Snake Gourd

Padwal, as it is known in Maharashtra, is snake gourd, a light green snake-like vegetable with a grey-white bloom on the skin. It is part of the Cucurbitaceae Family, Cucurbita genus, whose family tree is long and wide, with its roots firmly in India. It is one of the first vegetables known to have grown here and of which mention is made in the earliest Sanskrit texts   Usage : It is most popular in the cuisine of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The shoots, tendrils, and leaves are also eaten as greens. It is also used in treatment for jaundice and bilious fevers