A small spiny vegetable from Assam is set to debut in Malnad district of Karnataka. Locally known as madahagala or kartoli (Momordica dioica) in Kannada, its Assamese counterpart is called kakrol (Momordica subangulata).
The local madahagala, a wild spine gourd variety, is grown by just a few farmers in coastal Karnataka and Uttara Kannada district, mostly for their own consumption. Since the vegetable is seasonal it appears in the market once in a while. But the spine gourd is very popular among Konkanis, especially Gowda Saraswath Brahmins. . .