SRISTI

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.

Taro, a root vegetable thought to be native to Southern India and Southeast Asia and the primary poi ingredient, was highly regarded by Hawaiians, who believed that the taro plant (kalo) was the original ancestor of the Hawaiian people. Poi was considered such an important and sacred aspect of daily Hawaiian life that Hawaiians believed that the spirit of Hāloa, the legendary ancestor of the Hawaiian people, was present when a bowl of poi was uncovered for consumption at the family dinner table. Accordingly, all conflict among family members was required to come to an immediate halt.

Although many of the world’s people consume taro, only Hawaiians make poi.

Hawaiians traditionally cook the starchy, potato-like heart of the taro corm for hours in an underground oven called an imu, which is also used to cook other types of food such as pork, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

In recent years, taro-production shortages (from pests and labor shortages) have led to higher prices for poi in Hawaiʻi. But at the same time, innovations in poi production have resulted in new formulations of poi that stay fresh longer and taste sweeter. However, such products generally sell at a premium price and require refrigeration, unlike traditional poi which can be kept unrefrigerated as it naturally ferments instead of spoiling.

** source : Wikipedia

The name buttermilk is somewhat misleading, as it doesn’t contain butter. Traditional buttermilk is the liquid leftover after whole milk has been churned into butter. This type of buttermilk is rarely found in Western countries today but remains common in parts of Nepal, Pakistan, and India. Buttermilk today consists mostly of water, the milk sugar lactose, and the milk protein casein.

It has been pasteurized and homogenized, and lactic-acid-producing bacteria cultures have been added, which may include Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Lactic acid increases the acidity of the buttermilk and prevents unwanted bacterial growth, which extends its shelf life. It also gives buttermilk its slightly sour taste, which is a result of the bacteria fermenting lactose, the primary sugar in milk. Buttermilk is thicker than milk. When the bacteria in the beverage produce lactic acid, the pH level is reduced, and casein, the primary protein in milk, solidifies.

** source : Wikipedia

Horse gram is an important crop of South India. Its grain is used for human consumption as ‘dal ’ as well as in preparation of so called ‘rasam’ and also as a concentrated feed for cattle. It may also be used as green manure. 

This crop is generally grown when the cultivator is unable to sow any other crop for want of timely rains and also grown in vacant space of citrus orchard. Horse gram is mainly cultivated in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, M.P. , Chhattisgarh, Bihar, W.B., Jharkhand, and in foot hills of Uttaranchal and H.P., in India.

** source : Wikipedia

Garam masala has been part of Indian cuisine for centuries, also crossing over into neighbouring countries.

Literally, the name means ‘hot spice’ – although this does not necessarily refer to chilli heat but to the fact that the cooking process involves toasting the spices.

Add garam masala ten minutes before the end of cooking for a delicious spicy flavour.  Garam masala is appropriate for any dish that needs a warming kick of spices,

but we’ve researched a couple of recipes that you may find too tantalizing to resist…

** source : Curry Culture

While sesame seeds have been grown in tropical regions throughout the world since prehistoric times, traditional myths hold that their origins go back even further. According to Assyrian legend, when the gods met to create the world, they drank wine made from sesame seeds.

These seeds were thought to have first originated in India and were mentioned in early Hindu legends. In these legends, tales are told in which sesame seeds represent a symbol of immortality. From India, sesame seeds were introduced throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Sesame seeds were one of the first crops processed for oil as well as one of the earliest condiments. The addition of sesame seeds to baked goods can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times from an ancient tomb painting that depicts a baker adding the seeds to bread dough.

Sesame seeds were brought to the United States from Africa during the late 17th century. Currently, the largest commercial producers of sesame seeds include India, China and Mexico.

• Add sesame seeds into the batter the next time you make homemade bread, muffins or cookies.

 

• Use the traditional macrobiotic seasoning, gomasio, to enliven your food. You can either purchase gomasio at a health food store or make your own by using a mortar and pestle. Simply mix together one part dry roasted sea salt with twelve parts dry roasted sesame seeds.

 

• Sesame seeds add a great touch to steamed broccoli that has been sprinkled with lemon juice.

Brown mustard seeds are used in Europe to produce Dijon mustard and other specialty mustards, and the usual table mustard in Russia is made from brown mustard seeds. In Asian countries, brown mustard seeds are used to produce condiments and mustard oil. 

This mustard oil can contain toxic erucic acid, so is not imported to the United States. White mustard seeds are ground to make a yellow mustard condiment.

** source : The Spruce eats

Cumin seeds are harvested by hand from an annual plant; they are small, boat-shaped, and resemble caraway seeds. The most common variety of cumin is a brownish-yellow color, although you can also sometimes find black cumin, green cumin, and white cumin. You will find whole seeds in Indian recipes (also called jeera)

and ground cumin as an ingredient in Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes, as well as chili, barbecue sauce, baked beans, soups, and marinades. Cumin is a typical ingredient in chili powder and is also often found in other spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, achiote blends, adobos, berbere, and bahaarat.

Cumin is used in both meat and vegetable dishes, as well as in soups and sauces. 

A popular Indian recipe is jeera rice, which is a combination of rice and cumin seeds. Cumin is also a seasoning in Middle Eastern falafel.

** source : The Spruce eats

Curry leaves are aromatic herbs used in South Indian cooking. The glossy leaves are vibrant green and teardrop-shaped, about one-and-a-half inches in length. Also called “sweet neem leaves,”

 they grow on the curry tree, which is part of the citrus family. These aromatic leaves have a lemon scent and a distinct, pungent taste that has been compared to anise and lemongrass.

Pomegranate seeds come from the pomegranate, which is a fruit about the size of a large orange with a smooth, thick skin that ranges in color from brownish yellow to deep red.

The inside of the pomegranate contains chambers of hundreds of arils, which are the seed pods inside the pomegranate that are separated by cream-colored membranes. These arils consist of juicy, brilliant-red fruit surrounding tiny, crisp, edible seeds. Interestingly enough, a single pomegranate can hold over 600 seeds.