Ingredients
The potato is a starchy vegetable and tuber that forms under the soil. There are a number of varieties of potato, including Russet potatoes, the yellow colored Yukon Gold, and many others that are purple, red, small and large. All potatoes have a very thin skin, though baking potatoes have a slightly sturdier skin. The potato is hard and inedible until cooked. It can be boiled, baked, fried or cooked any number of ways and is an extremely versatile starch vegetable. The texture of a cooked potato is soft, while holding its shape and has an earthy and sweet flavor that is extremely bland, until salted.
The onion is a bulb vegetable, meaning its bulb and not its leaves are eaten. Onions come in many varieties, including white, yellow and red. Shallots are small and mild onions. Vidalias are sweet, while red onions are strong and sharp. The onion is usually round and has a thin dry skin around its juicy layers. This skin depends in the color of the onion, as does the flesh. The flesh, or body of the onion is made of multiple round layers, that get smaller towards the center. The flavor of onions are sharp and sweet when raw, with an astringent taste. When cooked, these flavors mellow and the sweetness emerges. Onion are a very common flavoring and ingredient for many savory dishes.
The green chili pepper is a spicy vegetable by culinary standards, but botanically it's a fruit. Green chili peppers have thin, green bodies with a tapered bottom. They are 2-3 inches in length with a one inch diameter. Their skin is a medium shade of green and is shiny and very thin. The flesh of the pepper is thin too and contains hot seeds in its center. It is an extra hot chili with a wonderful flavor and used in many dishes to add heat.
Ghee is clarified butter in which the butter is cooked down and much of the milk solids are removed, in effect milk proteins and sugars are removed resulting in a lower content of lactose. Ghee can easily withstand high cooking temperatures. It is golden in color, hard when cold and soft when warm. It has a gentle nutty and buttery taste. Ghee adds a round quality to any dish, and a richness and depth of flavor. It is used as a cooking fat or like butter, but also as flavoring.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Cilantro is a leafy herb with a thin green stalk and small, partially fringed green leaves that look similar to a three leaf clover. It has a distinct smell that is similar to a lime and a flavor to match that. In addition, it smells and tastes the same and has a strong flavor with a hint of greens. Due to a genetic trait, some people find that cilantro tastes like soap. This herb is used in many cuisines, particularly from Asia and Central and South America.
Ginger is a spice whose root is used in food around the world. The root is grown underground and has a hard body and thin beige skin. The root has many rounded and long shoots and is often fat. The flesh of the ginger is golden colored with a flavor that is earthy, spicy and bright. Ginger is made into tea, used in sauces, desserts and savory dishes.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Mustard seeds come from the mustard plant and are pinhead sized, round seeds. There are many varieties of mustard seeds, but the three most common types used in cooking are white, yellow and brown. All mustard seeds have a spicy and hot flavor. White and yellow mustard is mild and commonly used to make American mustard. Brown mustard is stronger, spicier and frequently used in Indian cuisine. Mustard is warming and often has a sharp edge to its flavor. It is used as a spice.
Curry leaves are a small dark green leaf with tapered ends and a thin body. They are about in inch long and are often sold dried. Curry leaves are very aromatic and used in South and East Asian cuisine for its bright flavor. The flavor is almost citrusy, with a pungent note to them. They pair well in Thai and Indian dishes and add a pop of unexpected flavor, as they are often used whole.
Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant and is used as a spice. The root is woody, but easy to cut and looks similar to ginger. Rather than growing in clusters, each root is a several or so inches long, cylindrical and 1 or more inches in diameter. The thin skin is a brownish-orange and protects the inner root which is bright orange, like a carrot. Turmeric dyes everything it touches and leaves a golden color. The flavor is earthy, pungent and slightly bitter. It has numerous uses, including flavoring and coloring food.
Cumin is a spice used in many cuisines around the world. The seed which cumin is ground from, has a thin and long body with tapered ends. Cumin is just a few millimeters in length and has a light brown or tan tone, which can look a bit grey. The flavor is spicy, earthy and nutty.
There is a large variety of dried chili peppers, ranging from mild to scorchingly hot. They are used in savory dishes to add heat and flavor. The peppers are often dried whole and must be rehydrated. The pepper takes on a dark green or red wrinkly appearance when dried and has a crisp texture.
Asafoetida is a spice, commonly used in Indian cuisine. Asafoetida is sold as a powder and sometimes as a paste. Its smell is pungent and and its color is a pale yellow. The flavor lends to dishes and creates a satisfying taste that is similar to the effect that garlic and onions give in boosting the flavor of a dish.
