender.
- Proceed with your stir-fry recipe as normal after pre-cooking.
Idea #14 – Air Fry for a Healthy, Crispy Snack
- For a healthier alternative to deep-frying, the air fryer is fantastic for ivy gourd.
- Toss the sliced and dried gourds with a little oil and your favorite spices (like turmeric, chili powder, and cumin).
- Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through for a crispy snack or side dish.
Tip #15 – Don't Overcook – It Tastes Best When Tender-Crisp
- Ivy gourd is best when it is tender but still has a slight bite. Overcooking turns it into a soft, mushy mess.
- In a stir-fry, 15-20 minutes of cooking on medium heat is usually sufficient.
- You will know it’s ready when the edges are browned and the pieces have shrunk slightly. Test one piece—it should be easily pierceable with a fork but not falling apart.
