Local Name: Kakrol
English: Teasle gourd/Kantola/spiny gourd
Scientific name: Momordica dioica
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Availability: April - October

Description: Momordica charantia is a botanical name of Kantola. It belongs to “Cucurbitaceous” family and has “Momordica” as a genus. Look wise Kantola is similar to bitter gourd and has a shape like water droplet of 2-3 cm diameter. Vine of spiny gourd grows slowly. Spiny gourd pods are dark green in color and they change color as they get ripe from light green to yellow, by indicating that they are overripen and bitterer in taste.
Only spiny gourds with the dark green color are edible and it is advised to prepare a dish after peeling the outer surface of it. It is mild and easy to digest. It is also used as medicine to cure different health problem in different form such as powdered or dried from. Check out spiny gourd’s health benefits.
 Health Benefits:
-    Source of phytonutrients
-    Useful for pregnant women
-    Reduce blood sugar level in diabetic patients
-    Reduce the chances of cancer:
-    Work as anti-aging
-    Improve eyesight
-    Treat fever and wasting away problem
-    Home remedy to cure piles
-    Reduce excess sweating (Hyperhidrosis)
-    Treat Coughing
-    Give relief in breathing problem
-    Remove kidney stones
-    Improve digestion etc.

Local Name: Patol
English: Pointed gourd/ Tinduri/Palwal
Scientific name: Trichossanthes dioica
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Availability: Throughout the year (Peak time: April – November)

Description: Pointed Gourd, also known as parwal, parval, Wild snake gourd, patola, green potato is a vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family, similar to cucumber and squash, though unlike those it is perennial. It is a dioecious vine plant with heart-shaped leaves and is grown on a trellis. The plant is native to Indian subcontinent and is one of the important vegetables of this region. The fruit is the edible part of the plant which is cooked in various ways either alone or in combination with other vegetables or meats. They have been mainly used to prepare gravy kind dishes and dry dishes. In certain parts it can also be utilized to organize a particular number of sweets. Do not confuse this vegetable with Ivy gourd or Tindora. This vegetable looks similar to Ivy gourd but little bigger in size.
Health Benefits:
-    Blood purifier
-    Improves digestion
-    Reduces flu
-    Fight with aging factors
-    Treats constipation
-    Controls blood sugar and cholesterol
-    Aids in weight loss etc.

Local Name: Kacha Papay
English: Green Papaya
Scientific name: Carica papaya
Family:  Caricaceae

Availability: Throughout the year

Description: The Green papaya fruit weighs an average of one to two pounds. It is pear-shaped with a true green peel and a pale translucent yellow-green flesh that bears a pocket of seeds in its central core. The flesh and the seeds are the edible part of the fruit. The flesh is similar in texture and consistency to that of a mango. It is semi-firm and succulent, easily pierced when ripe. The flesh's flavor is lean and subtly sweet. Its seeds are tart and peppery. They can be ground and used as a pepper substitute. Green papaya is a powerful fruit full of essential nutrients and enzymes to promote digestive health.
Since enzyme levels decline as the fruit ripens, raw papaya is picked when it is still green to retain all of its natural enzymatic qualities.

Health Benefits:
-    Healing problematic skin conditions and injuries.
-    Cure for menstrual pain
-    Controls bowel movements
-    Protects from heart diseases
-    Burns calories and extra fat etc.

Local Name: Gajor
English: Carrot
Scientific name: Daucus carota var. sativa
Family:  Apiaceae

Availability: November-March

Description Carrot, (Daucus carota), herbaceous, generally biennial plant of the Apiaceae family that produces an edible taproot. Among common varieties root shapes range from globular to long, with lower ends blunt to pointed. Besides the orange-coloured roots, white-, yellow-, and purple-fleshed varieties are known.
Health Benefits:
-    Reduced risk of cancer
-    Lower blood cholesterol
-    Weight loss
-    Eye health

Local Name: Kachur Lati
English: Stolon of Taro
Scientific name: Colocasia esculenta
Family: Araceae

Availability: Throughout the year(Peak time: July – October)

Description: Taro Stelon , of Bangladesh origin is deep green and 40 - 70 cm long. Stolon of Taro is a starchy globular fleshy taproot of aroid family.The crunchy, underground root, known as corm, is one of the popular edible root vegetables in large parts Asia, Pacific islands, West Africa, and Amazonian regions of South America,Some of common names are cocoyam, dasheen, colocasia, elephant’s ear (plant and leaves), kalo etc.
The corms, however, are free from gluten. They feature high quality phyto-nutrition profile comprising of dietary fiber, and antioxidants in addition to moderate proportions of minerals, and vitamins

Health Benefits:
-    Taro root is a starchy root vegetable with a mildly sweet taste.
-    It’s a great source of various nutrients that many people don’t get enough of, including fiber, potassium, magnesium and vitamins C and E.
-    Taro is also an excellent source of fiber and resistant starch, which account for many of its health benefits, such as improved heart health, blood sugar levels, body weight and gut health.
-    Taro also contains a variety of antioxidants and polyphenols that protect against free radical damage and potentially cancer.
-    Always cook the root before eating it to neutralize compounds that can cause unpleasant stinging sensations in the mouth.
-    When cooked, taro is a nutritious addition to both sweet and savory meals.

Local Name: Kadhu/Lao/Dudi
English: Bottle gourd
Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Availability: Throughout the year (Peak time: November-April)

Description: Bottle gourd is a fast growing, annual climber (vine) that requires adequate sunlight for flowering and fruiting. Bottle gourds come in wide range of shapes and sizes. The fruit features oval, pear-shaped or elongated and smooth skin that is light green.  In the case of round or pear shaped calabash, their surface is marked by inconspicuous ridges that run lengthwise. Internally, its flesh is white, spongy and embedded with soft, tiny seeds

Health Benefits:
-    Bottle gourd is one of the lowest calorie vegetables- carrying just 14 calories per 100 g. It is one of the vegetables recommended by the dieticians in weight-control programs.
-    Fresh gourds contain small quantities of folates, contain about 6 µg/100g (Provide just 1.5% of RDA). Folate helps reduce the incidence of neural tube defects in the newborns when taken by anticipant mothers during their early months of pregnancy.
-    Fresh calabash gourd is a modest source of Vitamin-C (100 g of raw fruit provides 10 mg or about 17% of RDA). Vitamin-C is one of the powerful natural antioxidants that help the human body scavenge harmful free radicals, which otherwise, labeled as one of the reasons for cancer development.
-    Calabash facilitates easy digestion and movement of food through the bowel until it is excreted from the body. Thus, it helps in relieving indigestion and constipation problems.
-    Aslo, the vegetable is also a modest source of thiamin, niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, manganese and magnesium.
-    Bottle gourd tender leaves and tendrils are also edible and indeed contain higher concentrations of vitamins and minerals than its fruit.

Local Name: Karala
English: Bitter gourd
Scientific name: Momordica
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Availability: Throughout the year

Description: Momordica charantia (colloquially: bitter melon; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.
Health Benefits:
-    Acts as a blood purifier
-    Helps in weight loss
-    Improves immunity
-    Great for diabetes
-    May Have Cancer-Fighting Properties
-    Could Decrease Cholesterol Levels
-    Versatile and Delicious etc.

Local Name: Jali kumra/Chal kumra
English: Ash/Wax gourd
Scientific name: Benincasa hispida
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Availability: Throughout the year (Peak time: April-October)

Description: Wax gourd also known as white gourd is commonly identified with the name winter melon. It is a plant grown mainly for its large fruit, as it gets mature they are consumed as a vegetable. Nebulous when young, the fruit has a chunky white flesh which is sweet to taste. The best part about wax gourd is that it provides a long shelf life and by ripeness, the fruit loses its hair and develops a waxy coat, thereby giving rise to the name wax gourd.
Health Benefits:
-    By drinking wax gourd juice on empty stomach in the mornings peptic ulcers can be cured.
-    For preventing blood loss from nose or as a result of piles, a mixture of Indian gooseberry and fresh juice of winter melon can help.
-    The pulp can be boiled and then mixed with sugar into a sticky product by warming it. This is an excellent means of gaining weight after suffering from diseases like tuberculosis or diabetes.
-    It is an effective diuretic, which helps in eliminating toxins by causing frequent urination.
-    It has been regarded as a vegetable or fruit which provids quick energy as revealed by ancient yogic science.
-    It has natural cooling properties which can be checked during the winters by adding a hint of honey to it.

Local Name: Begun
English: Brinjal/Egg plant/Aubergine
Scientific name: Solanum melongena
Family:  Solanaceae

Availability: Throughout the year

Description: Brinjal, commonly known as eggplant or aubergine, belongs in the plant family Solanaceae, which also houses tomato, potato, nicotine and the poisonous deadly nightshade plant. The Latin name 'melongena' has its roots in the Italian name 'melanzane', which derives from 'mela insane' meaning 'mad apple'. First domesticated in India, aubergine is now cultivated worldwide and is a popular ingredient in many traditional recipes.
Health Benefits:
-    Rich in Many Nutrients
-    High in Antioxidants
-    May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
-    May Promote Blood Sugar Control
-    Could Help with Weight Loss
-    May Have Cancer-Fighting Benefits
-    Very Easy to Add to Your Diet

Fresh Cabbage- Round

Local Name: French bean
English: French bean
Scientific name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Family: Fabaceae

Availability: Mid-November to March

Description: French beans are narrow green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. French beans are harvested anywhere from three to four inches in length, when their texture and flavor is at its peak. French beans have a thin, cylindrical shape with plump indentations along their contour, outlining the peas inside, which are shelled tightly within the bean flesh. The peas, which are essentially the bean's seeds, are a vibrant lime green in color, semi starchy in texture with a mild taste of the beans sweet and grassy flavors.

Here are some key points about green beans. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
•    There are more than 130 varieties of green beans
•    Green beans are a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K
•    It is important to rinse and drain canned beans to reduce sodium content

Health Benefits:
-    May Have Cancer-Fighting Benefits
-    Fertility and pregnancy
-    Depression
-    Bone health
-    Diet