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Indian Food Facts
Here are some
important facts about some of the ingredients used in Ethnic
Indian Cuisine.
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Atta
flour is a form of wheat flour commonly used in Indian
cooking. It is a whole wheat flour made from hard wheat. Durum
is an example of hard wheat. Hard wheats have a high protein
content, so doughs made out of atta flour are strong and can be
rolled out very thin. Indian breads are usually made from atta flour.
It is obtained
when the complete wheat grains are ground to get flour from
which nothing is removed. It is creamy / brown in color and
relatively coarser as compared to flour. Since there are no
removals from atta all the constituents of the wheat grain are
preserved.
Traditionally,
atta is made by stone grinding process, a process which imparts
a characteristic aroma and taste to the bread. High Bran content
of Atta makes it a fiber rich food. The high temperatures of
friction reached in a "chakki" (stone grinder) are of the order
of 110-125 deg C. At such high temperatures the carotenes
present in the bran tend to give out the characteristic roasty
smell of atta and contribute to the sweetness of the atta. |
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Also called
chick pea, garbanzo bean or bengal gram. It is often used as an
alternative protein product with vegetarians and is one of the
plants with the highest amount of protein.
There are two
types of chickpeas:
Desi (kala chana) - with small, dark seeds and a rough coat
Kabuli- with light-colored, larger seeds and a smoother coat
The Desi form is also known as Bengal gram or chana. Desi-type
chickpeas are said to have a very low glycemic index making them
suitable for many people with blood sugar problems.
Mature chickpeas can be cooked in stews or ground into a flour
called gram flour (also known as besan). In India, chana
provides a major source of protein. Chickpea flour is used as a batter to coat various
vegetables and meats before frying. Split chana is called chana
dal and is used in lentil preparations. |
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Also called pigeon
pea, arhar, red gram, toovar or no-eye pea.
In India, split pigeon peas (toor dal) are one of the most
popular pulses. It is also called as 'Tuvara Parippu' in Kerala.
In south India a popular dish, Sambar, is made with this. Besides
this, "Dal" - a lentil preparation - is also made with pigeon
peas.
Pigeon peas are nutritionally important, as they contain high
levels of protein and important amino acids. In combination with
cereals, pigeon peas make a well balanced human food. |
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More information will be added
soon ............................... |
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