VEGETABLES

Vegetables are plants or parts of plants that are used as food. The term vegetable has through
usage come to apply in a more narrow sense to those plants or parts of plants that are served
raw or cooked as a part of the main course of a meal.

Vegetables supply many nutrients besides providing variety to the diet. They make the food
attractive by their colour, texture and flavour.

Though Indian population is mostly vegetarian, the intake of vegetables has been too low in
daily diet. People do not eat vegetables or eat less in quantity because they are expensive,
need more preparation time, or due to ignorance of the importance of vegetables. Sometimes,
unavailability in a particular place or season results in less consumption of vegetables. As
they are perishable, the consumption would be limited if storage facilities are not available.

Various parts of plants are used as food and the botanical classification of such parts is
important because it furnishes some clue to the structure and composition which in turn may
influence the use of vegetables in the raw state and the method or time of cooking. Various
parts of plants vary in their water, protein, vitamin, mineral and carbohydrate contents.

VARIETY

Vegetables are classified according to the parts of the plant consumed or colours of the
vegetable or according to the nutritive values. Nutritionally they are classified into 3 groups.

 Green leafy vegetables.

 Roots and tubers.
 Other vegetables.
Botanical classification of vegetables

GROUP EXAMPLES

Roots Carrot, beet root, radish, turnip, colocasia

Tubers Potatoes, sweet potatoes, tapioca

Bulb Onion, garlic, leeks

Cabbage, lettuce, spinach, amaranth,

Leaves fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, mint
leaves.
Plantain flower, cauliflower, neem flower,
Flowers and broccoli.
Tomatoes, brinjal, ladies finger, pumpkin,
Fruits cucumber, gourds (ash gourd, Bottle gourd,
ridge gourd), capsicum, drumstick, plantain.
Peas, beans, chowli, broad beans, french
Legumes(pods and seeds) beans, double beans, Bengal gram tender,
red gram tender.

Stems Plantain stem, ginge

Amaranth stem, celery stem, lotus stem.

Seed sprouts Green gram, bengal gram, soyabean sprouts

Fungi Mushrooms

Algae Spirulina

FRUITS
Fruits are produced from flowers and they are the ripened ovary or aviaries of a plant together
with adjacent tissues. Fruits are fleshy or pulpy in character often juicy and usually sweet
with fragrant, aromatic flavours.

CLASSIFICATION

Fruits are divided into groups depending upon the shape, cell structure, and type of seed or
natural habitat. One system classifies them into the following groups: berries, Citrus fruits,
drupes, grapes melons, pomes, tropical and subtropical fruits.

Berries: Strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries.

Citrus fruits: Sweet limes, oranges, tangerines, sour oranges, Lime, lemon. grape fruit

Drupes: Apricot, sweet cherry, peach, plums

Grapes: Green grapes, black grapes, seedless grapes.

Melons: Musk melon, water melon.

Pomes: Apples, pears.

Tropical and Subtropical fruits: Amla, avocado, banana, dates, guava, jack fruit, mango,
jambu fruit, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, pomegranate, sapota, seetaphal.

Types of Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients in a commercial kitchen. In fact, many
diners don't consider a meal to be complete if it doesn't include a hot baked potato. With so
many potato varieties to choose from, it can be difficult to match the right potato with the
correct cooking method. Below you'll find a list of the most popular potato types, our tips for
identifying them, and suggestions for the best cooking methods.
Potato Types
Potatoes can be categorized into seven different types based on their color and shape. Each of
these potato types contains countless different varieties that have been cultivated over time.
Here in the US, we classify potatoes as one of these seven types:

 Russet Potatoes - Russets are large potatoes with rough brown skin and pale flesh.
 Yellow Potatoes - Yellow potatoes have thin gold skin and yellow flesh.

 White Potatoes - White potatoes have thin beige or tan skin with pale flesh.

 Red Potatoes - Red potatoes have thin red skin and pale flesh.

 Purple or Blue Potatoes - Blue potatoes have dark purple or blue skin with matching
purple flesh.

 Fingerling Potatoes - Fingerling potatoes have a small, tubular shape and have a
variety of skin and flesh characteristics.

 New Potatoes - New potatoes are young potatoes that have been harvested early.
They have thin, delicate skin and creamy flesh. Also called baby potatoes, they come
in a variety of colors.
Potato Uses
Potatoes are also categorized by the texture of their flesh and the best way to prepare them.
These are the three classifications of potato texture:

Starchy Potatoes
Starchy potatoes have a high starch content with dry, mealy flesh. The dry texture
of the potato's interior causes it to crumble and break down easily, which makes it
ideal for making mashed potatoes or using as a baked potato. Dry flesh also soaks
up liquids like a sponge, so any dairy or butter that's added to the potato will
absorb quickly and evenly. Potatoes with a high starch content are also the best
candidates for frying into french fries. The exterior absorbs oil and becomes
deliciously crispy, while the interior remains fluffy.

Waxy Potatoes
Waxy potatoes contain very little starch and have creamy flesh with a high
moisture content. These potatoes usually have thin skin and don't need to be
peeled before cooking. Unlike starchy potatoes that fall apart when cooked, waxy
potatoes hold their shape. This makes them ideal for simmering in soups and
stews, boiling for potato salads, or baking in casseroles.

All-Purpose Potatoes
All-purpose potatoes are the best of both worlds. They contain a medium amount
of starch, which gives them fluffy texture when mashed or baked. But they also
have a medium water content, which helps them to hold their shape when
simmered, roasted, or pan fried. Choosing an all-purpose potato provides the most
options when it comes to preparation.

Potato Varieties
There are thousands of potato varieties grown worldwide, but only a fraction of that number
are grown commercially in the US. Each variety has been cultivated over time to enhance
characteristics like size, texture, and skin type. To help you choose the right potato for your
menu, we've made a list of the most popular potato varieties and their uses.

1. Russet Potato

Russet potatoes are highly recognizable for their ruddy, dark brown skin
and large size. Reach for this potato when you want to make baked
potatoes. The thick skin of a Russet crisps up while baking and the
interior becomes light and fluffy, perfect for holding toppings like butter,
cheese, or sour cream. Russets are also great for mashing, as long as the skins are peeled first.
This starchy potato is ideal for cutting into french fries because the large size produces a
high yield and the potato texture crisps up when deep fried.

 Russet Texture: Starchy
 Russet Skin Color: Medium to dark brown skin
 Russet Flesh Color: Pale white flesh
 Best Uses for Russets: Baking, mashing, or deep frying
 Other Names for Russets: Idaho Russet

2. New Potatoes

New potatoes aren't actually a potato variety. These small potatoes are the
young, early harvested potatoes of several varieties. They're collected
shortly after the potato plant has flowered, and they have thin, delicate
skin with creamy flesh. Best eaten within a few days of the harvest, baby
potatoes are not good candidates for long-term produce storage. New
potatoes fall under the waxy category and can be roasted whole without
removing the skins.

 New Potatoes Texture: Waxy

 New Potatoes Skin Color: Assorted skin colors
 New Potatoes Flesh Color: Assorted flesh colors
 Best Uses for New Potatoes: Boiling, roasting, or steaming
 Other Names for New Potatoes: Baby potatoes, Petite potatoes

3. Yukon Gold Potatoes

The Yukon Gold potato is one of the most popular potato varieties
because it falls into the all-purpose category. Yukon Golds have thin
gold skin that doesn't need to be peeled before mashing, and their
creamy flesh has a sweet, buttery flavor. Use just about any cooking
method for these gold potatoes and you won't be disappointed with the
results. Because they're so versatile, Yukons are a popular option for
restaurants and commercial kitchens.
  Yukon Gold Texture: All-purpose
 Yukon Gold Skin Color: Golden tan skin
 Yukon Gold Flesh Color: Yellow flesh
 Best Uses for Yukon Gold: Boiling, baking, mashing, frying, roasting
 Other Names for Yukon Gold: Yukons, Golden Potatoes

4. Kennebec Potatoes
Many chefs consider the Kennebec potato to be the best frying potato.
They feel so strongly about it that it's common to see the Kennebec
name called out on their menu. Instead of french fries, you might
see Kennebec fries listed with a description that highlights the qualities
of the potato. Rightly so, because Kennebecs have a unique, nutty
flavor and the perfect balance of starchiness and moisture that results in
a crispy, golden fry.

Kennebec Texture: All-purpose
 Kennebec Skin Color: Light tan or beige skin
 Kennebec Flesh Color: Pale white flesh
 Best Uses for Kennebec: Deep frying, chipping

5. All Blue Potato

Blue potatoes like the All Blue variety have dark purple skin and purple
flesh that comes from a high concentration of the antioxidant,
anthocyanin. This healthy flavonoid is also present in other dark purple
produce, like blueberries, red onion, or eggplant. All Blue potatoes are
classified as all-purpose, which makes them useful for a variety of
cooking methods. They do have a higher starch content than other blue
potatoes, so reach for this potato to make a vibrant blue mash. All Blues
can be easily identified from other blue varieties by a pale ring in their purple flesh

 All Blue Potato Texture: All-purpose

 All Blue Skin Potato Color: Dark purple skin
 All Blue Flesh Potato Color: Lavender to purple flesh with a pale ring around
the edge
 Best Uses for All Blue Potato: Boiling, baking, mashing, frying, roasting

6. Adirondack Blue Potato

 The Adirondack Blue potato is a purple variety that features brightly
colored skin and flesh that keeps its violet hue after cooking. Other
purple potato varieties lose some of their pigment and turn a grayish
color when cooked, which makes the Adirondack Blue a great choice
when you want to showcase the vibrant color. These potatoes are often
combined with red and white varieties to make a red, white, and blue
potato salad. Even though they are classified as all-purpose,
Adirondack Blue potatoes tend to be waxy and hold their shape when boiled or roasted.

 Adirondack Blue Potato Texture: All-purpose

 Adirondack Blue Potato Skin Color: Dark purple skin
 Adirondack Blue Potato Flesh Color: Dark purple flesh
 Best Uses for Adirondack Blue Potato: Boiling, roasting, or steaming

7. Red Bliss Potatoes

The Red Bliss potato is a waxy potato, which means it has a high
moisture content and keeps its shape while cooking. Normally this
type of potato isn't the best choice for mashing, but Red Bliss potatoes
have a tradition of being used as a mashing potato despite their
texture. You won't achieve a smooth, creamy mash with Red Bliss, but
the thin red skins require no peeling and the sweet, buttery flesh is
complemented by garlic, herbs, and lemon.

 Red Bliss Potato Texture: Waxy

 Red Bliss Potato Skin Color: Red skin
 Red Bliss Potato Flesh Color: Pale white flesh
 Best Uses for Red Bliss Potato: Boiling, baking, mashing, roasting

8. German Butterball Potato

The German Butterball variety is a yellow potato with a medium

round shape. You can differentiate a German Butterball from other
yellow varieties like Yukon Gold by the texture of its skin.
German Butterballs have thin skin with a flaky texture and the
appearance of fine webbing that covers the whole potato. A great all-purpose potato with a
buttery flavor, you can use a German Butterball potato for almost any application.

 German Butterball Potato Texture: All-purpose

 German Butterball Skin Potato Color: Golden tan or beige skin
 German Butterball Flesh Potato Color: Yellow flesh
 Best Uses for German Butterball: Boiling, baking, mashing, frying, roasting

9. Red Thumb Potatoe

The Red Thumb potato is a fingerling potato with red skin and creamy
pink flesh. Fingerlings, just as the name implies, have a finger-like
shape that's long and tubular. Their unique shape and small size makes
them ideal for roasting whole and serving alongside an entree or salad.
Because of its attractive, pink marbled flesh, the Red Thumb is a
popular choice in gourmet settings. Red Thumb fingerlings are not a
good choice for mashing or deep frying because of their size and
shape.

 Red Thumb Potato Texture: Waxy

 Red Thumb Potato Skin Color: Rosy red skin
 Red Thumb Potato Flesh Color: Marbled pink and white flesh
 Best Uses for Red Thumb Potato: Roasting, grilling, boiling, pan frying

10. Russian Banana Potatoes

The Russian Banana potato is a fingerling potato that gets its name
from its yellow flesh and curved, crescent-like shape. Like other
fingerlings, this waxy potato doesn't need to be peeled and can be
roasted whole or boiled for potato salads. It's a popular culinary
choice due to its sweet, buttery flavor and unique shape. Russian
Banana fingerlings are not the best candidates for making mashed
potatoes or deep frying.

 Russian Banana Potato Texture: Waxy

 Russian Banana Skin Potato Color: Golden tan or beige skin
 Russian Banana Flesh Potato Color: Yellow flesh
 Best Uses for Russian Banana Potato: Roasting, grilling, boiling, pan frying
11. Purple Peruvian Potatoes

Fingerling potato varieties can be cultivated with the same characteristics

of other varieties, as displayed by the Purple Peruvian potato. This potato
has the purple skin and flesh of a blue potato and the small, slender shape
of a fingerling. While most other fingerlings are waxy, this violet tuber has
dry, starchy flesh that's sometimes compared to a Russet potato. Because
of this, Purple Peruvians can be used for mashing or deep frying.

 Purple Peruvian Potato Texture: Starchy

 Purple Peruvian Potato Skin Color: Dark purple skin
 Purple Peruvian Potato Flesh Color: Solid or marbled purple flesh
 Best Uses for Purple Peruvian Potato: Mashing, baking, roasting, chipping

12. Japanese Sweet Potatoes

This variety of sweet potato has dark red or purple skin with pale flesh that
turns buttery yellow as it cooks. Considered starchier than other sweet
potatoes, the Japanese sweet potato crisps up when roasted or fried but
remains soft in the middle. It has a sweet, nutty flavor similar to a roasted
chestnut and a dense texture that's compared to thick pudding. A popular
variety in Japan, this sweet potato is a favorite street snack sold by vendors
during the fall and winter.

 Japanese Sweet Potato Texture: Starchy

 Japanese Sweet Potato Skin Color: Dark red or purple skin
 Japanese Sweet Potato Flesh Color: Pale flesh that turns yellow when cooked
 Best Uses for Japanese Sweet Potato: Baking, mashing, roasting, deep frying
 Other Names for Japanese Sweet Potato: Satsuma-imo, Japanese White Yam

13. Hannah Sweet Potato

Hannah sweet potatoes have a firm, dense texture similar to a white potato and will hold their
shape better than other sweet potato varieties. They can be diced or cubed and used in soups,
stews, or stir fries. Because they are so firm, they require longer cook times than softer,
orange sweet potato varieties. For a unique presentation, try the Hasselback cooking
method with Hannah sweet potatoes.

 Hannah Sweet Potato Texture: All-purpose

 Hannah Sweet Potato Skin Color: Tan skin
 Hannah Sweet Potato Flesh Color: Yellow or cream-colored flesh
 Best Uses for Hannah Sweet Potato: Pureeing, mashing, baking, deep frying,
roasting, simmering
 Other Names for Hannah Sweet Potato: Yellow Hannah, Sweet Hannah

14. Jewel Yams

Don't be confused by the name of this sweet potato. It's actually not

a true yam at all. In this case, yam is just a nickname for a softer
variety of sweet potato. The Jewel yam has starchy flesh that
becomes very soft and moist when cooked. Use this sweet potato for
baking and mashing but avoid applications that require the tuber to
keep its shape, like dicing for stir fries or soups.

 Jewel Yam Texture: Starchy

 Jewel Yam Skin Color: Copper-colored skin
 Jewel Yam Flesh Color: Deep orange flesh
 Best Uses for Jewel Yam: Baking, mashing, roasting, pureeing
 Other Names for Jewel Yam: Jewel Sweet Potato

Here are 20 classical French potato preparations:

1. Pommes Anna - thinly sliced potatoes layered with butter and baked until crispy

2. Gratin Dauphinois - sliced potatoes baked in cream and garlic

3. Lyonnaise Potatoes - sliced potatoes sautéed with onions and herbs

4. Potato Gnocchi - small dumplings made with potato and flour, boiled and served with
sauce

5. Potato Croquettes - mashed potatoes formed into balls or cylinders, breaded and fried
 6. Hachis Parmentier - ground meat and mashed potatoes baked in a casserole

7. Fondant Potatoes - whole potatoes cooked in butter and stock until soft and
caramelized

8. Potato Fritters - grated potatoes mixed with egg, flour and seasoning, fried until crispy

9. Potato Salad - boiled potatoes dressed with mayonnaise, mustard and herbs

10. Potato Galette - grated potatoes formed into a pancake, fried until crispy

11. Rösti - grated potatoes fried until crispy and golden brown

12. Tarte Tatin - caramelized potatoes baked in a savory pastry crust

13. Potato and Leek Soup - pureed potatoes and leeks in a creamy broth

14. Lyonnaise Salad - a salad of potatoes, frisée lettuce, bacon, and poached egg

15. Pommes Persillade - cubed potatoes roasted with garlic and parsley

16. Grilled Potato Wedges - wedges of potato grilled with olive oil and herbs

17. Pommes de Terre Boulangère - sliced potatoes baked with onions, herbs and chicken
stock

18. Aligot - mashed potatoes mixed with cheese and garlic

19. Duchess Potatoes - mashed potatoes piped into decorative shapes and baked until
golden brown

20. Potatoes Vichy - sliced potatoes simmered in butter, sugar and water until tender and
glazed