Sambar Cucumber AKA Dosakai cucumber, Malabar cucumber, Mangalore cucumber or Indian Yellow cucumber is a cucumber variety from India, mainly used for cooking sambar which is a kind of spicy stew/curry. The fruit looks like a large cucumber and feel and taste like a gourd when cooked. The seeds are removed before cooking and the flesh holds itself during the cooking process. It grows in vigorous vines and the fruits turn from green to yellow when totally mature. It can be picked from 4 weeks after appearance. It is a common vegetable found in most homes in South India. It requires good level of heat, good sun exposure and food fertile soil to grow. Seeds saved in Cork, Ireland.
Scientific Name: Cucumis sativus
Plant Life Cycle: annual
Optimal Germination Temperature: 24C
Germination time in days: 10 to 20 days
Indicative Days to maturity: 90-100 days
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil requirement: fertile, rich, well draining
Sowing and cultivation: Sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before last frost if you will be growing them in a heated greenhouse. Sow cucumber seeds on their side, 1–2 cm deep, in small pots. Keep them at over 23°C .
