Nisarg Nirman Agro Products Pvt. Ltd.

Matunga, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Kaffir lime / Makrut is a small, round, gnarled variety of lime indigenous to Southeast Asia-known as Limau Perut in Malaysia and Makrut in Thailand. A kaffir lime leaf looks as if two glossy, dark green leaves were joined together end to end. The leaves and rind are used in curry pastes and other dishes as a source of intense, citrusy aroma and flavor.

Nutritional Facts

Like all citrus fruits, it is rich in vitamin C. Its juice is widely used in cooking.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

It has antiseptic and tonic properties, relieves rheumatism and is an excellent remineralizing agent.

Round, often red colored fruit with prominent scales. The thin rind encloses the large mass of sweetly flavored white or red pulp and small black seeds. Some varieties are pinkish or yellow. The fruit is popular eaten chilled, out of hand. It is also used to flavor drinks and pastries. Unopened flowerbuds are cooked and eaten as vegetables.

Nutritional Facts

The flesh, which is eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants.

The avocado is widely considered a vegetable, since it is commonly used in salads. However, it is actually a fruit that tastes like a vegetable. The fruit is harvested from tall trees, which grow in groves. The rich, pale yellow-green flesh of the pear-shaped fruit has a texture likened to a firm ripe banana, smooth and buttery, with a faintly nutty flavour. The fruit is primarily pear-shaped, but some varieties are also almost round.

Nutritional Facts

Avocados are a good source of Vitamin E, which is not only essential for the normal functioning of the body but is also a potent anti-oxidant which protects polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes from free-radical attack. Free-radicals are linked to the beginnings of cancer and heart disease. Avocados also contain good amounts of Vitamin C (necessary for the production of collagen needed for the growth of new cells and tissues, prevents viruses from penetrating cell membranes, and also a powerful anti-oxidant), thiamine (converts carbohydrates to glucose to fuel the brain and nervous system), and riboflavin (helps the body to release energy from proteins, carbohydrates and fat). The avocado is also low in calories.

Fennel is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It has a thick, perennial root-stock, stout stems, 4 to 5 feet or more in height, erect and cylindrical, bright green and so smooth as to seem polished, much branched bearing leaves cut into the very finest of segments.

Nutritional Facts

The best varieties of Fennel yield from 4 to 5 per cent of volatile oil (sp. gr. 0.960 to 0.930), the principal constituents of which are Anethol (50 to 60 per cent) and Fenchone (18 to 22 per cent). Anethol is also the chief constituent of Anise oil. There are also present in oil of Fennel, d-pinene, phellandrine, anisic acid and anisic aldehyde. Indian Fennel yields only 0.72 per cent of oil, containing only 6.7 per cent of fenchone. The seeds are also used for flavouring and the carminative oil that is distilled from them, which has a sweetish aromatic odour and flavour, is employed in the making of cordials and liqueurs, and is also used in perfumery and for scenting soaps.

Oregano is a member of the mint family. It is a spicy, Mediterranean, perennial herb, particularly common in Greek and Italian cuisines. It is the leaves that are used in cooking, and the dried herb is often more flavourful than the fresh. Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter. Oregano is high in antioxidant activity, has demonstrated antimicrobial activity against foodborned pathogens.

Baby corn is produced from regular corn plants which are harvested early while the ears are very immature, resulting in small ears or baby corn.

Nutritional Facts

Baby corn is high in folate, a B-vitamin. It is a good source of several other nutrients such as: potassium, B-6, riboflavin, vitamin C and fiber.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Yellow corn contains carotenoids, which are substances that may help prevent coronary artery disease, certain cancers, and cataracts. In particular, yellow corn is abundant in two carotenoids, zeaxanthin and lutein, which keep eyes healthy. The more yellow the corn is, the more carotenoids it contains.

The oyster is one of the more commonly sought wild mushrooms, though it can also be cultivated on straw and other media. The cap is smooth; oblong and often convex with age; 50-200 mm in diameter; and ranges from white to brown to blue-gray. The flesh of the most common variety is white and can be thin or thick.

The button mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms in the world. Button mushrooms are fairly rich in vitamins and minerals. The mushroom contains an especially high amount of vitamin B and potassium. Button mushrooms have a unique flavor that can be matched by few other mushrooms. It can be used with pizzas and casseroles, raw on salads, and in various forms in a variety of dishes.

A Looseleaf that produces large heads of many oak-shaped leaves which turn a deep burgundy as they mature -- grow in full sun for deepest colour. Somewhat heat resistant, this is one of the most vigorous lettuces in cooler climates. Oak Leaf has thin tender light green or brown/red leaves shaped like oak leaves, which form a rosette. It forms intensive brown/red pigmentation under cool conditions with high light intensity. Red Oak has a ruffle leaf with a fairly nut-like flavour, used in all kinds of salads.

Nutritional Facts

The nutritional value of lettuce varies with the variety. Lettuce in general provides small amounts of dietary fiber, some carbohydrates, a little protein and a trace of fat. Its most important nutrients are vitamin A and potassium. The vitamin A comes from beta carotene, whose yellow-orange is hidden by green chlorophyll pigments. Beta carotene, of course, is converted to vitamin A in the human body.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

It is claimed that lettuce is an excellent remedy for acid indigestion and "heartburn." The bitter, milky latex sap is a mild narcotic and sleep inducer.

Radicchio is a leaf chicory, sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. It can also be used to add color and zest to salads

Nutritional Facts

The nutritional value of lettuce varies with the variety. Lettuce in general provides small amounts of dietary fiber, some carbohydrates, a little protein and a trace of fat. Its most important nutrients are vitamin A and potassium. The vitamin A comes from beta carotene, whose yellow-orange is hidden by green chlorophyll pigments. Beta carotene, of course, is converted to vitamin A in the human body.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

It has good medicinal properties; is useful as a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs. In fact, radicchio contains intybin, a blood and liver tonic.

Thai Bird Chiles are tiny (1 to 1-1/2 inches / 3 to 4 cm), very slender, green or red; extremely hot. These chilies got this name because, when dried, their shape resembles a birds beak.

Nutritional Facts

Chile is rich in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Zinc, two nutrients which are vital for a strong and healthy immune system. It is also high in vitamins, A, C, rutin (a bioflavonoid), beta carotene, iron, calcium and potassium. Chile also contains magnesium, phosphorus, sulphur, B-complex vitamins, sodium and selenium. Chiles red color is due in part to its very high content of vitamin A, which is vital for normal vision, cellular activity, growth and strong immune defenses.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Chilies, in general, have the following medicinal uses :

• Facilitates the healing of ulcers
• High flavonoid content makes it a good antioxidant

Galangal is a rhizome that is related to and resembles ginger, but has a mildly mustardlike, slightly medicinal taste; ginger is not an acceptable substitute. It is sold both whole fresh and as dried slices; halve the quantity when using dried. Galangal is also called Siamese ginger, kha in Thailand, and lengkuas or laos in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Nutritional Facts

It is a good source of dietary fibre and vitamin B1. It has no cholesterol.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Asian medicine known to treat diarrhoea and vomiting.

Nick named the "Queen of the fruits", Mangosteens are considered one of the best tasting fruits available. Native to Malaysia and grown in South East Asia. The tree takes 12-15 years to begin to bear fruit. Considering this the fruits are expensive, but well worth the treat ! It has no relation to the mango, only the first part of its spelling. When ripe, the skin is a dark purple colour. The flesh is snow-white. It has smooth purple skin. The fruits are small and round. It tastes sweet, mildly acidic and scented.

Nutritional Facts

Mangosteen is high in Calcium, Phosphorous, vitamins B & C.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

To truly enjoy its unique flavour and dramatic presentation mangosteens are best served on there own.

An attractive fruit with a bright red skin covered in green tipped hairs, the rambutan is a delicious, white fleshy fruit. Thai rambutans are particularly noted for their sweetness. The name Rambutan is derived from the Malayan word rambut which means hairs.

Nutritional Facts

There is usually a single light brown seed which is high in certain fats and oils (primarily oleic acid and eicosanoic acid) valuable to industry, and used in cooking and the manufacture of soap.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Rambutan roots, bark and leaves have various uses in medicine and in the production of dyes

The shortly - stalked, egg shaped leaves, 1 to 2 inches long, are placed opposite to one another on the four-angled stem, the pairs being some distance apart. They are only slightly toothed at their edges and like the stem are downy with soft hairs.

Nutritional Facts

It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin A and C

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Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Basil is antispasmodic, relieves or eases muscular spasms, cramps or convulsions; aromatic, having an agreeable odor and stimulating qualities; carminative, easing griping pains, colic and expelling gas from the intestines; galactagogue, encourages or increases the secretion of milk; refrigerant, lowers abnormal body heat, relieves thirst and gives a feeling of coolness; stomachic, strengthens, stimulates or tones the stomach; vermifuge, helps in expelling parasitic worms, especially of the intestines.

It is a small, bushy herb, its stems 6 to 8 inches high, branching at the base, slender and leafy.

Nutritional Facts

Externally, its use has been recommended as an addition to warm baths, especially for children, as a strengthener and nerve soother. The oil, which is very heating, is of service as a rubefacient, applied to the skin in sciatica and neuralgia. One drop of the oil, on cotton wool, put into a decayed tooth, will alleviate the pain. The flowering thyme tops contain an essential oil consisting primarily of thymol and carvacrol, along with tannins, bitter compounds, saponins, and organic acids. These are used to flavour jugged hare, etc., they have a milder and rather more grateful flavour.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Externally, it can be used as an addition to warm baths, especially for children, as a strengthener and nerve soother. The oil, which is very heating, is of service as a rubefacient, applied to the skin in sciatica and neuralgia. One drop of the oil, on cotton wool, put into a decayed tooth, will alleviate the pain. The flowering tops are used to flavour jugged hare; they have a milder and rather more grateful flavour.

It is most often used in curries, marinades, stews and sea food soups as it needs liquids to bring out the essential oils in it. Valued for its exotic citrus fragrance, its is commerically used in soaps, perfumes etc. It is used in teas to combat depression and bad moods, fight fever as well as nervous and digestive disorders.

Marjoram is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. Marjoram is cultivated for its aromatic leaves, either green or dry, for culinary purposes; the tops are cut as the plants begin to flower and are dried slowly in the shade.

An attractive curly leaved plant, parsley can grow to 60 cm in height. There are several different varieties Hamburg, French and curly (the most familiar) being among the best known.

Nutritional Facts

Parsley is very high in vitamin C. It is a very familiar herb, used to decorate savoury dishes. The leaves can be finely chopped for sauces and fish dishes, salads and cooked vegetables.

Medicinal / Therapeutic Use

Anti-cancer because of its high concentrations of antioxidants, such as monoterpenes, phthalides, polyacetylenes. Can help detoxify carcinogens and neutralize certain carcinogens in tobacco smoke. Also, has diuretic activity.

The purple passion fruit is native from southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. The passion fruit is a vigorous, climbing vine that clings by tendrils to almost any support. It can grow 15 to 20 ft. per year once established and must have strong support. It is generally short-lived (5 to 7 years). The nearly round or ovoid fruit, 1-1/2 to 3 inches wide, has a tough rind that is smooth and waxy and ranging in hue from dark purple with faint, fine white specks, to light yellow or pumpkin-color. Within is a cavity more or less filled with an aromatic mass of double walled, membranous sacs containing orange-colored, pulpy juice and as many as 250 small, hard, dark brown or black, pitted seeds. The unique flavor is appealing, musky, guava-like and sweet / tart to tart.