Fruits, Vegetables - Composition and nutritive value, Principles of cooking

Vegetables

The term vegetable is used to refer to those plants or parts of plants that are served raw or cooked as a part of the main course of a meal.

Composition and nutritive value

Nutritionally they are classified into 3 groups,

Green Leafy Vegetables: They are good sources of b- carotene, calcium, riboflavin, folic acid, ascorbic acid, iron and vitamin K.

Roots and Tubers: They are good sources of calories and fairly good sources of Vitamin C. eg. Potato,. Carrots etc.

Other Vegetables: They contribute to the fibre content of the diet. Ladies finger and cluster beans are a good source of folic acid.(eg.) Brinjal, Ladies finger, etc.

Role of vegetables in cookery

They are used in curries, salads, and in sambar.

They are used as garnishing agents.

They are used as stuffing in samosas and parathas.

They are used as thickening agents in gravies and soups.

They are used in chutneys and pickles.

Fruits

Fruits are the ripened ovary or ovaries of a plant together with adjacent tissues. Fruits are fleshy or pulpy in character, often juicy and usually sweet with fragrant, aromatic flavours.

Composition and nutritive value

Fruits are very poor source of protein and fat . They are good source of fibre, b- carotenes and vitamin C.

Serving of fruits

Raw, whole or cut fruits are frequently served as an appetiser, or as a salad or for dessert. Some fruits are served in the form of juices or milk shakes. Sometimes apples are served as stewed apples.