FRUITS

Pomegranates contain compounds called ellagitannins, which act as antioxidants and reduce inflammation in the body. As such, they also offer protective benefits for your brain against conditions that are influenced by inflammation and oxidative stress.

Rosemary is something of a lone wolf, as its intensely resinous and bitter flavor does not go with many other herbs and spices. Combining rosemary with garlic, lemon zest, thyme or sea salt brings out the full flavor of its leaves. The pine-like flavor of rosemary also pairs perfectly with pine nuts, olive oil and red wine.

Dry ginger is nothing but dehydrated ginger that turns pale white with a beautiful fragrance and a sharp taste. And the ginger powder is a fine offwhitish powder with a strong aroma and a slightly pungent flavour. Dried ginger is used to flavour gingerbreads, sweets, tea, gravies, curries, stews, etc. Dried ginger aids digestion, cures cold and cough, sore throat, stimulates blood circulation, cleanses the kidney, etc.

Chew a spoonful of raw Ajwain seeds every day in the morning. Maintain a gap of half an hour between eating Ajwain and having your breakfast. If you have these seeds the first thing in the morning, they help your body release digestive juices which can make digestion better.

Pleasantly aromatic, the Bay leaf/ tejpata has a clove-like taste and a faint pepper-like odour. The glossy, dark-green Bay leaf is oval, pointed and smooth, 2.5 – 8 cm (1 to 3 inches) long. Bay leaves give off a pleasing and sweet aroma that makes it a great flavouring condiment for soups, sauces, stews and pickles.

A sweet-tasting spice with a warm and woody aroma, cinnamon chips are rough non-peelable barks scraped off from the thicker stems. Cinnamon is a wonderful spice with a pleasant taste that makes it a great ingredient to be used in cakes and desserts. It is widely used in Hyderabadi Biriyani, gravies and curry dishes in India.

Dark-brownish in colour, cloves are the dried aromatic flower buds of the clove tree. They have elongated bodies with a flowery head and look like small nails. They have a strong taste and sweet pungent smell that gives spicy warmth to soups, sauces, curries, meat, pickles and also to flavour sweet dishes like cookies, cakes and fruit pies. Cloves act as antioxidants, cure mild toothaches, aid digestion and help control blood pressure, etc.

Commonly known as Methi, fenugreek seeds are hot in nature, with a bitter, nutty taste. It is a common condiment in spice blends in Indian cuisine over a variety of dishes like gravies, curries, parathas, beverages, etc. Fenugreek seeds have been used to enhance the sensory quality of food.

While nutmeg is a shelled dried seed of a plant, mace is a dried netlike covering of the shell of the seed. While nutmeg has a distinctive pungent fragrance and a warm slightly sweet taste, mace has a more delicate flavour and gives a saffron-like hue to dishes. Both are used as a condiment for sweet products such as baked items, custards, puddings, jellies, etc.

Saffron (Kesar) is the most expensive spice and it is a colour too. Saffron has a very subtle flavour and aroma. It is used as a culinary seasoning for chicken and meat, biriyani, pulao, etc. It adds taste, colour, and aroma to Indian sweets like Rasmalai, Kesar Pista etc. and flavours kheer, badam milk, saffron milk, etc.

With a crunchy texture and a nutty taste, sesame seeds are added to many dishes for the extra flavour. The oldest known oil seeds, sesame are tiny flat oval seeds and come in a variety of colours that includes white, black and red.Sesame offers a pleasant aroma and rich taste to South Indian delicacies, rice dishes and confectioneries such as sweets, bread, muffins, and cookies.

Star Anise is famed for its strong and distinct flavour. As goes its name, this star-shaped, reddish-brown pod consists of 6-8 carpels arranged in a coil. The carpel is 10 mm, boat-shaped and hard and wrinkled containing a seed. It is used as a condiment to flavour curries, confectionaries.

Resembling cumin, in shape and size, fennel is a different spice altogether. Fennel (saunf) exude an anise-like sweet fruity aroma that makes them a widely-used savoury spice in pizzas, soups, sauces, confectioneries, etc. They are added in cooking, mainly as a flavouring base. They are used as a condiment after food to improve digestion and also as a mouth freshener.

Black pepper has a distinct and undeniable earthiness flavour that is woody, piney and sharp all at the same time. It has a unique pungent taste as well. There is black and white pepper. While the former is made out of green berries, the latter is allowed to ripen fully.

white pepper retains the full pungency of black pepper, it tastes different due to partial loss of aroma. White pepper is used in white sauces, pasta, salads, seafood dishes, etc. Pepper aid digestion and helps cure common cough, cold and respiratory disorders and heart diseases.

Cumin (jeera) can be identified by its distinct ridged brown seeds and intense fragrance. Cumin is used to add a distinct smoky note and a robust flavour to most Indian curries. So, it is often used as a whole, to flavour rice, stuffed vegetables, curries and many savoury dishes, and as a powder for puddings and buttermilk.

Fiber in chia seeds is mainly soluble fiber and mucilage, the substance responsible for the gluey texture of moistened chia seeds. These fibers may help to lower LDL cholesterol and slow down digestion, which can prevent blood sugar spikes after eating a meal and promote a feeling of fullness.

Sunflower seeds are rich in oleic and linoleic acid and low in saturated fats and sodium. They also contain magnesium, potassium and fibre. They help to lower blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Consuming them also reduces the occurrence of arrhythmias.

Flaxseed is commonly used to improve digestive health or relieve constipation. Flaxseed may also help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol levels, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamins and minerals like manganese and vitamin K, both of which are important in helping wounds heal. They also contain zinc, a mineral that helps the immune system fight bacteria and viruses. Pumpkin seeds are also an excellent source of: Phosphorus.