Glossary of Vegetables - Indian Names English Name Indian / Hindi Name Petha Baingan Kela Chukander Karela Lauki

Baingan Papdi / Vaal Pattagobi Simla Mirch Gajar Phoolgobi Harimirch Sukhi Lalmirch Gavar Nariyal Patrel / Patra Arbi Hara Dhania Makai Kheera / Kakdi Kadi patta Suva bhaji / Soye Shingh phali Baingan Fansi Methi patta Lahsun Thendli Adrak Amla Simla Mirch Sarson ka saag Matar Hara Pyaz Kathal Gathgobi Bhindi Nimbu Salad patta

Ash Gourd Aubergines Banana (raw) Beetroot Bitter Gourd Bottle Gourd Brinjal Broad Beans Cabbage Capsicum Carrot Cauliflower Chilli (green) Chilli (dry red) Cluster Beans Coconut Colocasia leaves Colocasia roots Coriander leaves Corn Cucumber Curry leaves Dill Drumstick Eggplant French Beans Fenugreek leaves Garlic Gherkins Ginger Gooseberry Green Bell Pepper Green Mustard Green Peas Green Onion Jackfruit (raw) Knolkol Lady Finger Lemon Lettuce leaves

Lotus Stem Maize Mango (raw) Mint Mushroom Okra Onion Plantain (raw) Plantain flower Plantain pith Potato Pumpkin Purple Yam Radish Ridge Gourd Snake Gourd Spinach Sweet Potato Tomato Turnip Yam

Kamal Kakdi Bhutta Kaccha Aam / Keri Pudina Khumb / Guchhi Bhindi Pyaz Kela Kele ka phool Kele ka guda Aloo / Batata Kaddu Surti Kand Mooli Tori / Thurai Chichinda / Padval Palak Shakarkand / Ratalu Tamatar Shalgam Sooran

Glossary of Pulses English Name Indian / Hindi Name Poha Chana Sabut Urad dal / Kaali dal Chawli / Lobhia Dalia Chana Cholia / Hara Chana Kabuli Chana Chane ka atta Moong Kulthi Makai ka atta Kurmura Rajma Masoor Maida Chawal Rava / Suji Chana dal Urad dal / kaali dal Moong dal Tuvar dal / Arhar dal Masoor dal Gehun Gehun ka atta

Beaten Rice Bengal gram Black gram Black eyed beans Broken Wheat Chickpeas (brown) Chickpeas (green) Chickpeas (white) Gram flour Besan / Green gram Horse gram Maize flour Puffed Rice Red Kidney Beans Red Lentil Refined flour Rice Semolina Split Bengal gram Split Black gram Split Green gram Split Red gram Split Red Lentil Wheat Wheat flour

Glossary of Spices - Indian Names English Name Indian / Hindi Name

Aniseed Saunf Asafoetida Heeng Basil Tulsi Bay leaf Tejpatta Black Cumin seeds Shah Jeera Black Pepper Kali Mirch Black Salt Kala Namak Cardamom Elaichi Caraway seeds Shah Jeera Carom seeds Ajwain Cinnamon Dalchini Clove Laung Coriander seeds Dhania Cumin seeds Jeera Dry Fenugreek Leaves Kasoori Methi Dry Ginger Saunth Dry Mango powder Amchoor Dried Pumpkin / Water Melon seeds Magaz Fennel seeds Saunf Fenugreek seeds Methi Jaggery Gur Nigella Kalonji Mace Javitri Mustard seeds Rai / Sarson Nutmeg Jaiphal Onion seeds Kalonji Pomegranate seeds Anardana Poppy seeds Khus Khus Salt Namak Saffron Kesar Sesame seeds Til Sugar Shakkar / Chini Tamarind Imli Thymol seeds Ajwain Turmeric Haldi Vinegar Sirka

A dash of pepper and a splash of lime? Here's making it all look a little easier.

Metric Measures 1/4 teaspoon = 1 ml 1/2 teaspoon = 2 ml 1 teaspoon = 5 ml or 5 gms 1 tablespoon = 15 ml or 15 gms 1 fluid ounce = 30 ml 2 fluid ounces = 60ml 4 fluid ounces = 120 ml 30 fluid ounces = 1litre Oven Temperatures (C= Centrigrade, F= Fahrenheit, G= Gas Mark) 100 oC = 200 oF = 0-1/2 G 120 oC = 250 oF = 1/2 G 150 oC = 300 oF = 2 G 180 oC = 350 oF = 3 G 190 oC = 375 oF = 4 G 200 oC = 400 oF = 5 G 220 oC = 425 oF = 6 G

Liquid Ingredients

1 tablespoon = 1/2 fluid ounce 1 cup = 1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces 2 cups = 1 pint 4 cups = 1 quart 16 cups = 1 gallon 4 quarts = 1 gallon 2 pints = 1 quart Dry Ingredients 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup 12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup 16 tablespoons = 1 cup

Click here for a detailed list...

Kitchen Trick: Roasting Mushrooms

Love mushrooms? So does Chef Eric of Zone Cuisine. Here's his secret for getting the most flavor out of even ordinary mushrooms: "Mushrooms take on a dark, caramel-like flavor when they're roasted," he says. So there's no need to spend more on pricey mushroom varieties. Try this roasting method, and serve these mushrooms on the side with broiled fish or grilled chicken: Slice the mushrooms and toss them with a little olive oil. Lay them on a sheet pan, with salt and pepper, in a single layer and put them in a 275F oven. They will release their water as they roast and begin drying out and curling, which intensifies their flavor. Move the mushrooms around so that they dry out evenly. It should take 40 minutes to an hour. Afterwards, season them with balsamic vinegar and a little bit of virgin olive oil.

Kitchen Trick: Roasting Red Peppers

Roasting peppers intensifies their flavor, making them a delicious addition to otherwise raw salads. Here is our trick for roasting them, along with a recipe for Savory Lentils With Goat Cheese, which features chopped, roasted red peppers. How to Roast: Remove stem and cut pepper in half, lengthwise. With a small knife, cut away the white pith and remove all the seeds. With the palm of your hand, smash each half so it lies as flat as possible. Place halves, cut-side down, on a cookie sheet, then put sheet under the broiler, on high. Stand by while peppers broil to black. When black, remove from oven and throw peppers in a paper bag to cool. Once cool, the uncharred flesh will shrink away from the charred exterior. Cut away remaining black bits with the knife.

Grilling Vegetables in the Zone

Nothing says summer like throwing your favorite Zone foods on a grill it's healthy and delicious. So why not up your favorable carb count by grilling some fresh veggies? "Almost all vegetables are great on the grill," says the Zone's executive chef Eric who likes to use "simple but savory" marinades for vegetables to give them a "flavor boost."

Here are Chef Eric's tips for preparing Zoned veggies on the grill: Try a combination of red or green peppers, mushrooms (especially portobellos), asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant. Slice veggies into rounds or lengths that are around 1/2 inch thick. Most veggies can marinate for a couple of hours. Eggplant, mushrooms, and squash (zucchini and yellow) are the exceptions, since they soak up oil like a sponge. So brush these with marinade just before grilling. Place veggies on a hot grill for about five minutes a side. Leave them longer if you like them softer. Save broccoli and cauliflower for non-grill dishes, since they tend to burn when grilled.

MASTER THE TECHNIQUES Bake Instead of deep-frying vegetables, chicken or meat, cover them with the appropriate batter or marinade, brush them with oil, and bake them in an oven.

Grill Grilling means cooking by dry heat. The meat, fish or vegetables are put on an iron grid or tray that is brushed with oil, and cooked over a fire or electric grill.

Stew A time consuming exercise, but well worth the wait. Stewing means cooking in a closed pan with a little liquid. Since the liquid is boiled and then allowed to simmer, the food actually gets cooked in the steam over a slow fire.

Non-stick cookware Purchase the best (i.e. heaviest) set of non-stick cookware you can afford. Use good teflon baking pans -- they will help reduce the amount of oil needed in cooking. Tip: Coat your baking pans with flour or corn meal to prevent sticking -- you won't have the added fat and calories of shortening or oil.

Stir-fry Instead of deep-frying, use a good wok and learn to stir-fry. You can stir-fry using broth or vegetable juices in place of oil, without compromising on texture or taste.

Al dente Pasta cooked "to the tooth", until it's ready-to-eat but slightly firm to the bite. Baking When food is cooked in an oven.

Beating Mix ingredients with quick movements, with a spoon or with a grinder. Basting To moisturise (brush, spoon or pour liquid) food so that it does not dry when it's being cooked. Boiling Bring water to 100 degree centigrade.

Blanching Partially cook vegetables, by dropping them in boiling water for a few minutes or by pouring boiling water on them. They usually become crisp and bright in color. Blending Mix two or more ingredients thoroughly.

Braising A cooking technique in which meat or vegetables are first browned and then cooked slowly at a low heat for a long period of time in a small amount of liquid. This process adds flavour and tenderizes the food. Caramelise Stir in sugar over low heat until it liquefies and become a clear caramel syrup that usually looks golden or dark brown in color. Cream To blend or beat butter or margarine and sugar together together to a fluffy and creamy consistency. Cutting in Mix a dry ingredient like flour and a solid one like butter until they become like small particles. Deep-Frying The food is immersed in hot oil and cooked. This method of frying is used in India for pakoras and puris. Dice To finely chop. De-glaze To remove browned bits of food from the bottom of a pan by pouring some liquid (like wine, water or stock) into it. After frying or sauteing food, you can heat the liquid alongwith

the remaining drippings, and this often becomes a sort of gravy or sauce. Dredge To coat food in flour or breadcrumbs or cornmeal prior to being fried or sauted. The coating helps to brown the food and provides a crunchy surface. Dusting To sprinkle with sugar or flour.

Egg wash To brush the top of a baked item, such as bread, lightly with a beaten egg. Fold in Combining ingredients by lifting and dropping a spoon, in order to incorporate air into the mixture. Eg, while making a sponge cake, you normally fold in the flour into the egg mixture. Frying Garnish flavour. When food is cooked in fat or oil. To decorate food with something that adds color and

Grate To reduce a large piece of food to coarse or fine threads by rubbing it against a serrated surface or a grater. Gravy A thick sauce, usually made from pan drippings and other liquid, plus flour. Grilling Food is placed on a grid iron over a fire, or in an electric grill. The grill bars are brushed with oil. Julienne To cut vegetables in finger-length, narrow strips. Often used in stir-fry dishes.Kneading To mix and press dough to make it elastic in consistency. Marinate Allow chicken or meat or vegetables to stand in a flavored liquid, for a considerable length of time - to add flavor or to tenderize. Meringue A mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and granulated sugar, often used as a garnish when browned in the oven. It can also be made into small cakes and filled with cream.

Parboiling

To boil vegetables until partially cooked

Punch down A term used in working with yeast-risen products. After letting the dough rise, one flattens it forcefully in the bowl before turning it out onto a floured board. T/tbls t/tsp oz. tablespoon teaspoon ounce Small, inexact amounts that basically add up to

Pinch/dash "to taste."

Poaching Cooking food that is partially or completely covered by a liquid, that is maintained at a temperature just below boiling point. Preheat To set the temperature and heat the oven well before putting in the food to cook. Rest In bread-making, to let the dough sit a few minutes before kneading more. Rise In bread-making, to leave the dough in a warm place and allow to double in volume. Roast liquid To cook uncovered in an oven without adding any

Roux A mixture of flour and fat cooked over low heat, used for thickening soups and sauces. Rubbing in Rubbing fat or butter with finger tips into flour. Normally you rub till the mixture till it looks like breadcrumbs. Saute Quickly fry vegetables or meat in a small amount of fat over moderate heat. Scald To heat a liquid just below boiling point.

Sear To seal in the juices of meat by quickly browning or charring the outside of meat at a high temperature.

Shallow-fat frying Fry food in very little oil. Usually used for pre-cooked food, or food that contains fat in itself (like bacon) or food that cooks quickly, likely omeletes. Shred Sift To slice finely.

To put dry ingredients through a fine sieve.

Simmer To cook liquid below or just at the boiling point. You can see the bubbles rise to the surface. Stew To simmer in a liquid.

Toss To mix foods lightly with a lifting motion, using two forks or spoons. Whip To mix ingredients vigorously to incorporate air and increase volume. Whisk To stir or beat very briskly by hand, or with an electric beater.