FOOD SPECIAL....................... Indian ingredients yet to be explored

Indian ingredients yet to be explored The lesser known desi ingredients that can add an exotic thrill to everyday cooking     Bored of the same old flavour you add to your meals time and again? Jazz up your dishes by incorporating these unexplored Indian ingredients you may know of but never used skillfully in your cooking. Bathua:  Or lamb’s quarter is quite popular in North India, where it is cultivated, and is available during the winter months. A wild relative of the spinach plant, it is cooked in the same way as spinach. However, it should be eaten in moderation due to high levels of oxalic acid.  Culinary uses: The young leaves and smaller stems can be eaten raw in salads, added to stirfried veggies or used to make raita. Moreover, it can be used as a stuffing in breads and pakodas. It can be mixed with other greens and lentils to make dals. For experimentation, add it to dough to give a distinctive taste to rotis and parathas. Kachampuli: Is dark, tart vinegar which is made out of the fruit of a plant native to Kerala and other coastal states. It is an indispensable ingredient in the Kodava cuisine of Coorg. Every Coorg kitchen has a bottle of kachampuli, often homemade. Culinary uses: Kachampuli is usually used in the final stages of cooking, mainly in meat and fish dishes, most famously in pork curry to lend it a special flavour. It is a souring and thickening agent that can be used as a marinade. If you’re using the dried form, either soak it in water for 20 minutes or add directly to curries. Its reasonable substitute is dark brown malt vinegar, although it will never give you the rich, dark colour of kachampuli. Melon seeds: Also known as charmagaz, melon seeds are a mixture of pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon and muskmelon seeds. Apart from having cooling properties, they are full of vital nutrients. They lack any distinct fragrance, are nutty and have a sweet taste. Store melon seeds in an airtight container in a dry and dark place. Culinary uses : Soak them and grind into a smooth paste when adding to Indian gravies. The paste acts as a thickening agent. They are also added to traditional halwas and fruit fudges for enhancing the flavour. These seeds can be dried and roasted and treated as mouth fresheners when mixed with nuts and spices. You can also add them to salads or use them as a topping on bread.  Golden apple: These apples, with yellowcoloured skin, are a cheap substitute for mangoes. The pulp can be eaten but has a watery base. They are the sweetest of all varieties and are eaten raw as well as used in cooking. To store them well, wash them and keep in perforated net bags, or zip lock bags in the refrigerator. If you want to store a cut apple, mix lime or orange juice to avoid browning due to oxidation. Culinary uses : They are best used in salads to add colour and fruity taste. You can also use it to prepare apple sauce that is added to various desserts. Or cut them into thin slices and spread over apple pudding or apple cake as garnish. You can also core and stuff them with various fillings. Or simply chop and add them to a fruit cocktail. Indian vanilla bean:  It is the second most expensive spice after saffron. The fruit contains tiny, flavourless seeds. In dishes prepared with whole natural vanilla, you can recognise these seeds as black specks. Though there are many compounds present in the extracts of vanilla, the one called vanillin is primarily responsible for the characteristic flavour and smell of vanilla. Store vanilla beans in an airtight container and keep them away from sunlight. Culinary uses: For a vanilla flavour in food, add vanilla extract or cook vanilla pods in the liquid preparation. For a stronger aroma, split the pods into two, exposing more of the pod’s surface area to the liquid. In this case, the pods’ seeds are mixed into the preparation. Apart from flavouring ice creams, it is also used to enhance the flavour of other substances, to which its own flavour is often complementary, such as chocolate, custard, caramel and coffee. Gulkand: Is preserved rose jam made out of a specific type of rose (damask) and sugar. Sometimes, other ingredients like cardamom, coral and pearl powder are added to it to increase its medicinal and cooling properties. Store gulkand in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. Culinary uses : It is eaten as a constituent of paan (betel leaf) with lime and sweet trimmings, primarily as a digestive and stress reliever. It can also be stuffed into Indian sweets or added to kulfi or ice cream. You can also use it to make roseflavoured teas and drinks. Singhara: Also known as water chestnut, they have been cultivated in India and China since ancient times. They are consumed in two forms: raw, roasted or steamed. When steamed, the outside covering becomes blackened and it tastes starchy, like a potato. Unpeeled, fresh water chestnuts will stay well for up to two weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Prior to cooking, cut off the top and peel the skin. If you’re peeling the skin ahead of time, make sure to store them in cold water in the refrigerator, with the water changed daily. Culinary uses : Singhara can be powdered to be made into flour. This flour can be used to make breads and is often used during fasting. They can also be added to stir-fries or used as fillings in dumpling for extra texture and a sweet flavour. Shikha Shah Inputs by: Chefs Rahul Dhavale and Bhuvanesh Kalburgi. TL140109