Making of indoor air dried lemon grass Powder

Indoor air dried lemon grass powder

Indoor air dried lemon grass powder

Lemon grass is a native plant from Sri Lanka and India and is grown in many parts of the world. It is used in cooking mainly with the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka and  Thai dishes. It has oil. it has  some medicinal properties.It has been used in Ayurveda medicine.  In Chinese medicine for stomach problems . It is used in soaps and. cosmetics. In food it serves as a fragrant in chicken and mutton curries.It has a mild taste of lemon. It is said to lower cholesterol and improves sugar levels. And relieves pain.used in aromatherapy

                                     Recipe summary                                
                                               For
               Making of indoor air dried lemon grass Powder

Preparation time: 1 hour
Drying time:  1 week

 lemon grass

Preparation
1. Wash 500 grams lemon grass and wipe with a towel.
2. Peel the outer layer.
3. Cut away 2 inches on the top and ½ an inch at the bottom.
4. Cut 3 inches from the white part at the bottom and slice into thin round pieces. I got 130 grams.
5. Shred it and  place on a kitchen paper or news paper and leave indoor.

Shredded hardest
 part of lemon grass

6. The green part of lemon grass is difficult to cut. cut about one and inch inch 
pieces. I processed in the food processor.  

I got 50 grams.


7.  Place on a kitchen paper or new paper and leave indoor.

It will take 1 week to dry.

Indoor air dried 
lemon grass powder

8. When it is dry grind using a coffee grinder store in a container. 
9. I Got 30 grams of powder.
Store in a bottle.
It can be used in curries, rice, soups and  stews.

                                                                                  

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.    
  

Preparation time: 1 hour
Drying time:  1 week

Ingredients
 500 gram  Lemon grass

Preparation
Wash the lemon grass and wipe with a cloth. Or towel.
Peel the outer layer.

 lemon grass

Peel the outer layer.

Peel the outer layer

Cut away ½ an inch at the bottom

Cutting ½ an inch at the bottom

Cut away 2 inches the top

Cutting 2 inches on the top

Cut 3 inches of the white part . slice into thin round pieces. 

Cutting 3 inches of soft part

Slice into thin round pieces. 

Slicing the soft part

I got 130 grams.  Place on a kitchen paper or
 new paper and leave indoor.

Shredded softer part of lemon grass

The green part of lemon grass is difficult to cut. I processed in the food processor. 

Hard part of the lemon grass

I got 50 grams. Place on a kitchen paper or new paper and leave indoor.

Shredded hardest part of lemon grass

Drying harder part of lemon grass separately

It will take 1 week to dry.
When it is dry, grind using a coffee grinder store in a container. 
I Got 30 grams of powder.
Store in a bottle.
It can be used in curries, rice, soups and  stews.

Lemon grass powder

Other powders I made

How to store fresh curry leaves

Storing fresh curry leaves

                                 Recipe summary 
                                           For
                     How to store fresh curry leaves 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 0

Curry leaves

1. Strip the curry leaves from the stem. Wash the curry leaves. 

2.spread on a towel and cover it with the remaining towel.

3. Give some time for the towel to absorb the moisture from the curry leaves.

4. Open the cover and wipe the excess water from the curry leaves using kitchen towel. 

5. Take a clean plastic container and lay a sheet of folded kitchen towel.

spreading fresh 

curry leaves

6. Spread the curry leaves.

7. Cover it with another folded kitchen towel.

Covering curry leaves
with a paper  towel

8. Close the container.

                      Closed curry leaves
                   container

9. Leave the curry leaves container in the refrigerator.


It can be kept for two weeks if you take what you need and put the box back in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you keep the curry leaves box out for longer time out side the curry leaves will ooze water and get spoilt.

How to store fresh curry leaves  is ready.

                                                                

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 0

                     

Curry leaves

1. Strip the curry leaves from the stem. Wash the curry leaves and spread on a towel 

Stem after stripping curry leaves

2. Cover it with another towel or other side of the towel. Give some time for the towel to absorb the moisture from the curry leaves.

3. Open the cover and wipe the excess water from the curry leaves using kitchen towel. 

4. Take a clean plastic container and lay a sheet of folded kitchen towel.

Lay Kitchen towel  in the container

5. Spread the curry leaves.

Storing fresh curry leaves

6. Cover it with another folded kitchen towel.and close the container.

Covering with
 paper towel

5. Close the container.

Closed container

6. Leave the container in the refrigerator.

It can be kept for two weeks if you take what you need and put the box back in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you keep the curry leaves box out for longer time the curry leaves will ooze water and get spoilt.

How to store Green chili fresh.

Green chili

Keeping chili in the container

                              Recipe summary 
                                       For
                 How to store fresh Green chili

Preparation time: 15 minutes.

Keeping chili 
in the container

Method
1. Remove the stems from the chili.
2. Wash the chili and wipe out the water using a cloth or paper towel. 

3. Take a clean plastic container and lay a sheet of folded kitchen towel.

4. Spread the chili

5. Cover it with another folded kitchen towel.Close the container.

Covering chili
 with kitchen towel

5. Close the container.

6. Leave the container in the refrigerator.

Closed chili container

 It can be kept for two weeks if you take what you need and put the box back in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you keep the chili box out for longer time out side the chili  will ooze water and get spoilt.

How to store Green chili fresh is ready.


                                                                                  

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

                     

Preparation time: 15 minutes
1. Remove the stems from the chili.
2. Wash the chili and wipe out the water. 
3. Take a clean plastic container and lay a sheet of folded kitchen towel.
4. Spread the chili. Cover it with another folded kitchen towel.Close the container.

Covering chili with kitchen towel

c

6. Leave the container in the refrigerator.

It can be kept for two weeks if you take what you need and put the box back in the refrigerator as soon as possible. If you keep the chili box out for longer time the chili will ooze water and get spoilt.

Powdering cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Powdering cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Roasted cumin and fennel powder

Cumin and fennel are spices that have been used in cooking from old ages. They are mostly used as seeds in curries, stews and soups. They are tempered in oil to release the fragrance and enhance the flavour and aroma.You can also use these without tempering in oil. Sometimes we use cumin at the end of cooking as seeds or ground. In dhal curry cumin is ground with pepper corns and added at the end to release the aroma. 
These seeds are dry roasted and powdered to be used in rolls,cutlets, dips and savoury dishes. Powder form is used in small quantities.
Today I am going to write how to roast and powder cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

 You can read about cumin seeds
https://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2018/09/powdering-cumin-seeds-and-fennel-seeds.html 
 and 
fennel seeds in my other articles.
https://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2018/09/fennel-seeds.html

                             Recipe summary 
                                     For
           Powdering cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

 Cumin seeds

Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes


Preparation
Don’t wash.. Clean the residues in cumin seeds.

Method 
1.Heat a pan or wok bring to slow fire.
2. Add 100 grams cumin seeds and roast, stirring constantly.
3. You will see that it get roasted and crispy.
4. Don’t wait it turns dark.
5. Remove and cool.
6. Use a coffee grinder and grind it to powder.
7. Cool and store in a bottle.
If you don't use often refrigerate.
It is aromatic and can be used in curries, soups, stews, rolls, dips  and cutlets. 


Fennel seeds 

Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes




Preparation
Don’t wash. Clean the residues in cumin seeds. 

Method 
1. Heat a pan or wok bring to slow fire .
2. put 100 grams fennel seeds and roast, stirring constantly.
3. You will see that it gets roasted and crispy.
4. Don’t wait it turns dark.
5. Remove and cool.
6. Use a coffee grinder and grind it to powder.
7. Cool and store in a bottle.
8. If you don't use often refrigerate.
It is aromatic and can be used in curries, soups, stews, rolls and cutlets. It is mainly used at the end of cooking chicken curry, mutton curry, beef curry, egg curry and potato curry and covered with the lid because the aromatic flavour linger in the curries.

Roasted cumin and fennel powder

Variation
Curry leaves can be added when roasting fennel seeds. 
Wash and wipe the curry leaves.
Heat the same pan after removing the roasted fennel seeds.
Roast curry leaves in very slow fire and mix to the fennel seeds. Grind together and get the powder. 
Cool and store in the refrigerator as we won’t use often as cumin powder.

Powdering cumin seeds and fennel seeds. is ready.                                                                                  

  Recipe follows in detail with pictures.      


             

Cumin seeds

Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
                                  100 grams Cumin seeds

Ingredients:
100 grams cumin seeds

Preparation
Clean the residues in cumin seeds. Don’t wash. If you wash you must dry in the sun. It will take 3 to 4 days.

Method 
Heat a pan or wok bring to slow fire put the cumin seeds and roast.
Keep stirring.

Roasted cumin seeds

You will see that it get roasted and crispy.
Don’t wait it turns dark.
Remove and cool.
Use a coffee grinder and grind it to powder.
Cool and store in a bottle.
If you don't use often refrigerate.
It is aromatic and can be used in curries, soups, stews, rolls , dips and cutlets. Roasting enhances the flavour.

Roasted cumin powder

Fennel seeds 

Preparation time:5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
 100 grams fennel seeds

Fennel seeds

Preparation
Clean the residues in cumin seeds. Don’t wash. If you wash you must dry in the sun. It will take 3 to 4 days. You have fennel seeds in brown colour too.

Method 
Heat a pan or wok bring to slow fire put the fennel seeds and roast.
Keep stirring.

Roasted fennel seeds

You will see that it gets roasted and crispy.
Don’t wait it turs dark.
Remove and cool.
Use a coffee grinder and grind it to powder.
Cool and store in a bottle.
If you don't use often refrigerate.
It is aromatic and can be used in curries, soups, stews, rolls and cutlets. It is mainly used at the end of cooking chicken curry, mutton curry, beef curry egg curry and potato curry and covered with the lid because the aromatic flavour linger in the curries. Roasting enhances the flavour.

Roasted fennel powder

Variation
Curry leaves can be added when roasting fennel seeds. Wash and wipe the curry leaves, Heat the same pan after removing the roasted fennel seeds. Roast curry leaves in very slow fire and mix to the fennel seeds.

Roasting curry leaves

Roasted curry leaves

Roast curry leaves in very slow fire and mix to the fennel seeds.Grind together and get the powder. 

Roasted fennel powder with curry leaves

Cool and store in the refrigerator as we won’t use often as cumin powder.

YOU MAY LIKE TO SEE 

https://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2016/11/easy-and-mild-red-lentils-with-green-di.html

Adding the fried green,  pepper and cumin

Quick stir Fried delicious sausages with pepper and roasted cumin
https://simplycookingandhealth.blogspot.com/2018/09/quick-stir-fried-delicious-sausages.html

Fennel seeds

Fennel seeds

Fennel is native to Southern Europe and grown extensively all over Europe, Middle-East, China, India, and Turkey. It has been used as a flavour enhancer since Mycenaean times – 1500 BCE.

It can be used both whole and ground into powder. It has a flavour and aroma closely resembling those of anise seed and cloves. It is used with to enhance their flavour. It is one of the ingredients in the five-spice powder and curry powder. In recipes, only a very small quantity is used. Usually less than half a teaspoon is used in most recipes. If you watch Jaime Oliver’s cooking videos, you will see him using a generous amount in his recipes. 

It is commonly used in breads, sausages, cheese, soups, sauces, marinade for meat, fish or vegetables, salad dressings, coleslaw, meat dishes, stews, casseroles and curries. It is added to poaching or steaming liquid for fish and shellfish. 
Ground fennel seeds is sprinkled over fish or meat. It is used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Anise, cumin, caraway seeds and dill are used as substitutes for fennel.

To grind fennel seeds into powder dry roast them until lightly brown and grind them in a spice mill. In powder form it loses its strength if kept for long. It is good to make the powder freshly before each use. For curries, temper them lightly in oil. Dry roasting and frying releases the essential oil in the seeds and enhances the flavour and aroma.

In home remedy fennel seed is sometimes used for relieving flatulence and indigestion in. For this purpose, usually it is made into a tea by either boiling it making an infusion by steeping it in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Fennel tea can be used as gripe water for infants. In India, seeds are chewed to prevent bad breath and to aid digestion.

Fennel has some medicinal properties and contains some nutrients. There will be no significant values in the very small quantity that we use in day to day cooking.  It has flavonoid anti-oxidants like kaempferol and quercetin, metabolically inert insoluble fibre, volatile essential oil compounds such as anethole, limonene, anisic aldehyde, pinene, myrcene, fenchone, chavicol, and cineole and minerals like copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and magnesium.

Fennel essential oil is said to be a powerful convulsant due to its highly reactive monoterpene ketones. The oils of Fennel seed contain anethole, fenchone, camphene, sabenine, myrcene, limonene, camphor, and several other volatile constituents. Skin contact with the sap or essential oil is said to cause photosensitivity and/or dermatitis in some people. Intake of the oil can cause vomiting, seizures and pulmonary oedema.

Cumin seeds

Cumin

Cumin seeds

Cumin is an herb. Cumin is native to the Middle East and Egypt. It is widely used in Morocco. Seeds were found in Old Kingdom Pyramids. The Romans and the Greeks used it medicinally. In the Bible, cumin is mentioned in Isaiah 28:27 in the Old Testament and Matthew 23:23 in the New Testament.

Cumin is used to flavour curries, soups and stews. Cumin is an ingredient in the Indian, Mexican and Tex-Mex curry powders. To grind cumin seeds into powder dry roast them until lightly brown and grind them in a coffee mill. In powder form it loses its strength if kept for long. It is good to make the powder freshly before each use. For curries, temper them lightly in oil. Dry roasting and frying releases the essential oil in the seeds and enhances the flavour and aroma.

In Morocco cumin is kept at the dining table in its own container much as pepper is kept in other parts of the world. The seeds of the plant are used to make medicine.

Cumin is sometimes confused with caraway. Many European languages do not distinguish clearly between the two. People also confuse with unrelated Nigella sativa seeds because it is sometimes called black cumin.

In home remedy, people take cumin for digestion problems including diarrhoea, colic, bowel spasms, common cold, asthma and gas. Cumin is also used as a diuretic to increase urine flow. It helps to relieve bloating.Cumin oil is used as a fragrance in cosmetics. It has come narcotic effect and has been smoked in a pipe and taken orally. It is addictive.

In clinical trials, cumin has shown positive results in weight reduction.It is also said to help in burning abdominal fat. It is also known to lower blood sugar level.

World Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences the prominent medicinal properties of cumin include anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-carcinogenic/anti-mutagenic, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-epileptic, estrogenic/anti-osteoporotic, anti-tussive, anti-aggregatory.

In ancient times in India many of the spices were used for medicinal purposes. Then they incorporated some of them as condiment in their cooking.

Side effects from cumin are: heartburn, belching, liver and kidney damage.

Nutritional value of ground cumin is found here in the USDA Nutrient Database. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/82425?manu=&fgcd=&ds=