Paluppakal (Momordica dioica)

Paluppakal, kakrol or kantola in Hindi and Bengali, is spine gourd, a small, soft-spined green vegetable of the monsoon. It grows on a perennial vine that springs from a tuber each rainy season. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants, so growers keep a few male vines among the females. Unlike its relative bitter gourd, Momordica charantia, it is only mildly bitter.

Botanical name: Momordica dioica Roxb. ex Willd.
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Tamil: Paluppakal
Hindi: Kakrol
Parts used: Fruit, Tuber in some kitchens
Habit: Spine gourd, a monsoon vegetable; male and female plants are separate
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Paluppakal

It is a climbing vine with simple tendrils that dies back to a tuberous root in the dry season.

The leaves are broad, heart-shaped and shallowly three- to five-lobed.

Large, pale yellow flowers open singly, male and female on different plants.

The fruits are small, oval, green and covered with soft spines, three to six centimetres long.

Bitter gourd fruits are longer, warty and much more bitter.

Traditional use of Paluppakal

Kitchen

In Bengal kakrol is sliced and fried as kakrol bhaja or stuffed with spiced poppy seed or dal.

Bengali food practice

Kitchen

Across India it is cooked into a dry sabzi with onion and spices during the rains.

Indian food practice

Farming

Growers plant tubers or cuttings, about one male plant for every eight to ten female plants, to ensure pollination.

Indian farm practice

Modern notes on Paluppakal

The fruit supplies fibre, vitamin C and carotenoids.

Tubers can be stored over the dry season and replanted, which keeps female plants true.

The larger teasel gourd, Momordica subangulata, is often sold under the same market name.

Paluppakal safety

The young fruit is a safe vegetable when cooked. Do not eat the tuber, which some sources describe as toxic.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to South Asia and grows wild on hedges and forest edges.

Insects, mainly beetles and bees, carry pollen from male to female plants.

It needs the monsoon to grow and fruit.

Related plants

Also in Cucurbitaceae

Questions about Paluppakal

Is spine gourd bitter?

Only slightly, much less than bitter gourd.

Why do growers need male plants?

Male and female flowers are on separate plants.

When is Paluppakal in season?

During the monsoon.

What is kakrol bhaja?

Fried spine gourd slices, a Bengali dish.

Is teasel gourd the same?

No. It is a larger relative sold under similar names.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.