BJGardenspot

Last weekend my hubby and I went to Springdale to watch movie and buy some Filipino food such as frozen asian fish, vegges etc. I got ampalaya and I cooked them last night. I fried them with eggs, onions, tomatoes and bell pepper...yummy!. Hubby don't like the ampalaya very much. I told him I like them a lot even they taste bit bitter. They are proven that they are good for health that is why I love ampalaya. They are use for making medicine and also for cooking. As for cooking there are different ways. You can cook them with onions, eggs and bell pepper. Based on my research every country has different way of cooking them. Read the following information below as it tells of how other people cook them. When I was young, I really thought ampalaya has no different name. I am absolutely wrong, when I typed my research in search engine about ampalaya the words that come out are "Bitter melon". The exact name of ampalaya is bitter melon. It describe the taste of bitter melon. No wonder they named as bitter melon because they absolutely taste bitter...lol.

Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd (translated from Chinese: 苦瓜; pinyin: kǔguā), goya from Japanese, ampalaya from Tagalog, and karela from the Punjabi, Hindi-Urdu, Nepali name of the vegetable, or khổ qua/ mướp đắng (literraly: bitter luffa) from Vietnamese. South American and Caribbean names include Balsamino and Saraseed.The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in South and Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean. To check more pictures of ampalaya visit more bitter melon pictures.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Cucurbitales

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Genus: Momordica

Species: M. charantia

Binomial name
Momordica charantia
Descourt

Culinary Uses

in Chinese cooking , often with pork and douchi, in soups, and also as tea.in the cuisines of South Asia and the West Indies. In these culinary traditions, it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji.in Punjabi cuisine, bitter melon is stuffed with spices and then fried in oilin Tamil Nadu and referred as பாகற்காய் (Pagarkai) slangily called as Pavakkai பாவக்காய் in the cuisine of South Indian state of Kerala, for making a dish called thoran mixed with grated coconut, theeyal and pachadi.in Karnataka, the term used for bitter gourd is haagalakai (ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ) and used in preparation of a delicacy called gojju (ಗೊಜ್ಜು)in Andhra Pradesh, it is called as "Kaakarakaaya" (కాకరకాయ); popular recipes include curry, deep fry with peanuts (ground nuts), 'Pachi Pulusu' (కాకరకాయ పచ్చి పులుసు), a kind of soup made up of boiled Bitter Melon, fried onions and other spices.in Okinawan cuisine, it is credited with Okinawan life expectancies being higher than already long Japanese ones. Bitter melon oil contains Eleostearic acid, which is shown to prevent angiogenesis, which is implicated in the growth (but not the incidence) of cancer.in Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as stir fry, cooked in coconut milk, or steamedin Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with dried meat floss and stuffed to make bitter melon soup with shrimp are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served as a popular summer soup in the South.in various dishes in the Philippines, where it is known as Ampalaya. Ampalaya may also be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. A very popular dish from the Ilocos region of the Philippines, pinakbet, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables stewed with a little bagoong-based stock. The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens; in the Philippines, where bitter melon leaves are commonly consumed, they are called dahon (leaves) ng ampalaya.in Nepal bitter melon is prepared in various ways.in Pakistan bitter melon is available in the summertime, and is cooked with lots of onions.The seeds can also be eaten, and have a sweet taste but are known to cause nausea.

Medical uses

Bitter melon has been used in various Asian traditional medicine systems for a long time. Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion. While this can be helpful in people with sluggish digestion, dyspepsia, and constipation, it can sometimes make heartburn and ulcers worse. The fact that bitter melon is also a demulcent and at least mild inflammation modulator, however, means that it rarely does have these negative effects, based on clinical experience and traditional reports.

Though it has been claimed that bitter melon’s bitterness comes from quinine, no evidence could be located supporting this claim. Bitter melon is traditionally regarded by Asians, as well as Panamanians and Colombians, as useful for preventing and treating malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that various species of bitter melon have anti-malarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published.

In Panama bitter melon is known as Balsamino. The pods are smaller and bright orange when ripe with very sweet red seeds, but only the leaves of the plant are brewed in hot water to create a tea to treat malaria and diabetes. The leaves are allowed to steep in hot water before being strained thoroughly so that only the remaining liquid is used for the tea.

Laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection. As most compounds isolated from bitter melon that impact HIV have either been proteins or glycoproteins lectins), neither of which are well-absorbed, it is unlikely that oral intake of bitter melon will slow HIV in infected people. It is possible oral ingestion of bitter melon could offset negative effects of anti-HIV drugs, if a test tube study can be shown to be applicable to people [4]. In one preliminary clinical trial, an enema form of a bitter melon extract showed some benefits in people infected with HIV (Zhang 1992). Clearly more research is necessary before this could be recommended.

The other realm showing the most promise related to bitter melon is as an immunomodulator. One clinical trial found very limited evidence that bitter melon might improve immune cell function in people with cancer, but this needs to be verified and amplified in other research. If proven correct this is another way bitter melon could help people infected with HIV.

Folk wisdom has it that bitter melon helps to prevent or counteract type-II diabetes. A recent scientific study at JIPMER, India has proved that bitter melon increases insulin sensitivity.[5] Also, in 2007, the Philippine Department of Health issued a circular stating that bitter melon, as a scientifically validated herbal medicinal plant, can lower elevated blood sugar levels. The study revealed that a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Glibenclamide taken twice per day.[2] Bitter melon is sold in the Philippines as a food supplement and marketed under the trade name Charantia. Charantia capsules and tea are being exported to the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Korea, and parts of the Middle East.


Bitter melon transformed into capsule form and sold as a food supplement.Bitter Melon contains four very promising bioactive compounds. These compounds activate a protein called AMPK, which is well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake, processes which are impaired in diabetics. "We can now understand at a molecular level why bitter melon works as a treatment for diabetes," said David James, director of the diabetes and obesity program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. "By isolating the compounds we believe to be therapeutic, we can investigate how they work together in our cells."

Bitter melon contains a lectin that has insulin-like activity. The insulin-like bioactivity of this lectin is due to its linking together 2 insulin receptors. This lectin lowers blood glucose concentrations by acting on peripheral tissues and, similar to insulin's effects in the brain, suppressing appetite. This lectin is likely a major contributor to the hypoglycemic effect that develops after eating bitter melon and why it may be a way of managing adult-onset diabetes. Lectin binding is non-protein specific, and this is likely why bitter melon has been credited with immunostimulatory activity - by linking receptors that modulate the immune system, thereby stimulating said receptors.

Various cautions are indicated. The seeds contains vicine and therefore can trigger symptoms of favism in susceptible individuals. In addition, the red arils of the seeds are reported to be toxic to children, and the fruit is contraindicated during pregnancy.To expand your study visitAmpalaya|Bitter melon.

I planted bell peppers in my garden area and they are now blooming. I thought they don't have time to grow as winter is close but it blooms. I am thankful to God for that. I love bell pepper and I plant a lot of them than any other veggies. I hope you like the article I posted here. I am hoping it help expand your study.
Bell pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, green and orange. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers". Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European and Asian countries. Today, Mexico remains one of the major pepper producers in the world.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Capsicum
Species: C. annuum
Binomial name
Capsicum annuum


Nomenclature

The term "bell pepper" is the American name for some vegetables of the Capsicum annuum species of plants. The misleading name "pepper" (pimiento in Spanish) was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time peppercorns, the fruit of Piper nigrum, an unrelated plant, were a highly prized condiment.The term "bell pepper" or "pepper" or "capsicum" is often used for any of the large bell shaped capsicum fruits, regardless of their color. In British English, the meat is simply referred to as a "pepper", whereas in many Commonwealth of Nations countries, such as Australia, India, Malaysia and New Zealand, they are called "capsicum". Across Europe, the term "paprika", which has its roots in the word for pepper, is used—sometimes referred to by their color (e.g., "groene paprika", "gele paprika", in Dutch, which are green and yellow, respectively). Paprika also refers to the powdered spice made from the same fruit. In France it is called "poivron", with the same root as "poivre" (meaning "pepper"), or "piment. " In Japan, the word ピーマン ("pîman, " from the French) refers only to green bell peppers, whereas パプリカ ("papurika, " from paprika) refers to bell peppers of other colors. In the United States and Canada, the fruit is often referred to simply as a "pepper" or referred to by color (e. g. "red pepper", "green pepper"), although the more specific term "bell pepper" is understood in most regions. In parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, the fruit is called a "mango"[1]. Bell peppers are botanically fruits, but are generally considered in culinary contexts to be vegetables. When cut off, the top of the bell pepper is referred to as a "pepper pan." Often the pan is filled with collagen to create a "pepper jiggler."

In Russia it is commonly called болгарский перец (bolgarskiy perets), meaning Bulgarian pepper. In Denmark the bell pepper is referred to as "peberfrugt", meaning pepper-fruit. In Norway, Sweden, former Yugoslavia and the Netherlands it is known as "paprika".

In Brazil it's commonly called Pimentão, meaning Big pepper. It's widely used in a variety of dishes, like pasta, rice and other dishes from Cuisine of Brazil.

In Argentina it's called "Morrón", green and red bell peppers are usually found in small grocery stores, the yellow ones tend to be in the supermarket. Grilled, they may form part of the traditional barbecue of this country, called "Asado" (Castilian Spanish for 'roasted' or 'grilled').

In Costa Rica it's called "chile dulce" or sweet chili and many typical dished include it as part of it's ingredients.

In Nepal it's called "bhede khursani". It is eaten with fried noodles, and is cooked and eaten with any vegetable, but bhede khursani is never eaten raw.

In Sri Lanka it is called "Maalu Miris" in Sinhalese language and used in "curries" as a vegetable. "Miris" is Chilli, the hotter variety which is used as a hot spice, and "Maalu" means Vegetable, hence "Maalu Miris" indicates the less spicy version, which is suitable for cooking as a vegetable, instead of using as a spice. With the similar meaning, bell pepper is called "kaRi miLakaay" (கறிமிளகாய்) in Tamil language.

In Egypt it is commonly called "filfil akhdar", where "filfil" means pepper and "akhdar" means green. It is eaten as a raw snack, in salads, in various soups and stews, and is also cooked stuffed with a rice and beef filling.

Varieties

The color can be green, red, yellow, orange and, more rarely, white, purple, blue, pink, rainbow, aqua, violet, maroon, black and brown, depending on when they are harvested and the specific cultivar. Green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than red, yellow or orange peppers. The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest are fruit allowed to ripen fully on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in storage are less sweet.For more information about Bellp pepper visit Wikepedia

I have nothing to share about my garden this time. I hope you like to read what I share here. Last two days I been thinking to share about squash and now I am going to share it here. I hope this article can help expand your research. I know a lot of students has science lessons and I know this article is related.

According to Wikepedia,Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita native to Mexico and Central America, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. It is also natively grown in other parts of North America, and in Europe, India, and Australia. In North America, squash is loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, as well as autumn squash. Another name is cheese squash depending on whether they are harvested as immature vegetables.Summer squash or mature vegetables autumn squash or winter squash. Gourds are from the same family as squashes. Well known types of squash include the pumpkin and zucchini. Giant squash are derived from curcurbita maxima and are routinely grown to weights nearing those of giant pumpkins.

Scientific Name of Squash

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Cucurbitales

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Genus: Cucurbita

Species: C. maxima, hubbard squash, buttercup squash

C. mixta, cushaw squash
C. moschata, butternut squash
C. pepo, most pumpkins, acorn squash,
summer squash, zucchini

Cultivation - Archaeological evidence suggests that squash may have been first cultivated in Mesoamerica some 8,000 to 10,000 years ago [1][2], but may have been independently cultivated elsewhere, albeit later.[3] Squash was one of the "Three Sisters" planted by Native Americans. The Three Sisters were the three main indigenous plants used for agriculture: maize (corn), beans, and squash. These were usually planted together, with the cornstalk providing support for the climbing beans, and shade for the squash. The squash vines provided ground cover to limit weeds. The beans provided nitrogen fixing for all three crops.

Summer squashes, including young vegetable marrows (such as zucchini [also known as courgette], pattypan and yellow crookneck) are harvested during the growing season, while the skin is still soft and the fruit rather small; they are eaten almost immediately and require little to no cooking.

Winter squashes (such as butternut, Hubbard, buttercup, ambercup, acorn, spaghetti squash and pumpkin) are harvested at maturity, generally the end of summer, cured to further harden the skin, and stored in a cool place for eating later. They generally require longer cooking time than summer squashes. (Note: Although the term winter squash is used here to differentiate from summer squash, it is also commonly used as a synonym for Cucurbita maxima.) The squash fruit is classified as a pepo by botanists, which is a special type of berry with a thick outer wall or rind formed from hypanthium tissue fused to the exocarp; the fleshy interior is composed of mesocarp and endocarp. The pepo, derived from an inferior ovary, is characteristic of the Squash Family (Cucurbitaceae). In culinary terms, both summer and winter squashes are generally considered as vegetables, even though pumpkin may be used for pies.

In addition to the fruit, other parts of the plant are edible. Squash seeds can be eaten directly, ground into paste, or (particularly for pumpkins) pressed for vegetable oil. The shoots, leaves, and tendrils can be eaten as greens. The blossoms are an important part of native American cooking and are also used in many other parts of the world.

There are Types of Squash

Summer squash - are thin-skinned and bruise easily (think zucchini), so look for firm, blemish-free ones with taut skin. Typically, the smaller ones are sweeter and more tender. Summer squash are moister—they contain more water—than winter squash. Summer squash are good for about a week in the refrigerator before they begin to soften and wrinkle.

Winter squash - on the other hand, have hard, thick rinds (think acorn squash). They are so hardy that you may find yourself needing a hammer to tap the knife’s handle when trying to cut one in half. This thick skin puts longevity on their side: You can keep winter squash fresh in cool, dark places for one to three months. Winter squash are drier—they contain less moisture—than summer squash.

To see the whole details visit Squash more details. To get more information for your research visit Wikepedia.

It is raining outside since I got up this morning. I have nothing to do much today so I decided to take time to search about cucumber. I know a lot of people like cucumber. I like cucumber a lot too. When I was in my country Philippines I ate a lot of cucumber because my aunt has planted a lot of cucumber and they always give us. I hope the information here will help expand your research.According to new world encyclopedia Cucumber is the common name for a widely cultivated creeping vine, Cucumis sativus, in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, characterized by large leaves, thin tendrils, and a typically elongated, green-skinned fruit with tapered ends. The term also is applied to the edible, cylindrical fruit of this plant.

In advancing their own individual purpose of continuation as a species, cucumbers also provide value for humans. They are eaten raw or cooked, or they can be pickled, providing a nutritional food source. In turn, humans have spread their cultivation, over the past 3,000 years, from Asia to Europe, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, and have created numerous varieties. Cucumbers also serve as a source of food for insects and other animals.

Several other plants also utilize "cucumber" as part of their common name, such as the squirting cucumber, Ecballium elaterium. In the United States, wild cucumber refers to Manroot (genus Marah).

According to wikepedia The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon.

Botany -The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up trellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around ribbing with thin, spiraling tendrils. The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit.

The fruit is roughly cylindrical, elongated, with tapered ends, and may be as large as 60 cm long and 10 cm in diameter. Cucumbers grown to be eaten fresh (called slicers) and those intended for pickling (called picklers) are similar. Cucumbers are mainly eaten in the unripe green form. The ripe yellow form normally becomes too bitter and sour.

Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, cucumbers are scientifically classified as fruits. Much like tomatoes and squash, however, their sour-bitter flavor contributes to cucumbers being perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetables, which is the accepted culinary term citation needed.

Various myths have arisen with regard to how bitterness may be removed from cucumbers. Among these myths includes slicing off the ends of a cucumber, and rubbing the now-exposed ends of said cucumber with the sliced-off ends until it appears to froth. Another such urban legend states that one ought to peel a cucumber away from the end that was once attached to a vine, otherwise one risked spreading the bitterness throughout the cucumber.

Flowering and pollination - A few varieties of cucumber are parthenocarpic, the blossoms creating seedless fruit without pollination. Pollination for these varieties degrades the quality. In the US, these are usually grown in greenhouses, where bees are excluded. In Europe, they are grown outdoors in some regions, and bees are excluded from these areas. Most cucumber varieties, however, are seeded and require pollination. Thousands of hives of honey bees are annually carried to cucumber fields just before bloom for this purpose. Cucumbers may also be pollinated by bumblebees and several other bee species.

Symptoms of inadequate pollination include fruit abortion and misshapen fruit. Partially pollinated flowers may develop fruit which are green and develop normally near the stem end, but pale yellow and withered at the blossom end.

Traditional varieties produce male blossoms first, then female, in about equivalent numbers. New gynoecious hybrid cultivars produce almost all female blossoms. However, since these varieties do not provide pollen, they must have interplanted a pollenizer variety and the number of beehives per unit area is increased. Insecticide applications for insect pests must be done very carefully to avoid killing off the insect pollinators.

History - Cucumbers originated in India.Therefore, the English word cucumber is derived from Indian word "kachumbar". Large genetic variety of cucumber has been observed in different parts of India.[4] It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years in Western Asia, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century. For more information about cucumber check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber.

I have garden and I planted eggplant. Do you have a garden too? neither you have or not I will share an article about eggplant so someday when you want to know about eggplant or when you want to plant eggplant you check this information. For more information visit Eggplant overview The eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal (Solanum melongena), is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking. As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to India and Sri Lanka.

It is a delicate perennial often cultivated as an annual. It grows 40 to 150 cm (16 to 57 in) tall, with large coarsely lobed leaves that are 10 to 20 cm (4-8 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2-4 in) broad. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (7 ft) with large leaves over 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) broad. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The fruit is fleshy, less than 3 cm in diameter on wild plants, but much larger in cultivated forms.

The fruit is botanically classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain (an insignificant amount of) nicotinoid alkaloids, unsurprising as it is a close relative of tobacco.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Asterids

Order: Solanales

Family: Solanaceae

Genus: Solanum

Species: S. melongena

History of eggplant

The plant is native to India.[1][2] It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory[citation needed] but appears to have become known to the Western world no earlier than ca. 1500 CE. The first known written record of the plant is found in Qí mín yào shù, an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise completed in 544 CE.[3] The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate that it was introduced throughout the Mediterranean area by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages. The scientific name Solanum melongena is derived from a 16th century Arabic term for one variety.

The name eggplant, used in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada refers to the fact that the fruits of some 18th century European cultivars were yellow or white and resembled goose or hen's eggs. The name aubergine, which is used in British English, is an adoption from the French word (derived from Catalan albergínia, from Arabic al-badinjan, from Persian bad'en-j'aan, from Sanskrit vatin-ganah). In Indian and South African English, the fruit is known as a "brinjal." Aubergine and brinjal, with their distinctive br-jn or brn-jl aspects, derive from Persian and Sanskrit. In the Caribbean Trinidad, it also goes by the Latin derivative "meloongen".

Because of the plant's relationship with the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, the fruit was at one time believed to be extremely dangerous.

Cooking

The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness though this is often unnecessary. Some modern varieties do not need this treatment, as they are far less bitter. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related tomato, the numerous seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit. The thin skin is also edible, so that peeling is not required.


Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parmesan.The plant is used in cuisines from Japan to Spain. It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, the Italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Arabian moussaka, and Middle-Eastern and South Asian dishes. It may also be roasted in its skin until charred, so that the pulp can be removed and blended with other ingredients such as lemon, tahini, and garlic, as in the Middle Eastern dish baba ghanoush and the similar Greek dish melitzanosalata or the Indian dishes of Baigan Bhartha or Gojju. In Iranian cuisine, it can be blended with whey as kashk e-bademjan, tomatoes as mirza ghasemi or made into stew as khoresh-e-bademjan. It can be sliced, battered, and deep-fried, then served with various sauces which may be based on yoghurt, tahini, or tamarind. Grilled and mashed and mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices it makes the Indian dish baingan ka bhartha. The fruit can also be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings and then baked. In the Caucasus, for example, it is fried and stuffed with walnut paste to make nigvziani badrijani. It can also be found in Chinese cuisine, braised (紅燒茄子), stewed (魚香茄子) or stuffed (釀茄子).

As a native plant, it is widely used in Indian cuisine, for example in sambhar, chutney, curries, and achaar. Owing to its versatile nature and wide use in both everyday and festive Indian food, it is often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables'. In one dish, Brinjal is stuffed with ground coconut, peanuts, and masala and then cooked in oil.

In Bangladesh, it is called Begun (বেগুন). It, along with the fish Hilsa, is used to cook a famous wedding dish[citation needed]. Slices of eggplant are marinated with salt and chilli powder, covered with a batter of bashone and deep-fried and eaten as a snack. This is called Beguni (বেগুনি).

How well do you like the Okra? for me, I like Okra a lot, it has many uses and you can cook them in different ways. You can boil, you can fried, you can make pickle etc. Do you know that Okra (pronounced US: /ˈoʊkrə/, UK: /ˈɒkrə/), known by many others names, is a flowering plant in the mallow family (along with such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus), valued for its edible green fruits. Okra's scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus; it is occasionally referred to by the synonym, Hibiscus esculentus L.

The species is an annual or perennial, growing to 2 m tall. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm diameter,
with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long, containing numerous seeds.

Uses

Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable. A traditional food plant in Africa, this vegetable has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.

In Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen, and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, okra is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. In Indian and Pakistani cooking, it is sauteed or added to gravy-based preparations and is very popular in North India & Pakistan. In western parts of India, okra is one of the most popular vegetables of all and is often cooked in daily meals. Generally okra is stir-fried with spices and some sugar. Okra is also used in Kadhi. In Caribbean islands okra is cooked and eaten as soup, often with fish. In Haiti, it is cooked with rice and maize; it is also used as a sauce for meat. It became a popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine toward the end of the 20th century, served with soy sauce and katsuobushi or as tempura. It is used as a thickening agent in gumbo. Breaded, deep fried okra is served in the southern United States. The immature pods may also be pickled. The town of Irmo, South Carolina holds an annual "Okra Strut" that celebrates the vegetable. It was begun to fund the local library.

Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar manner as the greens of beets or dandelions. The leaves are also eaten raw in salads.[citation needed] Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a non-caffeinated substitute for coffee. As imports were disrupted by the American Civil War in 1861, the Austin State Gazette noted, "An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation of fifty negroes with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio.

Okra forms part of several regional "signature" dishes. Frango com quiabo (chicken with okra) is a Brazilian dish that is especially famous in the region of Minas Gerais. Gumbo, a hearty stew whose key ingredient is okra, is found throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States and in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The word "gumbo" is based on the Central Bantu word for okra, "kigombo", via the Caribbean Spanish "guingambó" or "quimbombó".It is also an expected ingredient in callaloo, a Caribbean dish and the national dish of Trinidad & Tobago. Okra is also enjoyed in Nigeria where draw soup is a popular dish, often eaten with garri or cassava.

In Vietnam, okra is the important ingredient in the dish canh chua.

Okra oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the okra. The greenish yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid.The oil content of the seed is quite high at about 40%. Oil yields from okra crops are also high. At 794 kg/ha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial. Unspecified parts of the plant reportedly possess diuretic properties.Contains male contraceptive gossypol.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Genus: Abelmoschus

Species: A. esculentus

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Its been few days that I didn't get to post here. I hope the article I share below will give you enough information about growing orchids indoors. I wish I can grow orchids indoor but our house is not big enough to grow stuff like that. Hope you guys have a good week!

So, you want to grow orchid indoors? Well, the grower's task, and it is no easy one, is to set in motion the complicated growth processes of the orchid plant, and, through maintenance of proper balance, insure continuation of that process.

When it comes to growing orchid indoors, using the energy provided by light, the green leaf chlorophyll transforms the carbon dioxide from the air and the mineral salts from moisture into sugar and other carbohydrates.

These energy carbohydrates are stored until needed either for rebuilding plant tissue or for flowering. The pseudobulbs of some types, the large leathery leaves of others, and the slender grass-like leaves of orchids lacking pseudobulbs are the storage reservoirs.

The cycle will continue only if the grower devotes the utmost attention to the special requirements of the orchid. The reward for his devotion comes when the brilliant bloom and beauty of the tropics is reproduced in the greenhouse.

No hard and fast rules can be set down for the beginner to follow when it comes to growing orchid indoors. When you want to grow orchid indoors, the amount of each element in the light-heat-moisture-air formula will vary according to season, experience, and variety.

One of the things that make the growing of orchids unique and stimulating is the spirited controversy that arises over every aspect of culture.

One of the many points on which there is no incontroversial procedure is the matter of how much light should be admitted when gor. It must be decided whether to grow the plants 'soft' or 'hard,' to use the parlance of experienced growers.

The amateur must make his own choice. To grow 'soft' means to shade the plants from the sun so that the leaves remain a beautiful dark green.

There can be no doubt that this method produces the most beautiful plants, but the quality of bloom is a question that cannot be answered so definitely. In 'soft' conditions care must be exercised not to shade to the point where flower growth will be hindered.

To grow 'hard' means to allow so much light that the leaves have decided overtones of yellow. This method, while marring the appearance of the plant, is said by its proponents to give increased bloom. Too much light must be avoided, since it will burn the plant and growth will be interrupted.

Dry, yellow flower sheaths will at times result from such sunburn, and incipient buds will become steamy and subject to destruction by wet rot. Cutting off the very top of such a sheath with a sharp knife will allow air to reach the bud and may save it.

The claim that growing orchids 'hard' increases flower growth appears logical if the conditions under which orchids grow in their natural state are considered: the natural environment is 'hard.' It must be remembered, however, that nature controls sunlight in a way difficult to approximate in the greenhouse.

Even in those areas where certain varieties grow in so-called 'full sun/ it will be found that drifting clouds give a protection that is absent under intensely directed light in the greenhouse.

Once the amateur has made the choice between 'soft' and 'hard' methods, the subsequent treatment must be consistent. If much sun is provided, more moisture and air will be required. If the plants are grown with minimum sun they will require less moisture, but an increase in ventilation may be needed to keep the air sweet.

Too great an increase in heat during the winter is a common error of orchid growers. Plants store up energy during the daylight hours and give off or transpire energy at night. Increase in night heat increases transpiration.

Shorter periods of daylight lessen the manufacture of energy. If the plant loses more energy at night than it is able to store during the day, obviously it will suffer.

Orchids are very susceptible to shock of any kind, and they take considerable time to recover—if they ever do. This danger must be borne in mind regarding sunburn, chilling, or energy deficit.

There is the further difficulty of each species' having its own light requirements. Quick reference to conditions in the native homes of the species that the amateur is likely to acquire will illustrate the point. Cattleyas, native to Central and South America, are found hanging on trees in the tropical rain forests.

The burning sun of midday is usually kept off the plant by foliage directly overhead. The grower, guided by this knowledge, lets Cattleyas be exposed to the sun, but provides shade in summer during the warmest part of the day, for sunburn must be avoided.

The increased exposure to sun necessitates a corresponding increase in humidity to prevent the pseudobulbs from shriveling.

The grower should vary heat conditions to balance other conditions of the house and plants. As in most native habitats, the temperature can be some degrees lower in winter than in summer. This is another point on which there is difference of opinion.

Some growers increase the heat a bit during the winter day, reducing it again at night to sustain balance.

With the proper balance of light, heat, and ventilation there remains only moisture to round out the growth formula. The technique of watering orchids includes, besides watering in the pot, spraying and damping.

With orchids the old familiar watering in the pot is the trickiest and the most dangerous procedure. There are a few general rules to be observed. Watering or spraying should be done only with a rising temperature. Daily watering of plants up to three inches in height is recommended; thereafter caution is urged.

Tiny seedlings should be kept wet at the roots, but must not be allowed to become soggy. Finally, the beginner is warned once more not to acquire too many plants. There should be only as many plants as can be handled individually once a week—never less often than once every two weeks.

This is the only efficacious manner of checking watering needs, to say nothing of the fact that it provides a needed check on scale, fungus, and pests.

In watering, the amateur again finds wide variance in the needs of the many species. When watering Cattleyas, it is well to soak the pot thoroughly and then allow the potting material almost but not entirely to dry out.

The pots should not become completely dry since the bulbs may shrivel and plant growth may be retarded for at least a year.

Yet, if there is any doubt, it is far better to err on the dry side. Dryness will deter growth, but too much moisture will kill the plant. If water remains in the pot and does not dry out in a week or ten days, it is likely that the roots will have rotted off.

The pseudobulbs will shrivel and the leaves droop. Many amateurs mistake this for an indication of dryness, and treat the pot to another drubbing, thus rotting the remaining roots and probably killing the plant. A plant that shows signs of shriveling from lack of roots will often respond to a daily gentle overhead spray.

Laelias and other plants with light, heat, and air requirements similar to the Cattleyas need about the same watering treatment. Laelias like slightly more water after complete growth and before flowering. After flowering they will require slightly less.

Vandas, since they are without pseudobulbs, must have water at all times, but their lusty aerial roots will take care of some deficiency in watering by taking moisture from the air. Phalae-nopsis, also pseudobulb-less, must not be allowed to dry out entirely.

Watering of this species must be done with care to prevent water from remaining in the crowns, a condition that is conducive to the growth of fungus.

Oncidiums must not be allowed to shrivel. They need a great deal of water when growth is being completed and flowering is beginning, but require less after flowering. The bulbs of Cym-bidiums should not be allowed to shrivel.

Standing pots on damp gravel on the floor seems to give them the warmth at the top and coolness below that they find congenial.

They prefer water at the roots at all times, but the potting mixture should be well drained and not soggy. Cypripediums have no bulbs and require copious water at the roots. Odontoglossums also require much moisture at the roots, and must be kept cool and shaded.

The amateur will soon learn to recognize signs of well-being or need in his plants. Jewel-tipped roots and fat, rosy growths are indications of health.

Root growth is usually, though not always, apparent, and pots indicating healthy roots can be watered more frequently than those where root growth is doubtful. The latter should be treated to plentiful overhead spray.

This brings us to consideration of the importance of the overhead spray. Orchids appreciate diffused water as they do diffused light. A fine spray makes a hot, dry day bearable for all the plants. A daily spray is routine except for dark, cold days in winter; at the height of summer two or more sprays a day will be gratefully received.

Daily light spraying over the potting material is prescribed for tiny seedlings, backbulbs without roots, sick plants, and newly potted plants.

Healthy roots attest the value of this treatment. Some growers pot with damp material and allow the newly potted plants to go without pot watering until roots show. Light spray over the top of the potting material supplies enough moisture to prevent shriveling.

Damping is the simplest of the watering operations. Its virtue is enhanced because it is hard to do damage with this method. It consists of watering down the walls, floors, paths, and benches between the pots.

In most climates this should be almost a daily procedure, omitted only when the house is too cold or the outside air too damp.

But there is one caution that should be heeded. It is popularly believed that orchids grow in steamy jungles. This is a misapprehension. What takes place in the jungle is rapid evaporation.

Steam is injurious to orchids, and when the house is being damped down, care should be taken not to play the water on hot pipes.

Lastly, it is imperative that the plants have water with an acidity reading of approximately 4.5 to 5 pH.1 Where the local water supply is very alkaline, some method of putting it on the acid side must be arranged.

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