Glossary

American : Jalapeno
Tamil : Pacha milagai
Telugu : Pachi miripikaya
Hindi : Hari mirch

There are more than 300 varieties of chillies. They vary in length from 5mm to over 300mm, some are long and narrow and others plump and globular and they vary in heat from mildly warm to mouth-blisteringly hot. All contain capsaicin, a biologically active ingredient beneficial to the respiratory system, blood pressure and heart. It is claimed to be effective in protecting against cancer. The chilli is a rich source of vitamin C, even more so than the lemon or orange. Even after cooking it only loses 30 percent of its vitamin C.

Tamil : Kalkandu
Hindi : Mishri

A hard confection that is made by cooling a concentrated sugar syrup into large clear crystals around a piece of string or a stick.

Tamil: Chepangkezhangu
Telugu : Chamagedda

Starchy tuberous root vegetable

American: Beets
Hindi: Chukandar

The root of a seashore plant, can be boiled or baked or pickled or used as a salad. The juice can also be used to color food

American: Chayote
Tamil: Bangalore kathirikkai

Roughly pear shaped, somewhat flattened and with coarse wrinkles. It has a thin green skin fused with the white flesh, and a single large flattened pip. The flesh has a fairly bland taste, and a texture described as a cross between a potato and a cucumber. Has diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties

Tamil: Muttakos
Hindi: Band/patha gobhi

Hindi: Chakriphool

American: Cream of wheat
Tamil: Ravai
Telugu: Rava
Hindi: Sooji

Semolina is coarsely ground grain, usually wheat, with particles mostly between 0.25 and 0.75 mm in diameter. The same milling grade is sometimes called farina, or grits if made from maize. It refers to two very different products: semolina for porridge is usually steel-cut soft common wheat whereas “durum semolina” used for pasta or gnocchi is coarsely ground from either durum wheat or other hard wheat, usually the latter because it costs less to grow

Tamil: Karuvepilai
Telugu: Karimpagu
Hindi: Kadhi patha

Aromatic leaves, belonging to the neem family, also called ‘Meetha Neem’, because it is not bitter like Neem. Used very widely in Indian cooking, especially the South and the West

Tamil: perichambazham
Hindi: Khajoor

With a history stretching back over 5,000 years, this venerable fruit grows in thick clusters on the giant date palm, native to the Middle East. The name is thought to come from the Greek daktulos, meaning “”finger,”" after the shape of the fruit. Dates require a hot, dry climate and-besides Africa and the Middle East-flourish in California and Arizona. Most varieties range from 1 to 2 inches long and are oval in shape (though some are so chunky they’re almost round). All dates have a single, long, narrow seed. The skin is thin and papery, the flesh cloyingly sweet. Dates are green when unripe and turn yellow, golden brown, black or mahogany red-depending on the variety-as they ripen. They’re generally picked green and ripened off the tree before drying. When fresh, dates contain about 55 percent sugar, a percentage that increases dramatically as the date dries and the sugar becomes concentrated. Fresh dates are available in some specialty markets from late summer through midfall. Dried dates are available year-round and are sold packaged-pitted and unpitted-and in bulk, unpitted. Chopped dried dates are also available in packages. Choose plump, soft dates with a smooth, shiny skin. Avoid very shriveled dates or those with mold or sugar crystals on the skin. Store fresh dates, wrapped in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Dried dates can be stored, airtight, at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months or up to a year in the refrigerator. Dates are a good source of protein and iron.