With
the massive influx of foreign workers from South Asia into Malaysia, it is
increasingly convenience to find South Asian vegetables in locally.
First
we have the Bangladeshis in plantation and construction sectors, then the
Nepalis as security guards, now we even have Indian nationals
I first
seen a patol and kakrol in 2013 at a pasar
malam of Taman Universiti Indah.
Today sundry shops operated by Bangladeshis are everywhere. Even the Mydin Hypermarket in Seremban2
selliing patol and kakrol.
Another
security guard in Seremban2 have a vegetable garden behind the guard house
where he stationed.
Momordica dioica is an common vegetable in South
Asia. The fruits are cooked with spices,
or fried and sometimes eaten with meat or fish.
As
diverse as the Southern Asian languages, M.
dioica is known in many names. It is
called karkotaki (कर्कोटकी) or karkoti (कर्कोटी) in Sanskrit ; kakoda (ककोड़ा) in Hindi ; mezhuku-pakal ( மெழுகுபாகல் ) orpazhu-pakal ( பழுபாகல் ) in Tamil ; Kankada in Oriya ; bhat-kerela (ভাত কেৰেলা) in Assamese ; Karot in Manipuri ; kakrol or ghi korola in Bengali ; boda kakara in
Telugu ; Kankoda in Gujarati ; Thumba or Thumba Karavila (තුඹ කරවිල ) in Sinhalese ; Phagil/Phagala in Nepalese
; etc.
Trichosanthes
dioica is another fruit vegetable in commonly found in Southern Asia. It is used as an ingredient for soup, stew,
curry, sweet, or eaten fried and cooked with fish, roe or meat stuffing.
T.
dioica too is called in different languages : parwal or parval in Nepali,
Hindi, and Gujarati ; kambupudalai in Tamil ; potals in Telugu ; Kāttu
Padavalam ( കാട്ടുപടവലം ) in Malayalam ; potol in Bengali and Assamese ; potala in Odia ; paror
in Maithili ; parol in Magahi ; parora in Bhojpuri, Urdu, and Awadhi Tondule ( तोंडूळे ) in Marathi ; etc.
