I was listening to Asian Network yesterday - as it was halloween pumpkins came up. One of the presenters wanted to know what Pumpkin is called in Hindi - I'm not sure really - does Mamta or anyone else know what it is? :-)
In some parts it is also called kad-doo. (Both the ds are soft)
I have also heard pumpkin being translated as laukee.
Hello Khichri
Kaddu, where both d's are pronounced softly, is the North Indian or Hindi name for Pumpkin. Some people also call it Sita-phal.
KennyLiza, Dudhi (Gujrati) or Lauki (Hindi) is Indian bottle gourd, called so because of it?s shape. It is not Pumpkin.
Syedz, Pumpkin is definitely not Laukee/Lauki.
I am sure you will find pictures of lauki on the internet.
Mamta
Yes they do call custard apple Sitaphal in some places. Another, more popular nanme for them is 'sharifa'. It is all a little confusing, that is why I did not mention it before.
By the way, I have just had some fresh custard apples off the tree in my sister's garden, they were so delicious!
Mamta
I asked my older sister Abha in Lucknow today, as I am visiting her at present. She says that only a small number of people call pumpkin Sitaphal. Liza is right, it usually refers to custard apple. Hindi names for pumpkin are Kaddoo/Kaddu, Kashi-phal, Lal (red) kaddu or peela (yellow) Kaddu and Kumhra-the 'ra' sound at the end of Kumhra is harsh, more like a 'dra'.
There are many more names in different parts of India, which I have gleaned from other internets sites;
Gujrati-Kohiu
Bengali-Kumra
Punjabi-Sitaphal
Kannada-Kumbala
Tamil-Parangikai
Telgu-Gummadi Kayi
Kashmiri-Paarimal
Marathi-Lal Bhapla
Mamta
Thanks Mamta!!
I thought I'd ask here, because last week the question was asked on a programme on the Asian Network radio station and there were lots of answers that came up (as it's likely!!) but they wanted to know what it was in Hindi.
Interesting!! i thought only sharifa was called as sita phal. And again sharifa was so common during my childhood that most of household in dehradun had it. But now it is so rare. Same can be said about Lychees, jamuns and basmati rice.
Anyway nothing like ripe kaddu ki sabji with pooris..... deadly!!!
Rajneesh, Sharifa (custard apple), Jamun, Lychi and Basmati are still abundant, not yet rare in Rorkee/Dehradun belt where you and I come from. I just love all of these, especially Sharifa and Jamun (Jambon fruit).
pumpkin is kaduu.....n lauki is another veg...so dont get confused.....n custard apple is sharifa in hindi.....
PUMPKIN IS NOT KNOWN AS KADDU BECAUSE KADDU IS KNOWN ASGUARD IN URDU
ND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HINDI
Do you mean Ash-gourd? That is not pumpkin. Ashgourd is totally different and used in India to make the popular sweetcalled 'petha'.
Ash-gourd;http://trade.indiamart.com/details.mp?offer=2252157255
I don't know what the confusion is about-- pumpkin is KADDU.
Petha looks like KADDU but it is not a KADDU !! :D
The confusion is this Rajneesh;
We UP (Uttranchal and UP) wallas call it kaddu, but various other states call it by different names, sometimes using names that we use for entirelydifferent vegetables and fruits. Is that confusing enough LOL?
fal means fruit -- and pumpkin is not a fruit. Makes no sense.
actually Pumpkin is a fruit -
"Pumpkin is the fruit of the species Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita mixta"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin
Steve
Pumpkin is a fruit, technically speaking, just like a few other things we call vegetables.
Yes true pumpkin is a fruit, there is some confusion demarcating fruits and veggies....a fruit is what is developed by the ovary and has seeds, that makes tomatoes, cucumber, "karela", lady finger etc fruits as well.
oh yes the joys of language and classification
Tomato - fruit
Strawberry - not as the name might suggest a berry, in technical terms, an aggregate accessory fruit
Peanut - again not as the name might suggest isn't a nut, its a legume (bean)
Peas - slightly odd as if in the pod its a fruit, but the peas are actually the seeds.
chickpeas - aren't peas, they are beans (legumes) and high in protein
and don't ask what bananas are !
Steve
Well, I think it doesn't really matter to most of us what the 'proper' scientific terms are: for me, tomatoes are veg, cos I put them in salad.
And pumpkins are veg too, for me. We do a fab pumpkin and cheese gratin, and spicy pumpkin soup is good too. I've no idea what a 'fruit' soup would be.
Phil
Pumpkin and bottle gourd(lauki or Kaddu) are two different vegetables.Pumpkin is commonly called as Kumhra in North India.
Pumpkin is also known as Kashi Phal in Northern India, both in Hindi and Urdu. It is also made into a delicious halwa known as Kashi Hlwa.
Indeed Mrinalini (what a beautiful name!).
Pumpkin Halva is very nice. Pumpkin Soup is also very tasty and nice for a cold day.