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Brown rice (or "hulled rice") is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole grain, a natural grain that remains unbleached. It has a mild nutty flavor, is chewier than white rice and becomes rancid more quickly. Any rice, including sticky rice, long-grain rice, or short-grain rice, may be eaten as brown rice.



In much of Asia, brown rice (Chinese: ??; pinyin: caomi; Korean: ??; hyeonmi Japanese: ??; genmai; Thai: ?????????; Vietnamese: g?o l?t) is associated with poverty and wartime shortages, and in the past was rarely eaten except by the sick, the elderly and as a cure for constipation. This traditionally denigrated kind of rice is now more expensive than common white rice, partly due to its relatively low supply and difficulty of storage and transport. Today brown rice is a staple for health conscious eaters who believe food should be consumed in its most natural state.

Basmati (Hindi: ??????, Kannada: ???????, Urdu: ??????, Telugu: ???????, Bengali: ??????) is a variety of long grain rice, grown in India and Pakistan notable for its fragrance and delicate, nuanced flavour. Its name means "the fragrant one" in Sanskrit, but it can also mean "the soft rice." India and Pakistan are the largest cultivators and exporters of this rice; it is primarily grown through paddy field farming in the Punjab region.



The grains of basmati rice are longer than most other types of rice. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are characteristically free flowing rather than sticky, as with most long-grain rice. Cooked basmati rice can be uniquely identified by its fragrance. Basmati rice is available in two varieties - white and brown.

a nutty, mushroom-like flavor and an exotic sweet spiciness. This organic version of Black Japonica™ is a whole grain brown rice blend of short grain black rice and medium grain mahogany rice that grow together in the same field.

[weh-HAH-nee] Considered an aromatic rice, Wehani is a light clay-colored brown rice that splits slightly when cooked. It resembles cooked wild rice and has a fragrance akin to popcorn. Wehani, which is related to basmati rice, was developed at the famous rice-growing Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale, California.



Source: http://web.foodnetwork.com

The lentil or daal or dal (Lens culinaris), considered a type of pulse, is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches (38 cm) tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.



Brown/Spanish Pardina

Legumes or Pulses are the edible seed of certain leguminous plants like chickpeas, beans, LENTILS, peas and split peas Legumes are wonder foods as they are low in fat and absorb the flavor of spices and herbs, making them fun and tasty to eat. People have been eating legumes for thousands of years and these foods are the main source of protein for people in many cultures all over the world.



Beans and other legumes have all the nutrients now recognized as important in preventing heart disease, cancer and obesity. They are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber and they are extremely low in fat.

Peas are grown for either their edible seeds or pods. Garden or English peas, grown for their seeds, are harvested as soon as the pods are well-filled but the seeds are still tender and sweet. When small and tender, these peas can be eaten raw in salads. For cooking, shell them just before using and cook immediately.



Some suggested garden pea cultivars are Little Marvel, Thomas Laxton, Wando, Freezonian, Frosty, Knight, Alderman (tall-growing), Sparkle and Green Arrow.



Snow peas or sugar peas have edible flat pods and very small seeds. They should be picked when very young, just as the seeds start to form. If not picked at this stage, they can be shelled and eaten as garden peas, but are more starchy and not as sweet.



Commonly grown cultivars of snow peas include Mammoth Melting Sugar, Dwarf Grey Sugar, and Oregon Sugar Pod.

Green garden peas are a valuable source of protein, iron and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to reduce serum cholesterol thus reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Sugar snap peas and the like, contain much less protein, but they are an excellent source of iron and vitamin C that work to keep your immune system functioning properly.

Most peas grown are used for processing, we tend to eat them processed a lot more than fresh because they have a relatively short season.



Peas are very good for you. They provide vitamins C and K, fiber and protein. They also contain some A and B group vitamins, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Cumin is the seed of a small umbelliferous plant. The seeds come as paired or separate carpels, and are 3-6mm (1/8-1/4 in) long. They have a striped pattern of nine ridges and oil canals, and are hairy, brownish in colour, boat-shaped, tapering at each extremity, with tiny stalks attached. They resemble caraway seeds, but are lighter in colour and unlike caraway, have minute bristles hardly visible to the naked eye

Cumin is used mainly where highly spiced foods are preferred. It features in Indian, Eastern, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Portuguese and Spanish cookery. It is an ingredient of most curry powders and many savoury spice mixtures, and is used in stews, grills - especially lamb - and chicken dishes. It gives bite to plain rice, and to beans and cakes. Small amounts can be usefully used in aubergine and kidney bean dishes. Cumin is essential in spicy Mexican foods such as chile con carne, casseroled pork and enchiladas with chili sauce.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L. and its varieties) is a popular herb known for its flavorful foliage. The fresh or dried leaves add a distinctive flavor to many foods, such as Italian style tomato sauces, pesto sauce and salad dressing. The essential oils and oleo-resins may be extracted from leaves and flowers and used for flavoring in liqueurs and for fragrance in perfumes and soaps.



Varieties - Many types of basil are available, depending on use. For fresh market production, select a basil with good flavor and attractive, dark green or purple foliage. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is the culinary classic. Italian, Lettuce Leaf and Opal are popular sweet basil varieties. Scented basils, such as Lemon, Licorice and Cinnamon basil, are used fresh or dried in potpourri, jellies, honeys, vinegars and baked goods. For production of dried leaves or essential oils, French, American or Egyptian basil may be grown. There are also several ornamental type basils.

For most people garlic is eaten only in small quantities so is more important for its great taste than nutritional value. However, recent research has reported that garlic has the ability to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, a property attributed to the sulphur containing substance, allicin. Garlic is also supposed to be a natural antiseptic and to cure colds.

Related to the onion, garlic is a small bulb consisting of "cloves". The cloves should be peeled prior to using. The leaves are grass like and the flower rises from a single central stem. When harvesting or purchasing bulbs, they should be white to off white / light yellow and firm. Avoid bulbs which are mushy or soft.

Garlic may be used in many forms such as fresh, dried, processed into supplements and cooking.



Actions / Properties:

Internally - antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antiseptic, antiviral, hypotensive-vasodilator, cholagogue, antispasmodic, decreases blood cholesterol, increases HDL, anti-atheromatic, PAF antagonist, increases fibrinolytic activity, hypoglycemic, expectorant, diaphoretic, antioxidant, antitumour, antineoplastic, antimutagenic, diuretic, carminative, emmenagogue.

Topcal Uses - antimicrobial, antifungal, expectorant

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Though pepper now nonchalantly graces virtually every dinner table, it was once so valued that the search for new pepper trade routes spurred the accidental exploration of the new world. Native to India's Malabar coast, the once-precious pepper vine is now cultivated near the equator around the globe, from Thailand to tropical Africa to Brazil. Black pepper, our most ubiquitous spice, is the sun-dried version of the unripe green peppercorns popular in Thai cooking (white peppercorns are ripened and hulled versions of the same fruit). Tellicherry and the Lampong are considered the best varieties of black pepper.