KOTIMBA - On verge of Extinction (not due to production shortage but due to lack of information)
Every district/state has its own flavor of veggies that are used locally to make Pickles...
Kutch is a land of diverse fruits and vegetables that has this extraordinary and superior veggie called Kotimba (it looks like lemon-sized watermelon) .. on verge of Extinction 🙁 ... !
This is because traditionally grown veggie like Kotimba has been replaced by popular Pickles variety available in Malls n Shops and due to fast-paced spread of Restaurant culture in rural areas ... and young generation is not being cascaded this information the way it should be...
It took me a long time here in kutch to find Sun-Dried Kotimba n finally I got it yesterday...!
Being a TOTAL FOODIE, my lunch platter has very little roti n is full of Subjis and such different varieties of exclusive stuff..
Kotimba is an extremely good source of Vita C and is extremely tangy in taste. Its medicinal values include it helps in controlling cholesterol n bloating...!!
I prefer to eat them roasted n slightly fried with red Chilli n black pepper n salt ...
P.S. you can also see some fried sundried sticks of Gavaar ...!!