Vegetable - Curry Leaves

Curry Leaves

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About the Vegetable :The curry tree is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India and Sri Lanka.Its leaves are used in many dishes in India and neighbouring countries. Often used in curries, the leaves are generally called by the name "curry leaves", though they are also translated as "sweet neem leaves" in most Indian languages (as opposed to ordinary neem leaves which are bitter).It is a small tree, growing 4–6 m (13–20 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) diameter. The aromatic leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2–4 cm (0.79–1.57 in) long and 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) broad. The plant produces small white flowers which can self-pollinate to produce small shiny-black berries containing a single, large viable seed. Though the berry pulp is edible with a sweet but medicinal flavour in general, neither the pulp nor seed are used for culinary purposes.

Scientific / Binomial name : Murraya koenigii

Popularly Known as :Karipattha, Kadi Patta, Kari Patta, Meeta Neem,Karibevu yele, Daung, Karivepaaku

Usage :

• The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life & do not keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior.
• The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as an herb in Ayurvedic medicine. They are believed to possess anti-diabetic properties.
• Although most commonly used in curries, leaves from the curry tree can be used in many other dishes to add flavour. In Cambodia, Khmer toast the leaves in an open flame or roast it until crispy and then crush it into a soured soup dish called Maju Krueng.

Vegetable - Coriander Leaves

Coriander Leaves

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About the Vegetable :Cilantro is one of the popular Mediterranean herb, which commonly recognized as leaf-coriander in Asia. It is widely employed in savory dishes in almost all parts of the world. The herb contains many notable plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health-promoting properties. Coriander is quite similar to dill in utility terms since its leaves as well as seeds can be used in cuisine.Cilantro herb is native to Mediterranean, and Asia Minor (Turkey) regions. It is perennial plant but grown as an annual which requires well-draining fertile soil supplemented with warm summer climates to flourish. The plant reaches about 1 to 2 feet in height and features dark green, hairless, soft leaves that vary in shape; broad-lobed near the base, and slender and feathery higher up near its flowering stems. The leaves and stem possess slightly citrus flavour. The plant bears umbels of small white or light pink flowers in midsummer, followed by round-oval shaped aromatic seeds.

Scientific / Binomial name : Coriandrum sativum

Popularly Known as :Cilantro, Dhane sag, Hara Dhania, Kottambiri Soppu, Kottamalli, Kothimeera

Usage :

• Cilantro (coriander) leaves has been used in preparation of many popular dishes in Asian and east European cuisine since ancient times. When added in combination with other household herbs and spices, it enhances flavor and taste of vegetable, chicken, fish and meat dishes.
• The herb has also been used in the preparation of soups, and sauces. Popular Mediterranean cilantro pesto uses fresh cilantro, red pepper, garlic cloves, olive oil, pumpkin seeds with few drops of lemon juie, is a great addition on pasta, in sandwiches or as a marinade to fish, poultry...etc dishes.
• Freshly chopped and sautéed coriander leaves are a great addition in green salad.
• Coriander seed powder is one of the main ingredients used in the preparation of curry powder.

Vegetable - Spinach Leaves

Spinach Leaves

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About the Vegetable :Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a wonderful green-leafy vegetable often recognized as one of the functional foods for its wholesome nutritional, antioxidants and anti-cancer composition. Its tender, crispy, dark-green leaves are one of the favorite ingredients of chefs all around the planet. Spinacia plant grows about 1 foot in height. Although, it can be grown year round, fresh greens are best available just after the winter season in the Northern hemisphere from March through May and from September until November, in the South of the equatorial line.

Scientific / Binomial name :Spinacia oleracea

Popularly Known as :Paalakura, Paalakoora, sabaanix, Palong Shak, spinazie,épinards, Spinat, Palak, Bayam

Usage :

• Fresh, tender spinach leaves (baby spinach) can be eaten raw either in salad and vegetable burgers or as juice. Antioxidant properties may decrease significantly on steaming, frying and boiling for longer periods.
• Along with other vegetables, its leaves are used in the preparation of noodles, pie, pasta, pulov, and soups as well as in the preparation of baby-foods.
• In India and Pakistan, where it is popular as "palak", spinach features in variety of delicious cooking such as palak-paneer (cottage cheese), aaloo-palak (with potato), fried rice, chicken and meat preparations.
• In India and Bangladesh spinach is mixed with other seasonal greens like goosefoot (chenopodium album), fenugreek, mustard greens, Malabar spinach (Basella alba), etc., to prepare "saag" which is eaten with unleavened bread (roti), and rice.

Vegetable - Amaranth Leaves

Amaranth Leaves

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About the Vegetable :Amaranthus, collectively known as Amaranth,is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, cereals, and ornamental plants. Most of the species from Amaranthus are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pig weed. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in summer or autumn. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to green or gold. Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with members of the closely related genus Celosia.The root of mature amaranth is a popular vegetable. It is white and cooked with tomatoes or tamarind gravy. It has a milky taste and is alkaline.leaves and stems are used as a stir-fry vegetable, or in soups

Genus name : Amaranthus

Popularly Known as :Thotakuoora, Bonongwe, Minze,Rajgaro, Panipahl, Tikora, Bayam, Thantina, Dhantina Soppu, Harive, Cheera, Shravani Maath

Usage :

• In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam. In the Philippines, the Ilocano word for the plant is "kalunay"; the Tagalog word for the plant is kilitis or "kulitis".
• In the state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India, it is called Chaulai and is a popular green leafy vegetable (referred to in the class of vegetable preparations called saag).
• It is called Chua in Kumaun area of Uttarakhand, where it is a popular red-green vegetable.
• In Karnataka state in India, it is called Harive. It is used to prepare curries like Hulee, palya, Majjigay-hulee and so on.
• In the state of Kerala, it is called 'Cheera' and is consumed by stir-frying the leaves with spices and red chillies to make 'Cheera Thoran'.
• In Tamil Nadu State, it is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where the greens are steamed, and mashed, with light seasoning of salt, red chillis and cumin.
• It is called keerai masial. In Andhra Pradesh this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura pappu.
• In Maharashtra, it is called "Shravani Maath" (literally grown in month of Shravan) and it is available in both red and white colour.
• In Orissa, it is called "Khada saga", it is used to prepare 'Saga Bhaja', in which the leaf is fried with chillies and onions.

Vegetable - Turnip

Turnip

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About the Vegetable :The turnip or white turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock.Turnips are nutritious root vegetables sought after in a variety of cuisines across Europe, Asia, and Eastern American regions. It is one of the cool-season vegetables belonging within the broad Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbage, kale, brussels-sprouts, etc. The roots have been cultivated as staple food during ancient Greek and Roman periods. Although, its bulbous root which is widely popular, it is its top fresh greens rather more nutritious, several times richer in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.Small young turnips or “baby turnips” are called when the roots harvested early in the growing stage. They are delicate, sweeter and eaten raw in salads. However, as they advance in age and maturity, their flavor becomes more pronounced and texture firm and woody.

Scientific / Binomial name : Brassica rapa var. rapa

Popularly Known as :Gaanth Gobhi,NavilKosu,Noolkol, NoolKal,Chinna Mullangi

Usage :

• Young turnips Varieties are one of the favoured items in raw salads for their sweet taste, complementing with cabbage, parsnips, carrots, beets, etc.
• Its cubes can mix well with other vegetables like kohlrabi, potato, carrots in variety of stews.
• Diced roots can be added to poultry, lamb, pork, etc.
• Add raw baby turnip slices with olives and cherry tomatoes to make delicious appetizer.
• Turnip cubes are pickled as in other vegetables like radish, chilli-peppers, carrot in many parts of Northern India, Iran, and Pakistan.
• Top greens are used with other greens and vegetables in soups, curries, and stews.

Vegetable - Lettuce

Lettuce

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About the Vegetable :Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the aster or sunflower family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce was first cultivated by the ancient Egyptians who turned it from a weed, whose seeds were used to produce oil, into a plant grown for its seeds and leaves.Crispy, green/crimson-red coloured lettuce is one of the incredible leafy vegetables packed with essential nutrients that benefit health. Its leaves exude milk like fluid (sap) when cut.Indeed, it is among the most sought-after greens, be it in your crunchy, green salads or healthy sandwiches! See more Varieties...Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled.One variety, the Woju (莴苣) or asparagus lettuce, is grown for its stems, which are eaten either raw or cooked. Lettuce is a good source of vitamin A and potassium, as well as a minor source for several other vitamins and nutrients. Despite its beneficial properties, contaminated lettuce is often a source of bacterial, viral and parasitic outbreaks in humans, including E. coli and Salmonella. In addition to its main use as a leafy green, it has also gathered religious and medicinal significance over centuries of human consumption.

Scientific / Binomial name : Lactuca sativa

Usage :

• Raw, fresh-lettuce is commonly used in salads, burgers, spring rolls, and sandwiches.
• Chinese-lettuce is usually stir fried or stewed and added to noodles as well as fried rice preparations.
• The leafy green also combines well with garden peas, green-beans as well as seafood like shrimp, prawns, etc.

Vegetable - Ginger

Ginger

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About the Vegetable :Ginger or ginger root is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family (Zingiberaceae). Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. The distantly related dicots in the Asarum genus have the common name wild ginger because of their similar taste.Pungent, spicy ginger root is a popular root herb of culinary as well as medicinal importance. The root, which composes unique phyto-chemical compounds, still finds a special place in many traditional Indian and Chinese medicines disease preventing and health promoting properties.The spicy root is actually an underground rhizome of small herb plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, of the genus: Zingiber.Its root features knotty finger-like projections that grow downward from the ground surface. Fresh raw root has a silver gray outer surface. Cut sections feature creamy white, yellow, or red-colored crunchy flesh depending upon the variety. The root often contains fibrils running through its center, especially in over-maturede size size roots. Ginger has pungent, spicy and aromatic smell that comes from essential oils and phenolic compounds such as gingerols and shogaols in the root.

Scientific / Binomial name : Zingiber officinale.

Popularly Known as :Adrak, Alla, Shunti,Inji, Allam,

Usage :

• Fresh or dried ginger root along with garlic, cilantro, onion, tomato, cumin and mustard-seeds made to a flavourful curry paste which is then added to variety of vegetable, meat and curry/soup preparations.
• The herb root is also used in the preparation of mango, lemon and spondias (ambara in India) pickles.
• Fresh root can be used in the preparation of variety of spicy snacks, candies, and ginger bread in the food industry.
• Ginger tea is a popular drink in many Asian countries.
• Ginger root is available in many varieties See more varieties
in the market.

Vegetable - Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn

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About the Vegetable :Sweet corn also called sugar corn and pole corn) is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive mutation in the genes which control conversion of sugar to starch inside the endosperm of the corn kernel. Genetically, it differs from the field corn by mutation at the sugary (su) locus. The crop has achieved success as one of the important commercial cash crops in many tropical and semi-tropical countries.Unlike field corn varieties, which are harvested when the kernels are dry and mature (dent stage), sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. Since the process of maturation involves converting sugar to starch, sweet corn stores poorly and must be eaten fresh, canned, or frozen, before the kernels become tough and starchy.

Scientific / Binomial name : Zea mays var. saccharata.

Popularly Known as :Sugar corn, Pole corn, Kakdi, Makkai Jola, Cholam, Mokka Jonna

Usage :

• Farm fresh, raw milky sweet corn can be eaten as it is even without boiled or steamed.
• The whole corncob may be grilled and served with salt and pepper seasoning.
• The whole cob may be steamed, or boiled in salt water and served with butter or oil.
• Boiled kernels are an excellent accompaniment in salads, pizza, pasta, risotto, stews, omelets, fried-rice, rice pulav, etc.
• Sweet corn soup and chowder are favourite starters in almost all corners of the world.
• Water used for boiling the corn is used in soups. It can be used along with onion, carrots, parsnip, celery-stalks, etc., in the preparation of delicious vegetable stock.
• Interesting snacks called Popcorns are made and served.
• This Vegetable is also available in many colours and Varieties in the market.Show varieties.Hence the combination of this vegetable with different colours makes the recipe more colourful and tasty too.

Vegetable - Garlic

Garlic

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About the Vegetable :About the Vegetable : Garlic is a bulbous plant.It has been recognized in almost all the cultures for its medicinal properties as well as culinary uses. This wonderful herbal plant, grown for its underground root or bulb, contains health promoting phyto-nutrient substances that have proven benefits against coronary artery diseases, infections and cancers.

Scientific / Binomial name : Allium sativum

Popularly Known as :Allium sativum, Lehsun, Bolloli, Vellulipaya, Bellulli, Yellipaya

Usage :It is used in many ways.

• Garlic is one of the common ingredients employed to enhance the flavour of vegetable, meat, and seafood preparations.
• This Vegetable is also available in many colours and Varieties in the market.Show varieties
• Its cloves are added to give a spicy pungent flavour to the preparations like breads, toast and Bruschetta (grilled bread slices rubbed with garlic paste with toppings such as olive oil, pepper, tomato, cheese, meat...etc.).
• The cloves also been used in the preparation of seasonal soups, chutney, and sauces.
• Tender garlic tops are used like vegetables just like scallions and chives along with vegetables, eggs in some recipe preparations in East Asian countries.

Vegetable - Cluster Beans

Cluster Beans

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About the Vegetable :About the Vegetable :Guar grows well in arid to semiarid areas, but frequent rainfall is necessary. This legume is a very valuable plant within a crop rotation cycle, as it lives in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Guar grows well in arid to semiarid areas, but frequent rainfall is necessary. This legume is a very valuable plant within a crop rotation cycle, as it lives in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In fact, agriculturists in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan follow crop-rotation and use guar as a source to replenish the soil with essential fertilizers and nitrogen fixation, before the next crop. Guar as a plant has a multitude of different functions for human and animal nutrition but its gelling agent containing seeds (guar gum) are today the most important use.

Scientific / Binomial name : Cyamopsis tetragonoloba

Popularly Known as :Cluster beans, Cholakaya, Gavar, Guar, Guwar

Usage :

• Its beans are very nutritious and available in varieties in the market.Show varieties.The guar protein is not usable by humans unless toasted to destroy the trypsin inhibitor.
• Guar leaves can be used like spinach and the pods are prepared like salad or vegetables.
• Guar gum:In several food and beverages guar gum is used as additive in order to change its viscosity or as fiber source.

  Food	Function
  Baked goods	Dough improver
  Cheese	Texture improver
  Ice Cream	Smaller ice crystals
  Fried Products	Oil uptake reduction

Vegetable - Capsicum

Capsicum

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About the Vegetable :Capsicum or Bell pepper,is the most popular of the chilli peppers in the Capsicum annum family. It is a fruit pod of small perennial shrub in the nightshade or Solanaceae family, in the genus, capsicum. Unlike their fellow capsicum members, sweet peppers have characteristic bell shape with crunchy, thick fleshy texture. Additionally, on comparison with other members, bell peppers feature characteristically less pungency that ranges from zero to very minimal hotness. For the same reasons, they generally treated like any other common vegetables instead of spice.In structure, sweet pepper features blocky, cube like outer flesh enclosing numerous tiny, white, or cream colored, circular and flat seeds. The seeds are actually clinging on to the central core (placenta). The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. The piquant (spicy) varieties are commonly called chili peppers, or simply "chilies". The large, mild form is called red pepper, green pepper, or bell pepper in North America and typically just "capsicum" in New Zealand,Australia, and India. The fruit is called paprika in some other countries

Scientific / Binomial name : Capsicum annum

Popularly Known as :Bell Pepper, Bengaluru Mirchi, Banglore Mirapakaya, Shimla Mirchi

Usage :

• Fresh raw bell peppers are being used as vegetables in cuisines. They can be eaten raw as in salads or cooked in stir-fries.
• In many parts of South Asia, they are mixed with other vegetables like potato, carrots, aubergine, green beans etc., along with tomato, garlic, onion, mustard seeds, cumin, and other spices in various mouth-watering stir-fries (sabzi).
• They can also be stuffed with rice, meat, cheddar cheese, dried fruits, nuts, etc., and, then cooked/roasted.
• They can also be grilled and served with sauce, cheese, and olive oil or with dips.
• Finely chopped sweet peppers can be used in Chinese-style vegetable stir-fries, and noodles.
• Sweet peppers are one of the popular ingredients in Italian pizza and pasta.
• Capsicum species have also found use in medicines.
• This Vegetable is also available in many colours and varieties in the market..Hence the combination of this vegetable with different colours makes the recipe more colourful and tasty too.

Culinary Used Areas :Capsicum is native to Americas, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. In modern times, it is cultivated worldwide, and has become a key element in many regional cuisines.

Vegetable - Beet root

Beet root

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About the Vegetable :The beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant,[1] also known in North America as the table beet, garden beet, red or golden beet, or informally simply as the beet. It is several of the cultivated varieties of beet (Beta vulgaris) grown for their edible taproots and their greens. These Varieties have been classified as B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris Conditiva Group.Beets are highly nutritious and “cardiovascular health” friendly root vegetables. Certain unique pigment antioxidants in this root as well as in its top-greens have found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke; lower cholesterol levels within the body, and have anti-ageing effects.Beets are small herbaceous plants with broad dark-green leaves. Its underground taproot matures in 50-60 days of sowing and weighs about 100 to 150 g. If not harvested at the right time, it keeps growing in size to more than a pound and may develop surface cracks, lose taste and become unappetizing because of excess fibber content.

Scientific / Binomial name : Beta vulgaris

Popularly Known as :Beets, Yerra dumpa,

Usage :

• The root may be eaten raw in salads with carrot, radish, cucumber, cabbage etc.
• Steam the small cubes and serve warm with butter as a delicacy.
• Pickled beets are a part of the traditional food in the southern American states.
• Beet juice is a popular health drink.
• In India, the roots are eaten boiled in curries with other vegetables such as carrot, potato, tomato, etc.
• In Europe,cooked chunks are enjoyed as side dish with added olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice.
• In Eastern Europe, its soup, borscht prepared with added sour cream, is a popular recipe.

Vegetable - Potato

Potato

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About the Vegetable :Potato is a starchy root vegetable . The word "potato" may refer either to the plant itself or the edible tuber. Potato plants are herbaceous perennials that grow about 60 cm (24 in) high, depending on variety, with the culms dying back after flowering, fruiting and tuber formation. This humble tuber is one of the most widely grown crops and one of the cheapest staple food items eaten by population all-over the world.Potatoes are mostly cross-pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, which carry pollen from other potato plants, though a substantial amount of self-fertilizing occurs as well. Tubers form in response to decreasing day length, although this tendency has been minimized in commercial varieties.

Scientific / Binomial name : Solanum tuberosum

Popularly Known as :Vurlagadda, Aloo, Urlagadda, Aalugadde, Patata

Usage :Potato dishes are prepared in many ways:

• Skin-on or peeled, whole or chopped, with or without seasoning's.
• Mashed- Here potatoes are boiled and peeled, and then mashed with addition of milk, cream, and butter.
• Whole baked, boiled or steamed.
• Fried in oil or chips.
• Prepare delicious soup/chowder with leeks, corn, onion and seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Cut into cubes and roasted; scalloped, diced, or sliced and fried.
• Grated and prepare dumplings, and pancakes.

Vegetable - Lemon

Lemon

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About the Vegetable :Lemon is one of the most widely used citrus fruits worldwide. Lime is a close relative, comparatively smaller in size and possesses thinner skin. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade.

Scientific / Binomial name : Citrus limon

Popularly Known as :Lemon, Neemboo, Nimmakaya, Nimbannu

Usage :Lemon is used in many forms as below.

• Lemon slices/wedges are used to garnish salads.
• Besides from their common usage as flavouring base in beverages or lemonade, they can also be used in confectionaries like pies, cakes, pastry dough, and marinades.
• Its juice can be stored frozen for later use.
• The outermost part of the rind grated using zester to produce lemon zest, which also have many culinary values for its flavor rich oil glands.  
• Iced lemon tea is a refreshing drink.
• The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade.
• Dried preserved lemons are being employed as condiment in Persian cuisine.

Culinary Used Areas :A common vegetable for all places. Lime pickles are favorite side dishes in Middle East, India, Morocco, etc.

Vegetable - Tapioca

Tapioca Root

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About the Vegetable :Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava root .The cassava is a perennial plant that grows best under tropical, moist, fertile, well-drained soils. Completely grown plant reaches to a height of about 2-4 m. Under the cultivation fields; cut-stem sections are planted just as in sugarcanes. After about 8-10 months of plantation, long, globular roots or tubers radiate from the stem just underneath the soil surface up to a depth of 2-4 feet. Each tuber weighs one to several pounds depending up on the cultivar type and feature grey-brown, rough woody textured skin. Its flesh features white colour starch rich sweet-flavoured meat that should be eaten only after cooking. See Varieties

Scientific / Binomial name :Manihot esculenta (Crantz).

Popularly Known as :Cassava,Yuca,

Usage :

• Cassava tubers are popular ingredients in fries, stew-fries, soups, and savoury dishes all over the tropic regions.
• In general, cassava sections are fried in oil until brown and crisp and served with oil, salt, and pepper seasoning in many Caribbean islands.
• Starch rich yuca pulp is sieved to prepare white pearls (topioca-starch), popular as sabudana in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The pearls used in sweet pudding, savory fritters, sabudana-kichri, papad etc.
• Cassava flour is also used to make bread, cake, cookies, etc. in several Caribbean islands.
• In Nigeria and Ghana, cassava flour is used along with yams to make fufu (polenta), which is then savoured with stews.
• Cassava chips, and flakes are also widely eaten as a snack.

Vegetable - Snakegourd

Snake Gourd

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About the Vegetable :Snake Gourd is a tropical or subtropical vine, its variety T. cucumerina var. anguina raised for its strikingly long fruit, used as a vegetable, medicine, and in crafting traditional Australian musical instruments known as didgeridoos. Leaves are palmately lobed, up to 25 cm long. Flowers are unisexual, white, opening at night, with long branching hairs on the margins of the petals. These hairs are curled up in the daytime when the flower is closed, but unfurl at night to form a delicate lacy display

Scientific / Binomial name : Trichosanthes cucumerina

Popularly Known as :Snake gourd, Serpent gourd, Padwal, Potlakaya

Usage :

• In making curries, Soups and snacks (Bajji in South India)
• Snake Gourd is found in the wild across much of South and South east Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), and southern China (Guangxi and Yunnan).It is also regarded as native in northern Australia and naturalized in Florida,parts of Africa and on various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Vegetable - Radish

Radish

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About the Vegetable :Radish is one of the nutritious root-vegetables featured in both salads as well as in main recipes. This widely used root vegetable belongs to the family of Brassica. In Chinese culture, the root along with cabbage and soybean curd (tofu), has been believed as healthful and sustenance food.Varieties of radish are now broadly distributed around the world, but there are almost no archaeological records available to help determine its early history and domestication.They are sometimes grown as companion plants and suffer from few pests and diseases. They germinate quickly and grow rapidly, smaller varieties being ready for consumption within a month while larger daikon varieties taking several months. Some radishes are grown for their seeds: oilseed radishes, for instance, may be grown for oil production. Other Varieties are used for sprouting and both roots and leaves are sometimes served cooked.

Scientific / Binomial name : Raphanus sativus

Popularly Known as :Mullangi, MullangiGadda,

Usage :Broadly speaking, radishes can be categorized into four main types (summer, fall, winter, and spring) and a variety of shapes lengths, colors, and sizes, such as red, pink, white, gray-black or yellow radishes, with round or elongated roots that can grow longer than a parsnip and can be used in many ways.

• Radishes are eaten raw either as a whole or as slaw or in salads with carrots, beets, cucumber, lettuce, etc.
• In French breakfast, radishes are served with sweet-butter and salt.
• The roots are mixed with other vegetables in the preparation of steamed, stir fried or sauteed recipes in many regions.
• In North India and Pakistan, the root is grated and mixed with spice and seasonings and stuffed inside bread to prepare "mooli parantha."
• Pickled daikon (kimchi) is a traditional Korean speciality.
• Radish pods (moongre in India) are eaten raw in salads or in stir-fries in many parts of Asia.
• Its top greens oftentimes mixed with other greens like spinach, turnip-greens, etc., used in the preparation of soups, curries as well as in cooked vegetable recipes.

Vegetable - Lady's finger

Lady's finger

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About the Vegetable : Lady's finger is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods.They are usually gathered while the pods are green, tender, and at immature stage. The plant is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions around the world for their fibrous fruits or "pods." It grows best in well-drained and manure rich soil.

Scientific / Binomial name : Abelmoschus esculentus

Popularly Known as :Bhendi, Bhindi, Okra, Lady'sfinger, Lady's Finger, Bedakaya, Bendekayi, Bamia, Bamya or Gumbo.

Usage :

• Chopped, or sliced pods are stewed or fried (fritters) under low heat oil in order to soften their mucilaginous content. They then, can be mixed with other vegetables, rice, or meat.
• In Caribbean islands, okra is cooked and eaten as soup, often with fish.
• The pods can be pickled and preserved like in other vegetables.
• Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar manner as the greens of beets or dandelions. The leaves are also eaten raw in salads.
• Thick stew of lamb or beef and okra (bamya) is a popular dish in Egypt and other middle eastern regions.

Vegetable - Cucumber

Cucumber

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About the Vegetable :Cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. As in other squash members, cucumbers too are best-harvested young, tender and just short of reaching maturity; at the stage when they taste sweet, have crunchy texture, and unique flavor. If left uninterrupted, the fruit continues to grow in size, its skin becomes tougher and turns yellow, and seeds become hard and inedible. Fresh cucumbers are available throughout the season and can be eaten raw, in vegetable salads or juicing.It is a creeping vine that bears cylindrical fruits that are used as culinary vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and burpless. The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up trellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly cylindrical. Cucumbers are usually more than 90% water.

Scientific / Binomial name : Cucumis sativus

Popularly Known as :Keera, Dosakaya, Chothekayi.

Usage :

• Mostly used in Salads. In India,it is used for even for making pickles.
• Every where it is used as a Salad Vegetable.

Vegetable - Carrot

Carrot

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About the Vegetable :Carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour and also many Varieties available in the market,( purple, red, white, and yellow varieties are generally used for cooking). It has a crisp texture when fresh. The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot, although the greens are sometimes eaten as well.Carrot grows a rosette of leaves in the spring and summer, while building up the stout tap root that stores large amounts of sugars for the plant to flower in the second year.carrot seedlings show a distinct demarcation between the taproot and the hypocotyl. The latter is thicker and lacks lateral roots. At the upper end of the hypocotyl is the seed leaf. The first true leaf appears about 10–15 days after germination.

Scientific / Binomial name : Daucus carota

Popularly Known as :Gazzar, Gazar, Gajar

Usage :Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways such as pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil. In India carrots are used in a variety of ways, as salads or as vegetables added to spicy rice or dal dishes. A popular variation in north India is the Gajar Ka Halwa carrot dessert, which has carrots grated and cooked in milk until the whole mixture is solid, after which nuts and butter are added.Carrot salads are usually made with grated carrots with a seasoning of mustard seeds and green chillies popped in hot oil. Carrots can also be cut in thin strips and added to rice, can form part of a dish of mixed roast vegetables or can be blended with tamarind to make chutney.[Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews, as well as baby and pet foods. A well-known dish is carrots julienne.Together with onion and celery, carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix to make various broths.