I have this obsession with growing snake gourds. I like the fresh gourds , not too ripe, and light green. When I look for them in the vendors cart, or the supermarket shelf, I keep wondering when will I get some really good ones from my plants, instead of the long and wilting over ripe ones I find.
I tried growing them since 6 months, and finally I succeeded in getting this one. It was already publicized in my earlier post. Though I was looking forward to harvest long slender gourds, this was a short variety. But as they say in Tamil, ” Kakkaikku than Kunju Ponn kunju”. It is our homegrown, organic stuff, and tasty too.. After that one appearance, the plant was giving out nice cute little white flowers.
After one rain, the plant started climbed up. I tried unsuccessfully to give it a trellis, but space constraints made me think of a short cut.(Or plain lazy). The container was near the shade of a tree throughout summer, and once it rained, the tendrils were using the tree to climb up, with help from the rain and the access to the sun . I was glad that dozens of white flowers were appearing everywhere. 
Whenever I looked for fruit formation, I saw only flowers. I was on the hope that once sun comes out for a few days , I might get vegetables hanging about. I keep looking under the tree canopy, thinking that with the weight of gourd, it will anyway hang down.
Today, to my surprise and mock horror, I find a cute gourd hanging from the top of the Sitaphal tree.
I am wondering how I am going to harvest it, without breaking!!
Pattu's terrace Garden 
I know how it felt to see so many little flowers and looking for any sign of the plant bearing tiny fruits! In fact I helped in their polination by taking the male flowers shaking their pollen on the female flowers and it worked! I had at least 4 fruits for my pots!
May be I should do that, but I send a silent request to the Bee hive in my tree , to pollinate them. 🙂
Best wishes for the Independence day and congrats for successfully growing the snake gourd. There is a bumper crop of gourds of all shapes and sizes in Punjab. There are hundreds of them available in farmers’ markets in cities and towns of Punjab; a day after they’re plucked. Freshness is not a problem. We cook this green beauty in many ways. As a vegetable;2. mixed with channa dal( split chick peas;)3.slightly cooked in grated form and added to curd to make raita; 4. as a sweet dish . Steam cook it in a cooker and crush the softened pieces with the back of the ladle and then add sugar to taste. Keep stirring on slow fire till excess water evaporates. Add a tbs.of pure ghee and cook till the dish looks translucent. Garnish it with cadamom seeds and almond halves. Serve hot.
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Thanks Uppalji. Happy Independence day to all of us.
Thanks for the lovely recipe too!. I will try it out soon. In south India too we love that vegetable and cook in various ways. The best I like is in soup , esp. When I am sick!
I am Senior citizen having age 70 years. I have Bungalow where I wish to have good big size sitafal trees. Kindly let me know where I can purchase good kalami sitafal trees which will give me big size fruits.
Mt address is Gurueo CHS, 18 th Road, Khar ( W ), Mumbai 400052.es. Tel. 26460502
Hi Sir,
Welcome to my blog.
Here in Hyderabad Sitaphal trees may be available in nursaries or Govt.run Public garden. The problem is , we have those saplings all over the place due to its native habitat.
I will ask around and , in case I get good information, I will post it.
Thank you very much for your reply. I am desparate to have 4-5 trees. I know that you will not have business with me. But I can not accomodate more trees. I am looking forward to get good information. I am near to Pune. In case if you arrange to send those trees to me in Talegam I shall pay the charges.
Sincerely
Avinash Kamat
I am not a business person. I have two trees in my compound, which grew by itself!
If I see a nursery , I will tell them about your request sir.