VEGETABLES

Okra, called bhindi in Hindi and vendakkai or bendakaya in South Indian languages, is known in German as Okraschote. The pods are long, ridged, and tapered, with a mild flavour and a texture that turns notably sticky and mucilaginous once cut and cooked in liquid.

It is most often cooked dry, as in bhindi masala or bhindi fry with onion and spices, so that it stays less sticky, and is also added to sambar or a mixed vegetable curry.

How to use

• Wipe the pods dry before cutting, since wet okra becomes stickier.
• Trim the stem end and slice or leave whole depending on the dish.
• Cook over fairly high heat with the pan uncovered to reduce stickiness, and use within 2 to 3 days of purchase as it softens quickly.

Drumstick is the long, ridged green pod of the moringa tree, known as murungakkai in Tamil, munagakaya in Telugu, and sahjan or saijan in Hindi; it has no widely used German name. The pod is fibrous and inedible on the outside, with soft pulp and small seeds inside that are scooped out and eaten while the tough outer fibre is discarded.

It is best known as an essential ingredient in sambar, and is also cooked into a moringa curry or added to avial and other mixed vegetable dishes.

How to use

• Trim the ends and cut into finger-length pieces before cooking.
• Simmer until soft, then eat by scraping the pulp out with your teeth, discarding the fibrous shell.
• Keep in the fridge and use within a few days, as it dries out and toughens over time.

Green mango, or raw mango, called kairi or kaccha aam in Hindi and mangai in Tamil, is the unripe stage of the mango, with firm, sour, crunchy flesh and skin that is still fully green.

It is used to make mango pickle (achaar), aam panna, a tangy raw mango drink, and various chutneys, and is grated or diced into some South Indian rice dishes and salads.

How to use

• Wash, then peel with a knife before removing the flesh from the flat central seed.
• For pickling, cut into small pieces or thin slices as the recipe requires.
• Store in the fridge and use within a week, as it is firmer and keeps a little longer than ripe mango but still softens over time.

These are small onions, known as sambar onions in English, chinna vengayam in Tamil, and gaddalu in Telugu; they are similar to what is sold in Germany as Schalotten (shallots). They are smaller and more intensely flavoured than regular onions, with thin reddish-purple skin.

As the name suggests, they are a key ingredient in sambar, and are also used whole in a small onion sambar or fried into a base for various South Indian curries.

How to use

• Trim the root end, then peel; soaking briefly in warm water can make peeling easier.
• They are often used whole or halved rather than finely chopped, since they are already small.
• Store in a cool, dry place rather than the fridge; they keep for a few weeks.

Red onion is called lal pyaz in Hindi and pyaaz in Urdu, and is sold in Germany as rote Zwiebel. It has a thin purple-red skin over white flesh streaked with purple rings, and a sharper, more pungent bite than yellow onion when raw, mellowing into a sweeter flavour once cooked.

In Indian kitchens it goes into the base masala for curries and dals, into salads (kachumber) and raitas where it is eaten raw, and into biryani where thin slices are deep-fried into crisp birista. It also works well in German dishes such as Zwiebelkuchen or simply sliced into a salad.

How to use

• Peel off the papery outer skin before cutting.
• For raw use, slice thinly and rinse briefly in cold water to soften the sharpness.
• Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, not in the fridge; whole onions keep for several weeks.

Garlic is called lahsun in Hindi and Knoblauch in German. It grows as a bulb made up of individual cloves, each covered in a thin papery skin, with a sharp, pungent flavour raw that mellows and sweetens when cooked.

It is a base ingredient in most Indian curries and dals, usually ground with ginger into a paste, and is also fried whole in tempering for dals and chutneys. In German cooking it flavours sauces, roasts, and bread.

How to use

• Separate cloves from the bulb as needed, leaving the rest intact for storage.
• Crush the clove lightly first to loosen the papery skin, which then peels off easily.
• Store the whole bulb in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, not the fridge; it keeps for several weeks.

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.

Lemon is called nimbu in Hindi and Zitrone in German. The variety sold here is the familiar yellow lemon, with a firm rind, juicy acidic flesh, and a sharp sour flavour.

In Indian cooking it is squeezed over dals and curries just before serving, used to make nimbu pani (lemon water) or achaar (pickle), and added to marinades. In German cooking it flavours dressings, cakes, and drinks.

How to use

• Roll firmly on the counter before cutting to release more juice.
• A squeeze of lemon added at the end of cooking, rather than during, keeps its flavour brighter.
• Store at room temperature for a few days or in the fridge for two to three weeks.