About the Vegetable :Mint Leaves have been been one of the popular herbs known since antiquity for its distinctive aroma and medicinal value. Botanically, the herb belongs to the Lamiaceae family, in the genus; Mentha. Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely annual, herbs. It is actually a natural hybrid-cross between water-mint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata).The herb has a characteristic refreshing cool breeze sensation on taste buds, palate and throat when eaten; and on nasal olfaction glands when inhaled. This unique quality of mint is due to the presence of menthol, an essential oil in its fresh leaves, and stem.They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin. Leaf colours range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow.The flowers are white to purple and produced in false whorls called verticillasters. The corolla is two-lipped with four sub equal lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest. The fruit is a nutlet, containing one to four seeds.
Scientific / Binomial name : Mentha piperita
Popularly Known as :Pudina pata, kruizemunt, Minze, Pudina, Pudina yele, Daun Pudina Kodak, Daun Kesom, mynta, Pudhina
Usage :
The essential oils in the peppermint act on cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, mouth and throat; the property that is responsible for the well-known cooling sensation that it provokes when inhaled, eaten, or applied to the skin. This characteristic of mint can be employed in the preparation of cough/cold reliving remedies like syrups, lozenges and nasal inhalers.
Peppermint oil has analgesic, local anaesthetic and counter-irritant properties and has been used in the preparation of topical muscle relaxants, and analgesics.
It is also being used in oral hygiene products and bad-breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavour agent; e.g. in chewing-gum, candy.
It is also being used in oral hygiene products and bad-breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavour agent; for instance, in chewing gums, candy, etc...
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.
About the Vegetable :Gogu or Roselle Leaves are available in two varieties, green stemmed leaf and red stemmed. The red stemmed variety is more sour than the green stemmed variety. Gongura is popular in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Tripura and also Mizoram.A baby gongura leaf is a full leaf. As the leaf grows older, the leaf splits into four or more parts.
Scientific / Binomial name : Hibiscus cannabinus
Popularly Known as :Ambaadi,Huli Soppu, Pulicahi keerai, Gongura, Pundi Palle, Roselle, karkade, asam belanda, lumanda, katolo, galda, Guragod, Labug, Pundu koora
Usage :
In Andhra cuisine, Hibiscus cannabinus, called gongura, is extensively used. The leaves are steamed along with lentils and cooked with dal. The other unique dish prepared is gongura pachadi, it is prepared by mixing fried leaves with spices and made into a gongura pacchadi, the most famous dish of Andhra cuisine and is often described as king of all Andhra foods.
In Burmese cuisine, called chin baung ywet (lit. sour leaf), the roselle is widely used and considered an affordable vegetable for the population. It is perhaps the most widely eaten and popular vegetable in Burma.The leaves are fried with garlic, dried or fresh prawns and green chili or cooked with fish. A light soup made from roselle leaves and dried prawn stock is also a popular dish.
Among the Bodo tribals of Bodoland, Assam (India) the leaves of both hibiscus sabdariffa and hibiscus cannabinus are cooked along with chicken, fish, crab or pork, one of their traditional cuisines.
In the Philippines,the leaves and flowers are used to add sourness to chicken dish "Tinola" (Polynesian Chicken Stew).
Other well known recipes made with Gongura as the main ingredient are Gongura Pappu (Lentils), Gongura mamsam (goat/mutton) and Gongura royyalu (shrimp). In recent times, Gongura Chicken is also being served in restaurants. Gongura and calabash is extremely popular with the Telugu community in South Africa.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
