Glossary

Tamil : Gothumai maavu
Hindi : Atta

Ground wheat used to make chapatis, parathas.

Tamil: Maida
Telugu: Maida
Hindi: Maida

Maida is sometimes referred to as “All purpose flour”. In India maida is used to make pastries and other bakery items like bread, biscuit, toast etc. However, there has been a recent debate on the exact constiutents used in preparing maida. Some people, especially from South India debate that tapiaco is also used in preparing maida.
Foods made out of maida are not considered to be pro-healthy and whole wheat based foods are more preferred nowadays. Still during festive days especially in south India maida is a common ingredient.

Tamil: Vendaya keerai/ Vendayam
Telugu: Menthulu
Hindi: Methi /dhana methi

Slender, annual, herbaceous legume or its dried seeds, used as a food, a flavoring, and a medicine. The seeds smell and taste strong, sweetish, and somewhat bitter, like burnt sugar. The herb is a characteristic ingredient in some curries and chutneys.

Tamil: Sombu
Hindi: Saunf

Perennial or biennial aromatic herb (Foeniculum vulgare) of the parsley family, native to southern Europe and Asia Minor and widely cultivated. The greenish brown to yellowish brown oblong oval seeds smell and taste similar to anise. The seeds and extracted oil are used for scenting soaps and perfumes and for flavouring candies, liqueurs, medicines, and foods, particularly pastries, sweet pickles, and fish. The thickened base of Florence fennel (F. vulgare dulce) is eaten as a vegetable

Tamil: kadala maavu
Telugu: Sena pindi
Hindi: besan

Split Bengal gram milled to a fine flour called Bengal Gram Flour or Besan. Besan is used in several recipes as a binding agent as in curries and also to make batters for fritters. Some delicious preparations include dahi ki kadhi in Gujarat, bhajias (dumplings of vegetables, potatoes coated with a besan batter and deep fried), besan ladoo [a sweet made of besan, sugar, cardamom, almonds in ghee (clarified butter)].