Cloves

English Name : Cloves

Common Indian Name (Hindi): Laung / Lavang

• Cloves are the unopened flower bud of the evergreen clove tree in the family Myrtaceae. The word Clove is derived from the word clou, which means nail.
• It is used as spice in cuisine all over the world. It originates from India.
• When they are first handpicked, they are pink in color. They are then dried till they turn dark brown. They loose their moisture and become hard and reddish-brown in color.
• Cloves have an extremely strong and pungent aroma, with notes of pepper and camphor. The taste is rich and warm, aromatic and fruity but also sharp, hot and bitter, creating a numbing sensation on the tongue.
• Cloves contain volatile oils whose main component is Eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory properties. The flavonoids in cloves also have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties.
• Cloves are traditionally used in India as a mouth freshener. Clove oil is an important component of many types of toothpaste.
• Cloves are frequently used in dishes to impart its distinctive flavor. Since the aroma is strong hence only little is required to be used.
• Cloves are an excellent source of manganese. They are also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of magnesium and calcium.
• According to Ayurveda, cloves improve circulation, digestion and metabolism.
• They are also used to prevent and treat stomach disorders like distention, nausea, and diarrhea.
• It is helpful in insomnia and Curbs the desire for alcohol.
• It is used to treat Hernia, Ringworm, Athlete's foot and other fungal infections.

Cumin

English Name: Cumin
Common Indian Name (Hindi): Jeera

• Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family.
  Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellow-brown in color, like other members of the Umbelliferae family such as caraway, parsley and dill.
• Cumin is an annual herbaceous plant native to Eastern Mediterranean region and is popularly used for food flavoring, aroma. The seeds of the plant are used in whole or powdered form in food processing industry.
• It is also used for flavoring dishes, biscuits, confectionery and other spicy products.
• It is also used in different industries for its essential oil.
• Cumin is stomachic, diuretic, carminative, stimulant, astringent, emmenagogic and antispasmodic.
• It is valuable in dyspepsia diarrhea and hoarseness, and may relieve flatulence and colic. In the West, it is now used mainly in veterinary medicine, as a carminative, but it remains a traditional herbal remedy in the East.
• It is supposed to increase lactation and reduce nausea in pregnancy.
• It has been shown to be effective in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as diarrhea, indigestion, and morning sickness.
  

Coriander Seeds

English Name: Coriander Seeds
Common Indian Name (Hindi): Dhania Seeds

• Coriander is both an annual and a perennial herb and is rich in various food elements. Dried coriander seeds are used in food preparation as spices. They grow abundantly in black soil and arid regions.
• The ripe dried coriander seeds have an aromatic smell and well blending spice taste. Unripe seeds are said to have an offensive smell. Coriander is available both whole and ground.
• The commonest use of coriander seed is in curry powders, where it is the bulkiest constituent. It is an ingredient of garam masala, pickling spices and pudding spices and is used in cakes, breads and other baked foods.
• Coriander is a characteristic of Arab cookery, being common with lamb and meat stuffing. Taklia, a popular Arab spice mixture, is coriander and garlic crushed and fried.
• Coriander seeds reduce fever and promote a feeling of coolness.
• Coriander juice is highly beneficial in beneficial in deficiencies of vitamin A, B, B2, C and iron.
• Seeds are known to possess antibacterial properties and have been used in traditional medicine to relieve anxiety and insomnia.
• Coriander seeds (Dhania) powder also helps to clear the body of lead, mercury and aluminum.
• Powder is used as a flavoring agent in a number of pharmaceutical preparations, especially the digestive medicines.
• Coriander seeds are also used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid.
• Coriander seed oil is an aromatic stimulant, a carminative (remedial in flatulence), an appetizer and a digestant, stimulating the stomach and intestines. It is generally beneficial to the nervous system. Its main use is in masking foul medicines, especially purgatives, where it has anti-griping qualities. Coriander cakes were once taken against ‘St. Anthony’s fire’, or ‘Rose’ a severe streptococcal skin infection called ‘erysipelas”, which caused many deaths before the advent of antibiotics.
• In Asia the seeds are in colic, piles and conjunctivitis; the essential oil in colic, rheumatism and neuralgia; the seeds as a paste for mouth ulceration and a poultice for other ulcers.
• Coriander contains an antioxidant that helps prevent animal fats from turning rancid. It also contains substances that kill meat-spoiling bacteria and fungi

Curry Leaves

English Name: Curry Leaves or Sweet Neem Leaves

Common Indian Name (Hindi): Meetha Neem or Curry Patta

• Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii )are highly aromatic and are used as a herb. Their form is small and narrow and they somewhat resemble the leaves of the Neem tree.
• The plant is widely used in South Indian States and in Srilanka. The leaves can be taken raw or sautéed. The leaves are used in fresh or dried form for flavoring curries, vegetable, fish and meat dishes, soups pickles, buttermilk preparations, chutneys.
• The spice is said to have many medicinal properties. It is used in the traditional medicinal system for improving the digestive system, skin conditions and as a treatment for diabetes.
• Various biological activities of curry leave include antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc.
• Liberal intake of curry leaves is useful in preventing premature graying of hair. These leaves have the property of nourish the hair roots. New hair roots that grow are healthier with normal pigment.
• Tender curry leaves are valuable remedy for treating diarrhea, dysentery and piles.
• Curry leaves can be used with good results to treat burns, bruises and skin eruptions.
• The root of the curry plant also has medicinal properties. The juice of the root can be taken to relieve pain associated with the kidneys.
• In Kannada language it is called as Kari Baavu (translated to Black Neem), in Telugu it is called as Karivepaku, in Tamil and Malayalam it is known as Karuveppilai, in Oriya Bhursunga Patra, in Marathi Kadhi Limb, and in Gujarati it is called as Kadhi Limdo.

Cashew Nuts

English Name: Cashew Nuts

Common Indian Name (Hindi): Kaju

• The Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) belongs to family Anacardiacea.
• The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney shaped drupe that grows at the end of the pseudofruit, which is a modified peduncle. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut.
• The seed is surrounded by a double shell, which contains a dermatogenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, which irritates skin when touched.
• The cashew nut is a popular snack, and often eaten on its own, lightly salted or sugared. Cashew nuts are used in Thai cuisine and Chinese cuisine. In Indian cuisine it is often ground into sauces such as shahi korma. It is also used to garnish Indian sweets and desserts.
• Cashew nuts are said to be effective for improving vitality and are believed to be good for promoting healthy teeth and gums. They are enriched in calcium, believed to help in promoting strong and healthy bones. They have magnesium, which is known to promote the absorption of calcium.
• Cashew nuts also contain iron, magnesium, zinc and folic acid, reported to be vital for pregnant women.

Mango

English Name: Mango
Common Indian Name (Hindi): Aam

• Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, family Anacardiaceae. The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent.
• A ripe mango is sweet, with a unique taste that nevertheless varies from variety to variety. The texture of the flesh varies, some having a soft, pulpy texture, while others have firmer flesh. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture.
• Mango contains essential vitamins and dietary minerals. It contains antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, vitamin B6, vitamin K. Mangos are thought to feature vast amounts of Vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and potassium. It has been reported that the high amounts of beta-carotene featured in mangoes may help in aiding good vision.
• Mango peel contains pigments that may have antioxidant properties, including carotenoids, polyphenols and the unique mango xanthone, mangiferin, any of which may counteract free radicals in various disease mechanisms as revealed in preliminary research.
• Mango is thought to bring about a reduced risk of colon and cervical cancer.

Arrowroot

English Name: Arrowroot
Common Indian Name (Hindi): Arrowroot

• Arrowroot is the name of the edible starch from the rhizomes (rootstock) of West Indian arrowroot.
• Like other pure starches, arrowroot is almost pure carbohydrates and devoid of protein.
• Arrowroot is used in the form of biscuits, puddings, jellies, cakes, hot sauces, etc..
• Arrowroot has a neutral taste and thickens at a lower temperature than corn starch, and hence can be used to thicken delicate egg-based soups and sauces. It also imparts an eye-pleasing glossy look to the sauce.
• The lack of gluten in arrowroot flour makes it useful as a replacement for wheat flour in baking.
• Arrowroot is very light on the stomach and in Victorian times used to be concocted into a drink and given to convalescing patients, or as a jelly to babies being weaned.
• It has been established that its calorie content is low. Due to this fact, nowadays arrowroot enjoys great popularity among calorie-conscious dieters.