Wednesday 18 May 2011

Oats

Oats are available in several forms.


  • Oat Groats are the whole seed with only the outer hull removed.


  • Oats Flakes are Oat groats that are steamed, rolled, and flaked.


  • ‘Old fashioned’ Oats are the Oat groats that are steamed, pressed with a roller and then dried without further processing. They contain all parts of the oat grain including the bran, endosperm and germ portion.


  • Quick Oats are steel cut oat groats that are flaked to .014 to .018 inches thick. They require minimal cooking but, as a result, sacrifice some of the nutty flavor and texture; they are most often used in baking.


  • Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. These oats are chewy and often used for oatmeal and muesli. Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats (in Great Britain because they resemble the size and shape of the head of a large pin) and Irish Oats.


  • Oat Bran is the outer coating of the oat grain which is even higher in fiber. It is usually available at health food stores.


  • Oat Flour comes from ground oat groats and contains no gluten (gluten-free). Oat flour contains natural antioxidants that can actually prolong the shelf-life of baked goods. It is usually available at health food stores.
  • Oatmeal Powder is the processed coarse powder prepared from Oatmeal, which, when cooked, becomes a thick broth. Finer oatmeal powder is often used as baby food.

Friday 6 May 2011

Capsicum / Green Bell Peppers


English Name : Chili pepper or Green Bell Pepper

Common Indian Name (Hindi): Shimla Mirch

  • In Northern India and Pakistan, word capsicum is exclusively used for Capsicum annuum.
  • The species is a source of popular sweet peppers and hot chilies with numerous varieties cultivated all around the world.
  • In the United States and Canada, the common heatless species is referred to as bell peppers, sweet peppers, red/green/etc. peppers, or simply peppers, while the hot species are collectively called chilies or chili peppers or hot peppers or named as a specific variety (e.g., banana pepper).
  • In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the heatless varieties are called bell peppers, sweet peppers or peppers (green/red peppers, etc.) while the hot ones are chilies or chili peppers.
  • In Australia, New Zealand and India, heatless species are called as capsicums, while hot ones are called chilies. The term ‘bell peppers’ is almost never used, although Capsicum annuum and other varieties which have a bell-shape and are fairly hot, are often called bell chilies.