Maybe gherkins may not have been the right English word for it. I was talking about Ivy Gourd [0], which is used in Konkan region/cuisine a lot.

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinia_grandis

Had a look at the article. Not sure about the size, but if it is small, e.g. a few cm in length, I think it is what is called tundli or tendli. Common vegetable in India. Tasty too.

Just did a search, and if this site is correct, tundli is indeed the ivy gourd:

http://www.indian-cooking.info/Expert/Indian-To-English-Term...