Discount Fresh Produce

Pink Lady is an apple variety, called seb in Hindi and Apfel in German, with pink-red skin over a yellow-green background and firm, crisp, juicy flesh with a balanced sweet-tart flavour.

It is eaten fresh as a snack, added to fruit salad, or used in German baking such as Apfelkuchen, where its firm texture holds up well during cooking.

How to use

• Wash before eating; the skin is edible and thin.
• Core and slice for baking, or cut into wedges for snacking and salads.
• Store in the fridge, where it keeps for two to three weeks, or at cool room temperature for about a week.

This is white onion, called Gemuesezwiebel in German and safed pyaz in Hindi. It has pale, papery skin and white flesh, with a milder, sweeter flavour than red onion, especially when cooked.

It is used in the same way as other onions, as a base for curries and gravies, and works especially well in dishes where a lighter colour and gentler flavour are wanted, as well as in German cooking such as soups and roasts.

How to use

• Peel off the papery outer skin before chopping or slicing.
• Cook gently over medium heat to bring out its natural sweetness.
• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, not the fridge; it keeps for several weeks.

Carrots, called gajar in Hindi and Karotten in German, are firm orange roots with a sweet, earthy flavour, crunchy when raw and softening when cooked.

In Indian cooking they go into gajar ka halwa, a sweet carrot dessert, into a simple carrot sabzi or poriyal, and into mixed vegetable curries and pickles. In German cooking they are a common base for soups, stews, and Rohkost salads.

How to use

• Scrub or peel before use, depending on preference.
• Grate for salads and halwa, or cut into rounds or sticks for cooking.
• Store in the fridge, ideally in a bag; they keep for two to three weeks.

This is white cabbage, called Weisskraut in German and patta gobi in Hindi, the same family of vegetable as green cabbage but with pale, tightly packed leaves and a firmer, crunchier bite.

In German cooking it is the base for Krautsalat, a vinegar-dressed slaw, and for Sauerkraut once fermented. In Indian cooking it can be shredded into a cabbage sabzi or thoran in the same way as green cabbage.

How to use

• Remove the outer leaves and rinse the head before shredding or cutting into wedges.
• Cut out the hard core at the base, which is not eaten.
• Store whole in the fridge, where it keeps for two to three weeks; wrap a cut portion tightly.

This is watermelon, called tarbooz in Hindi and Wassermelone in German; the term 'kernarm' describes this variety as having relatively few seeds. It has a hard green rind, and juicy, sweet, deep red flesh that is almost entirely water.

It is eaten fresh, cut into wedges or cubes, and is also blended into juice or used in fruit salads. It is not typically cooked.

How to use

• Cut the rind away with a knife and slice the flesh into wedges or cubes.
• Remove any visible seeds if present, though this variety has few.
• Keep a whole melon at room temperature; refrigerate a cut piece, covered, and use within a few days.

Spitzkohl, or pointed cabbage, is a German cabbage variety with a distinctive cone-shaped head and softer, more delicate leaves than round cabbage, with a milder, sweeter flavour.

It is used in German cooking similarly to other cabbages, in Krautsalat, lightly braised as a side dish, or added to soups, and it also cooks well quickly stir-fried in the style of an Indian cabbage sabzi.

How to use

• Remove any outer leaves that look wilted, then rinse the head.
• The core is more tender than in round cabbage and does not always need to be removed.
• Keep in the fridge and use within about a week, as the leaves are more delicate than round cabbage.

Avocado is known by the same name in Hindi and German (Avocado). It has tough, dark green to near-black skin over pale green, buttery, smooth flesh surrounding a single large central seed.

It is not a traditional Indian ingredient but is increasingly used in salads, sandwiches, and dips, and can be mashed into a version of guacamole or mixed into a raita-style side.

How to use

• Leave at room temperature until it yields gently to pressure, which signals ripeness.
• Cut lengthwise around the seed, twist the halves apart, and remove the seed with a spoon or careful knife tap.
• Once cut, the flesh browns quickly in air; a squeeze of lemon juice slows this, and it is best eaten the same day.

This is a small pineapple, called ananas in both Hindi and German. It has a tough, spiky brown-yellow skin and firm, juicy, sweet-tart yellow flesh around a fibrous core.

It is eaten fresh on its own or in fruit salad, and in Indian cooking is sometimes cooked into a sweet-and-sour pineapple curry or a raita.

How to use

• Cut off the crown and base, then slice away the skin in strips, removing the small brown 'eyes' that remain.
• Quarter it lengthwise and cut out the tougher central core before slicing or cubing the rest.
• Keep at room temperature until it gives slightly when pressed, then refrigerate a cut piece and use within a few days.

These are light green seedless grapes, called angoor in Hindi and Trauben in German; 'hell' means light-coloured and 'kernlos' means seedless. They have thin skin and firm, juicy, sweet flesh, eaten whole without needing to remove pips.

Grapes are mostly eaten fresh as a snack or in fruit salads, and are sometimes added to raita or a light fruit chaat.

How to use

• Rinse well under running water before eating, as the skin can carry residue or dust.
• Snip or pull grapes off the stem individually rather than eating straight off the bunch, to check for any spoiled ones.
• Keep in the fridge, ideally in a perforated bag, and use within about a week.

These are blueberries, called Heidelbeeren in German; there is no widely used Hindi name, as they are not a traditional Indian fruit. They are small, round, deep blue-purple berries with a firm skin and juicy, mildly sweet-tart flesh.

They are eaten fresh on their own, added to fruit salads and yoghurt, and used in German baking such as Heidelbeerkuchen.

How to use

• Rinse gently just before eating, as washing too early can make them spoil faster.
• Pick out any soft or shrivelled berries before storing the rest.
• Keep in the fridge and use within about a week.

These are dark, seedless grapes, called angoor in Hindi and Trauben in German; 'dunkel' means dark-coloured and 'kernlos' means seedless. The skin is deep purple to almost black, with firm, juicy, sweet flesh underneath.

Like other grapes, they are eaten fresh as a snack or added to fruit salads, and can be used in a light fruit chaat or raita.

How to use

• Rinse well under running water before eating.
• Remove grapes from the stem individually and check for any soft or spoiled ones.
• Store in the fridge, ideally in a perforated bag, and use within about a week.

This is the common green cabbage, called patta gobi in Hindi and simply Kohl or Weisskohl in German when pale, though this variety keeps its fresh green colour. The leaves are tightly layered around a firm core, crunchy when raw and softening quickly when cooked.

In Indian cooking it is shredded fine for cabbage thoran or poriyal with coconut and mustard seeds, cooked into a simple cabbage sabzi, or used raw in salads. It also works in German-style coleslaw or a quick stir-fried side.

How to use

• Remove the tougher outer leaves and rinse the head before shredding.
• Cut out the hard central core, which is not usually eaten.
• Store whole in the fridge, where it keeps well for one to two weeks; wrap a cut half in foil or a bag.

Ridge gourd is called turai or gilki in Hindi, peerkangai in Tamil, and beerakaya in Telugu; it has no common German name, though it is sometimes described as Rippenkuerbis. It is a long green gourd with pronounced ridges running down its length, and soft, mild flesh once the tough ridged skin is removed.

It is typically cooked into a simple turai sabzi with onion and spices, added to sambar, or cooked with lentils in a dal.

How to use

• Scrape or peel away the hard ridges with a knife or peeler before slicing; the skin underneath the ridge lines is usually left on.
• Cut into rounds or cubes and cook until soft, as it holds a lot of water.
• Keep in the fridge and use within a few days, as it softens quickly.

This is pointed gourd, called parwal in Hindi and potol in Bengali; it has no common German name. It is a small, oval, green gourd, sometimes lightly striped, with a mild flavour and a texture similar to a firm courgette once cooked.

It is commonly stuffed with spiced fillings and shallow-fried as bharwan parwal, cut into rounds for a simple parwal sabzi, or cooked with potatoes in a light curry.

How to use

• Scrape the skin lightly if it feels tough, though young gourds can be left unpeeled.
• Trim the ends and slit lengthwise if stuffing, or slice into rounds for a dry sabzi.
• Keep in the fridge and use within about a week.

Bottle gourd, called lauki or ghiya in Hindi and sorakaya in Telugu, is known in German as Flaschenkuerbis. This smaller gourd has smooth pale green skin and soft white flesh with a very mild, watery flavour, similar to a marrow once cooked.

It is most often simmered into lauki ki sabzi with light spicing, added to sambar or a mixed dal, or occasionally made into a sweet halwa.

How to use

• Peel the outer skin with a vegetable peeler before cutting.
• At this smaller size the seeds are usually still soft and can be cooked along with the flesh.
• Store in the fridge and use within about a week.

Bitter gourd is called karela in Hindi and pavakkai or kakarakaya in South Indian languages, and is known in German as Bittermelone. It is a narrow, ridged green gourd with a distinctly bitter taste that softens somewhat with proper preparation and cooking.

It is most often sliced and cooked into karela sabzi or karela fry with onions, stuffed and simmered as bharwan karela, or added in small amounts to a mixed vegetable dish.

How to use

• Peel thin strips of the ridged skin if it looks tough, though the skin can also be left on.
• Slice, salt generously, and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes, then squeeze out and discard the bitter liquid before cooking.
• Store in the fridge and use within about a week.

Bottle gourd is called lauki or ghiya in Hindi and sorakaya or sorekai in South Indian languages; in German it is known as Flaschenkuerbis. It is a smooth, pale green, elongated gourd with soft white flesh and a very mild, watery flavour, similar in texture to a marrow or courgette once cooked.

It is most commonly simmered into lauki ki sabzi with light spicing, added to sambar or a mixed dal, or occasionally made into a sweet halwa.

How to use

• Peel the outer skin with a vegetable peeler before cutting.
• Scoop out and discard the seeds if they have become large and hard, keeping soft young seeds.
• Keep in the fridge and use within about a week.

This is the classic Indian purple eggplant, called baingan in Hindi and vankaya or badanekayi in South Indian languages, sold in Germany as Aubergine. It has smooth, glossy purple-black skin over spongy, pale flesh with small edible seeds, and a mild flavour that takes on whatever it is cooked with.

It is used whole and roasted for baingan bharta, cut into wedges for a simple baingan curry or sabzi, or stuffed and simmered for bharwan baingan. It also works cubed into a mixed vegetable curry or fried into slices.

How to use

• Rinse and trim the green stem cap before cutting.
• Cut pieces discolour quickly in air, so cook soon after cutting or hold them in water until ready.
• Keep in the fridge and use within 3 to 4 days, as it softens with age.

Betel leaf, called paan ka patta in Hindi, is a glossy, heart-shaped green leaf with a peppery, slightly bitter taste. It has no common German name and is not a food ingredient in the usual sense.

Its best-known use is as the wrapper for paan, a traditional after-meal preparation folded around ingredients such as fennel seeds or grated coconut. The leaves are also used whole in some South Indian religious and festive rituals.

How to use

• Rinse gently and pat dry before use, as the leaves bruise easily.
• Trim the thick central stem if it feels tough.
• Wrap loosely in a damp cloth and keep in the fridge; use within a few days, as the leaves dry out and darken quickly.

Chikoo, also called sapota or sapodilla, is a small brown-skinned fruit with soft, grainy, very sweet flesh similar in texture to a ripe pear, and a few hard black seeds inside that are not eaten. It has no widely used German name.

It is eaten fresh on its own once ripe, and is sometimes blended into a milkshake or added to fruit salad.

How to use

• Choose fruit that gives slightly to gentle pressure; hard fruit is unripe and can be left at room temperature to soften over a few days.
• Peel the thin skin away before eating, and remove the black seeds as you go.
• Once ripe, refrigerate and use within a couple of days, as the flesh spoils quickly.

Gongura, commonly called sorrel leaves in English, is a Telugu-region green leafy vegetable with a strongly sour, tangy flavour. It has no established German name. The leaves are small, pointed, and slightly reddish at the stem.

It is best known as the base of gongura pachadi, a sour, spiced chutney, and gongura mamsam, a mutton curry cooked with the leaves, and it can also be cooked into a simple dal.

How to use

• Pick the leaves off the stems, keeping only the tender leafy parts for most recipes.
• Wash thoroughly before chopping or cooking, as with other leafy greens.
• Store in the fridge wrapped in paper and use within a few days, as the leaves wilt quickly.

Banana leaf, called vazha ilai in Tamil and kela ka patta in Hindi, is the large, broad leaf of the banana plant. It has no German culinary name, as it is used purely as a natural wrapper and serving surface rather than eaten.

It is traditionally used as a plate for South Indian meals, as a wrapper for steaming certain dishes, and for festive and religious food presentations.

How to use

• Wipe the leaf clean with a damp cloth before use.
• Pass it briefly over an open flame or hot pan, or dip it in hot water, to make it more flexible and glossy before serving or wrapping food on it.
• Keep in the fridge wrapped in a plastic bag and use within a few days, as it dries out over time.

Fenugreek leaves are called methi in Hindi, known in German as Bockshornklee. The small, slightly rounded green leaves have a distinctive mild bitterness that mellows with cooking.

They are cooked into methi sabzi or aloo methi with potatoes, added to parathas, and used in a light dal preparation. A small amount is often enough, as the bitterness is noticeable in larger quantities.

How to use

• Pick the leaves from the stems, discarding thick or woody stalks.
• Wash thoroughly, as sand collects easily between the leaves.
• Store in the fridge wrapped in paper or a cloth and use within a few days.