MILLET FLOUR
What is millet flour?
This is made from finely milled small grains of the sorghum plant, which grows in hot climates. There are three main varieties. There is the bland, sweetish, white millet flour, which is pale yellow in colour.
Black millet flour, sometimes made from sun-dried millet, is dark grey, with a distinctive, nutty flavour and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Fine-textured, red millet flour is brown, streaked with red, and has a bland, nutty flavour.
** source : BBC Food
WHEAT FLOUR
What is wheat flour?
Wheat flour is made from grinding up parts of the wheat grain. There are three main parts of the grain:
- The endosperm, or protein/starchy part
- Germ, the rich in protein/fat/vitamin part
- Bran, the fiber-rich part
White flour is made from only the endosperm. Brown flour includes the germ and bran. Whole grain flour includes all three parts. Once each part has been separated, it is ground into a powder.
White flour has a naturally yellow-ish color but is often bleached or mixed with oxidizing chemicals to produce a white color.
Wheat is classified by several different characteristics: the season it is grown (spring or winter wheat), its color, whether it is “hard” or “soft,” by the amount of protein it contains, and by the amount of a specific protein, called gluten that it contains. Hard wheat is usually a bronze-color and has a higher gluten content than soft wheat, which is a light golden color.
** source : The Spruce Eats
FENUGREEK
What is fenugreek?
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a plant that stands around 2–3 feet (60–90 cm) tall. It has green leaves, small white flowers, and pods that contain small, golden-brown seeds.
For thousands of years, fenugreek has been used in alternative and Chinese medicine to treat skin conditions and many other diseases.
Recently, it has become a common household spice and thickening agent. It can also be found in products, such as soap and shampoo.
Fenugreek seeds and powder are also used in many Indian dishes for their nutritional profile and slightly sweet, nutty taste.
GREEN PEAS
What are green peas?
Green peas, or “garden peas,” are the small, spherical seeds that come from pods produced by the Pisum sativum plant. They have been part of the human diet for hundreds of years and are consumed all over the world.
Strictly speaking, green peas are not vegetables. They are part of the legume family, which consists of plants that produce pods with seeds inside. Lentils, chickpeas, beans and peanuts are also legumes. However, green peas are commonly cooked and sold as a vegetable and this article will refer to them as such. You can find them in frozen, fresh or canned varieties.
Since green peas are high in complex carbs called starches, they are considered a starchy vegetable along with potatoes, corn and squash.
There are several different varieties of peas available, including yellow peas, black-eyed peas and purple peas. However, green peas are the most frequently consumed. Snap peas and snow peas are other popular varieties that are often confused with green peas due to their similar appearance. However, their flavor and nutrient content differ slightly.
** source : HealthLine
MANGO POWDER
Also known as ...
- Amchoor
- aamchur
- amchur
What is mango powder?
It is a fruity spice powder made from dried unripe green mangoes and is used as a citrusy seasoning.
It is mostly produced in India, and is used to flavour foods and add the nutritional benefits of mangoes when the fresh fruit is out of season.
Use of mango powder
It has a honey-like fragrance and a sour fruity flavor and is a tart pale-beige-to-brownish powder. It is used in dishes where acidity is required, in stir fried vegetable dishes, soups, curries, and to tenderize meat and poultry. It is used to add a fruit flavor without adding moisture, or as a souring agent, and lends an acidic brightness to the foods it is applied to.
Amchoor is a predominant flavoring agent used in Indian dishes, prominently in the Northen parts of India where it is used to add a sour tangy fruity flavor without moisture. It is used to flavor samosa and pakora fillings, stews and soups, fruit salads and pastries, curries, chutneys, pickles and dals and to tenderize meats, poultry, and fish. It is added to marinades for meat and poultry as an enzymatic tenderizer and lends its sourness to chutneys and pickles.
** source : Wikipedia