Okra (ladiesfingers)
The finger sized length and smooth and slender shape of the okra earned them the
Name ladies fingers. They are usually chopped up and stir fried to make a bhaji.
When cooked properly they become soft and quite slippery. They are quite bland
To taste and the spices usually over power the flavour of the okra. Alternatively they can be used in curries and go well with either fish or meat. Also known as bhindi because when sliced through the middle, the okra resembles the bhindi (spot) worn by some indian ladies on their foreheads. Usage: cooked or pickled-often
Used in creole dishes.
Selection: good-quality okra will be firm, dry and you should feel a soft fuzz similar to a peach on the skin which will have no blemishes. The coloring will be medium to dark green (afew varieties are white) . The shape can be either short and stocky or long and slim.
Avoid: avoid product that is soft, wet, has dark spots on the skin or brown, soft stems.
India is the largest producer of mangoes and account for over 60 percent of the world production, which was estimated to be 16. 1 million tones. Indian mangoes is an exotic fruit with a tantalizing taste, the Indian mango has never ceased to be delight. Indian mangoes are extensively cultivated in groves that have rich and fertile soil.
India produces wide variety of mangoes. The alphonso, rotator, bad am, neola, somali, limbaugh, dasher and lenora are only few of the many varieties.
Mangoes are rich in vitamin a and C.
Alphanso mango
The mango is a juicy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees, cultivated mostly for edible fruit. The highest concentration of Mangifera genus is in India,almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone, Mangoes are generally sweet, although the taste and texture of the flesh varies across cultivars
The energy value per 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of the common mango is 250 kJ (60 kcal), and that of the apple mango is slightly higher (79 kcal per 100g). Fresh mango contains a variety of nutrients (right table), but only vitamin C and folate are in significant amounts of the Daily Value as 44% and 11%, respectively
Momordica dioica, commonly known as spiny gourd and also known as kantola, is a species of flowering plant in the gourd family. It is used as avegetable in Odisha, Bengal, Assam and Gujurat in India and some parts in South Asia. It has commercial importance and is exported and used locally. The fruits are fried and sometimes eaten with meat or fish
Kantola looks like a very small karela (bitter gourd), but shaped like a water droplet 2 to 3 cm in diameter with surface covered in many small spiny dots. These are not sharp but should be peeled before eating. Kantola grows as a vine, which grows slowly but wildly. They change colour from dark green to light green and then to yellow which indicates that they are overripe and more bitter.
Uses:
After peeling the spiny skin the vegetables are cut into quarters and usually curried. In some parts of India they are used to make pickle or hollowed, stuffed with spices and steamed. Kantola has a bitter taste but not as bitter as karela, and therefore has an acquired taste.
Spiny Gourd or Kantola is a vegetable, which is normally seen in the Indian markets in theseason of monsoon. It has many health benefits and that is the reason why it is started to crop up all around the world besides Indian subcontinent. It has tiny spines all over its body and that is why it has got its name as â??Spiny Gourdâ??. It is also known as Teasle gourd, Kakrol, Kankro, Kartoli, Kantoli and Bhat korola. It is mainly cultivated in the mountain regions of India. It is easily cultivated on unfertile soil and its vine has only 3 to 4 months life span.
