On Selecting Vegetables

In my last post I had given some general tips about getting the best out of your vegetables. Here I would like to give you some hints about some of the common vegetables used in Indian cooking.

In most Indian markets, you can hand pick your vegetables, esp if you have made friends with the vegetable vendor. It is advantageous to cultivate such friendships - the vendor gets a regular customer and keeps you happy by giving discounts and letting you handpick your choice. Find a friendly vendor who sells good ware at a fair price and stick to him/her as far as possible. Give a smile and ask how he/she is whenever you meet, ask questions and indulge in some friendly bargaining and you have got yourself an ally. Avoid unpleasant bargaining that borders on exploitation - remember he has to make a living and the bit of money you save means more to him than you.

When choosing vegetables, try and pick them of uniform size, because it is easier to cut them the same size so that they cook evenly and look attractive. 

Basic and essential vegetables in Indian cooking:

Coriander leaves – Choose a bunch that looks fresh, dark green and leafy. Cut off the roots and excess stalks and if it is to be consumed within a couple of days, put in a plastic container in the fridge as it is. Otherwise, roll in a piece of newspaper and store in an airtight bag till needed. Never store any greens wet, they will rot. If you wash before storing, dry thoroughly on a newspaper under the fan. Usually green coriander is added to the food at the last minute, just before taking off the fire. Cut just before adding for fresher flavor – never cut and store or leave around for too long.

Green chillies – buy fresh and tender chillies, not over ripe ones, which are full of seeds and tough to slice or chop. Remove the stalks (that’s where the rotting begins) and store in a container in the fridge. Line the container with a piece of newspaper to keep them dry. If you want the flavor without it being too hot, slit the chillies lengthwise and scrape off the seeds with a spoon or the back of a knife. Some chillies are hotter than others, so quantity may have to be adjusted accordingly. Touch your finger to the cut edge of a chilly and then place it on your tongue to gauge its strength. DO NOT touch your eyes after handling chillies!

Mint leaves – Remove yellowed or discolored leaves if any and follow the same instructions as Coriander leaves. As far as possible, buy only fresh looking bunches.

Curry leaves – These are usually given free when you buy vegetables in India. Avoid discolored or spotted leaves or those that are too tender, too large or too small. Remove the leaves from the stalks and store in a container in the fridge. Wash and shake off the water just before adding to the seasoning and they will not burn, but remain green. Watch out for spluttering, though.

Limes – Buy limes that look fresh and yellow, but not over-ripe. Check to ensure there are no soft brown spots – the hard circular marks don’t mean anything. Green limes are sometimes good too, provided they are not too immature. Test for juiciness by pressing lightly – they must not feel dry and hard, but give a little under pressure and bounce back. Limes that don’t release their juice easily can be heated a bit either by plunging them in hot water or microwaving them for a few seconds before cutting. The membranes of those tiny capsules containing the juice will burst and release the juice and they will be easier to squeeze.

Ginger – buy plump, healthy looking rhizomes. Avoid shriveled or dry ones. Soak for a few minutes to loosen dirt, wash with a brush to remove soil and air-dry before storing in the refrigerator in a container or bag. You can grate some whenever you need it – no need to peel if it is clean.

Garlic – buy plump, healthy looking bulbs – avoid shriveled or dried up pieces with exposed, yellowing flesh. Hill garlic with its larger cloves is easier to handle, though a bit more expensive. To peel separate the cloves, slice into two lengthwise and twist off the skin – it comes off easily.

(Ginger-garlic paste -To crush a small amount of ginger and/or garlic, chop roughly, place on the chopping board, sprinkle some salt over it and crush with a rolling pin. You will get a fairly smooth paste. Scrape off with a knife and use in cooking. It is good to use fresh ginger garlic paste, but if you use a lot of it in your cooking, it is time consuming to do it every time.

Most of us make ginger-garlic paste in bulk and store in the freezer for up to a week or more. Proportions vary according to preference. Some people use equal proportions, others use four parts of ginger to three parts of garlic. Cut roughly and put in the mixie jar with some salt and grind, stopping often to push it down with a spoon or spatula. The salt will make it easier to grind and will also act as a preservative. Adding a bit of oil towards the endwill help keep it fresh longer and you need not store it in the freezer, but can keep it in a jar in the fridge for a week or more.)

 

Potatoes - Choose smooth, firm, well-shaped (not crooked or bumpy) potatoes of medium size without green patches, blemishes or sprouts. Store in an airy basket at room temperature – don’t leave them in a plastic bag, or they will get moist and rot. New potatoes are thin-skinned and can be scraped. Older potatoes need to be peeled. Peel as thinly as possible, as most of the vitamins are just under the skin. Don't expose peeled or cut potatoes to air for too long - keep them submerged in water until needed to avoid oxidation.

Onions – The bulbs should be smooth, well shaped and dry, with clean, papery outer skin. The ends should be tight and dry. They should not have hard stalks, shoots or smelly wet patches. Avoid double onions. Wash them after removing the skins, as they often have a sooty deposit on them. Store open at room temperature. It is easier to remove the skins if you first cut the onion in half lengthwise. Use cut onions quickly, do not store as they deteriorate very fast.

Tomatoes – must be firm, smooth and red without wrinkles or cracks. Local or country tomatoes are better for cooking  - they are juicy and sour and make tastier gravies. Hybrid tomatoes are good for salads, but can also be used for cooking. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. If you are slicing tomatoes for sandwiches, it is good to peel them first, or the whole slice comes out when you take a bite. Plunge them in boiling water, leave covered for a minute and then remove and cool. The skin will come off easily. Tomatoes contain a cancer fighting flavinoid called Lycopene, which becomes more easily available to the body when cooked.

Some Common Vegetables:

For most vegetables, follow the general tips given in the previous post.  Here I’m going to give some tips for certain vegetables so you get the best out of them. If you are not going to use them immediately, refrigerate them in a plastic bag or large airtight container, or they will get dehydrated. Wash before cooking, not before storing.

Greens (Saag, keerai)– They should look fresh and crisp, not limp. Avoid wet bunches that have rot in between and those with spotted leaves or holes chewed by insects. Also, avoid greens that have flowers or seeds, as these will be tough and fibrous. Break off excess stalks to clean and wash thoroughly in as many changes of water as needed to get them clean, otherwise you will be chewing mud and sand and ruin your tooth enamel. Soaking first for 5 - 10 minutes (not more) should loosen the dirt so it washes off more easily. Again, don’t cut too long before cooking. To store the greens for a couple of days, wrap in newspaper or cloth, put in an airtight bag and store in the fridge. Never store wet greens, store dry and wash before using.

Brinjals (Baingan, Katrikai) – Brinjals are of many kinds – large, small, long, round, dark purple, violet, green, white, striped, etc. Press each piece lightly – they must feel fairly springy and must not be heavy. I usually pick them up and tap them. If they sound hollow, they are tender. Seedy ones sound more solid and feel hard. Visually check each brinjal, as they are prone to worms and reject the ones with holes. Always be alert when you are cutting and remove all wormy and defective parts.

 

Bottle gourd (Lauki, dudhi, sorakkai) – Tender bottle gourds are usually slimmer and you can pierce the skin with your thumbnail. If they are tender and unblemished, you can cook them without peeling. Store as it is in the vegetable drawer of the fridge - cut only when needed.

French/bush beans – Fresh and tender beans should be fleshy and snap if you bend them. Don’t buy them if they look old and have large seeds, as they will be stringy and fibrous. Always string the beans before cutting. Break off the point in the opposite direction and slowly pull away the string. Then do the same with the top end and pull away on the opposite side. Really tender beans will not have string.

Flat beans (Papdi, Avarakkai) – Don’t buy them if they are bulging with seeds – they will be fibrous and tough. Look for beans with tender seeds inside, which you can hardly feel under your fingers. These too need to be properly stringed before cutting.

Cluster beans (Gavar, Kotarakkai) – These should be young, slim and green. Don’t buy yellowish ones full of seeds, they will be tough. It is difficult to string cluster beans, as the string does not pull off completely. Young beans need not be stringed, only topped and tailed.

String beans (Lobia, karamani) – Buy the green variety, they are more expensive, but fleshy and delicious. They should be smooth and springy. Avoid seedy beans. The white variety is not so fleshy – mostly skin and seeds.

Cabbage (Pattagobhi, Kos)– See that there are no holes in the outer leaves; otherwise the inside may also be infested with grubs. A cabbage head should be heavy. Can be stored in the fridge as it is as the outer leaves will protect the insides.

Cauliflower (Phool gobhi)– The florets should be densely packed and white. Don’t buy if the florets are yellow, loose or sprouting or if they have blemishes. I have not found the popular practice of soaking in salt water effective in removing grubs in cauliflower. The most effective way I find is to break the cauliflower into florets and hold each under running water, opening it as much as possible for the stream of water to get in and loosen the grubs. Store as it is in the fridge or break into florets and store in an airtight bag or container.

Drumsticks – Drumsticks should be fleshy and springy. Pick up one and twist gently  - it must twist easily and spring back. Over-ripe drumsticks will resist twisting and crack at the joints, esp at the tip. Don’t buy thin, stringy ones either, as they have no flesh, or ones that look dried up. When I was a child, my mother removed the outer skin from the drumsticks by cutting them half way with a knife then pulling it off the main body. Hold the skin that is jutting out and pull away, and cut another piece across the clean side and pull away the skin from the other side. Do this with each piece until the whole drumstick is cut. When I moved to Chennai, I found that most people here don’t remove the skin and the drumstick tastes just as good and is easier to handle while eating, so just do what suits you. Drumsticks are awkward to store because of their length, so cut into 2" pieces and store in an airtight container. As far as possible, cook the same day or the next day for best flavor.

Ladies Finger (Okra, Bhindi, Vendakkai) - Pick medium size ladies fingers that look fresh and green. To check for tenderness, bend the tail end with your thumb - it must snap off. Don't snap ends of all the pieces - just a random few if in doubt. If the tail does not snap but just bends or splits, it is too fibrous and will not cook well. Top and tail and cut as you wish. Some people don't cut off the tail end - it is edible, but I personally like to chop off a tiny bit for aesthetic reasons alone. Ladies fingers release a mucilaginous slime when the cut edges are wet, so wash and dry well before cutting and keep wiping the knife with a piece of absorbent paper whenever necessary. If you are cooking dry bhindi sabzi, don't add salt too soon, or it will release water and get slimy. Add salt when it is half cooked and looks fairly dry. Cook in an open vessel to retain color and avoid excessive moisture. Turn carefully to avoid breaking up the pieces.

I know this is not an exhaustive list, but hope it was helpful. My next Post will be about facts and myths about Fat. Until then, bye!