The production of fenugreek in India is marked by its dominant position in world production and export. Within India Rajasthan accounts for its largest cropped area and production. The fenugreek plant is an annual herbaceous forage legume with aroma, which is used for food in the form of its seeds as spices, and its leaves as a vegetable. It is also used as a medicinal herb in several Ayurvedic formulations for treatment of dry skin, boils, hair loss and so forth.
Fenugreek's botanical name is Trigonella foenum-graecum in the subfamily Fabaceae (also called the Papilioacae), of the family Leguminosae. [1]
In the languages of India, it is known by terms derived from Proto-Dravidian mentti: examples include Indo-European forms like Hindustani मेथी-میتھیmethī and Dravidian forms like Tamil : வெந்தயம், romanized: ventayam and Tulu : ಮೆತ್ತೆ, romanized: tele. [2] [3]
It is believed that fenugreek was known in the Indian cuisine even 3,000 years ago. [4] Its growth in the wild is reported from Kashmir, Punjab and the Upper Gangetic plains [4] Its use is also reported in ancient Egypt and India, and later in Greece and Rome. A notable practice reported is its use as fumigant in incense burning in religious ceremonies in Egypt to spread "Holy Smoke". It was also used for embalming. Other countries where it is grown are Argentina, Egypt and Mediterranean region. Use of its seed as a spice, and its leaves and tender pods as vegetable were also reported. It was also used as cattle feed. [4]
Fenugreek is an annual herb growing to a height of up to 60 cm (20 in). The leaves are pale green and consist of three leaflets with toothed margins. The whitish flowers are produced singly or in pairs in April and May. They are followed by bean-like pods 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) long containing up to twenty small, grooved, yellowish-brown seeds. The leaves are rich in the nutrients carotene, vitamin A, ascorbic acid, calcium, and iron. The seeds are composed of "protein, starch, sugar, mucilage, minerals, volatile oil, fixed oil, vitamins and enzymes". They smell of curry but are quite bitter and contain coumarin oil. The seeds also contain diosgenin which is used in the manufacture of oral contraceptives. [4] [5]
India is the largest producer of fenugreek in the world. [6] During 2011–12, production was 121,775 tonnes of seeds from an area of 96,304 hectares (237,970 acres). [7] Its seed is traded as a spice, and in an oil extract form as oleoresin . India consumes most of the seeds. [6] [8] Its export was 799 tonnes in 1960–61, and increased greatly to 15,135 tons by 1995–96 [9] and then to 21,800 tonnes during 2011–12. [6] It was exported to UAE, Sri Lanka, and Japan, and European countries of UK, Netherlands, Germany and France. [9]
Within the country its seed production is the highest in the state of Rajasthan followed by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. [7] In Rajasthan, which accounts for a significant majority of India's total output, the crop is mainly grown during the winter season. [6] [7] Other states where it is grown in fairly good quantity are Tamil Nadu, the Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. [2] There are several varieties of fenugreek grown in the country. [2] [10]
The plant is generally cultivated throughout the year in areas where the climate is moderately cool, and frost free (particularly during the stage of the plant's "flowering and early grain formation") with clear sky. It is grown in many types of soils which have rich organic content. The preferred soil type is loamy or sandy loam with pH value in the range of 6–7 and with good drainage conditions for better yield. [2] [10] [11]
In North India, the sowing season is from the last week of October to the first week of November. It is grown in both the cropping seasons of Rabi and Kharif in South India – first fortnight of October during Rabi and second fortnight of June–July during Kharif. The amount of seeds used for sowing during both seasons is generally 25 kg/ha. The yield is more during Rabi season. The average yield is about 10–11 q/ha with 15–20 q/ha achievable with improved varieties and optimal management methods. [2] [10] [11]
Prior to sowing, the seeds are subject to Rhizobium culture. Seeds are planted preferably in flat beds in rows 30 cm apart and spaced at 10 cm, and in depths of less than 5 cm. Farm yard manure or compost is used to enhance the fertility of the fields before sowing, say at 15 to 20 tons per ha. While sowing, chemicals added are 50 kg N/ha and 40 kg P205/ha, depending on the inherent fertility values of the soil which can be ascertained by testing the soil. Irrigation water is provided immediately after sowing and then after 30, 70–75, 85–90, and 105–110 days; good drainage is facilitated to prevent any water-logging. Other cultivation methods of hoeing and weeding are done as required. Harvesting is done when the lower leaves of the plant start shedding and the pods turn colour. Timely manual harvesting is done by way of cutting using sickles. The harvested plants are tied in bundles and dried for 5–7 days. Threshing, by hand or using mechanical methods, is done to separate the seeds from the plants. A vacuum gravity separator or spiral gravity separator is used to clean the seeds which are then graded. Disinfected jute bags are used to store the graded seeds and they are kept in moisture-free and airy chambers. [2] [10]
Fenugreek's seed or pulse is used as a spice and its leaves used as a herb, and also as an admixture in condiments and to flavour food. Its pods and leaves are used as vegetables, as the leaves are rich in protein, minerals and Vitamin C. [2] [10]
In North India and Punjab, fresh fenugreek leaf is used in culinary dishes. In its dried form it is used like any other spice. Seed is also sprouted and used. [4] Various health benefits are claimed for fenugreek. [2] [12] [3]
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (V. planifolia).
The guar or cluster bean, with the botanical name Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It is also known as gavar, gawar, or guvar bean. The genus name Cyamopsis means bean-like. The specific name is from Latin: tetragōnoloba meaning four-lobed.
Pea is a pulse, vegetable or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species, formerly 'Pisum sativum', it has been proposed to rename the species as Lathyrus oleraceus. Each pod contains several seeds (peas), which can have green or yellow cotyledons when mature. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of a (pea) flower. The name is also used to describe other edible seeds from the Fabaceae such as the pigeon pea, the cowpea, the seeds from several species of Lathyrus and is used as a compound form for example Sturt's desert pea.
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.
Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent, and have been used as a culinary ingredient since ancient times. Its use as a food ingredient in small quantities is safe.
The mung bean, alternatively known as green gram, maash, mūng, mū̃g, monggo, đậu xanh, pesalu, kacang hijau or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family. The mung bean is mainly cultivated in East, Southeast and South Asia. It is used as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Vigna subterranea is a member of the family Fabaceae. Its name is derived from the Bambara ethnic group. The plant originated in West Africa. As a food and source of income, the Bambara groundnut is considered to be the third most important leguminous crop in those African countries where it is grown, after peanut and cowpea. The crop is mainly cultivated, sold and processed by women, and is, thus, particularly valuable for female subsistence farmers.
Vigna mungo, also known as black gram, urad bean, urid bean, matimah, matikolai, mash kalai, maas/kalo daal, uzhunnu parippu, ulundu parippu, minapa pappu, uddu, or black matpe, is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative, the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the Phaseolus to the Vigna genus. The product sold as black lentil is usually the whole urad bean, whereas the split bean is called white lentil. It should not be confused with the much smaller true black lentil.
Saag, also spelled sag or saga, is an Indian subcontinental leafy vegetable dish eaten with bread such as roti or naan, or in some regions with rice. Saag can be made from spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, basella, finely chopped broccoli or other greens, along with added spices and sometimes other ingredients such as chhena.
Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande as a substitute for saffron. Plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head. Safflower is native to arid environments having seasonal rain. It grows a deep taproot which enables it to thrive in such environments.
Vigna aconitifolia is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consumed in India. Moth bean can be grown on many soil types, and can also act as a pasture legume.
Summer savory : is among the best known of the savory genus. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory. It is used more often than winter savory, which has a slightly more bitter flavor.
Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, sevaiya etc.
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and used extensively in South and Southeast Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree, or malunggay.
Jute mallow or Nalita jute is a species of shrub in the family Malvaceae. Together with C. capsularis it is the primary source of jute fiber. The leaves and young fruits are used as a vegetable, the dried leaves are used for tea and as a soup thickener, and the seeds are edible.
Rabi crops or the rabi harvest, also known as winter crops, are agricultural crops that are sown in winter and harvested in the spring in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Complementary to the rabi crop is the kharif crop, which is grown after the rabi and zaid crops are harvested one after another respectively.
Moringa stenopetala, commonly known as the African Moringa or cabbage tree, is a deciduous tree in the plant genus Moringa, native to Kenya and Ethiopia. A drought-resistant species, it is characterized by its bottle-shaped trunk, long twisted seed pods, and edible leaves likened to cabbage, from which its common name is derived. M. stenopetala is extirpated in the wild in Ethiopia, though still grown there as a crop on the terraces of the Ethiopian Highlands, mainly in the Konso region.
Trigonella caerulea is an annual herb in the family Fabaceae. It is 30–60 cm tall. Its leaves are obovate or lance-shaped, 2–5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide and saw-toothed in upper part. Its flower stalks are compact, globular racemes, longer than the leaves. The sepals are twice as short as the corolla, its teeth are equal to the tube. The corolla is 5.5-6.5 mm long and blue. The pods are erect or slightly curved, compressed, 4–5 mm long with beak 2 mm. The seeds are small and elongated. It blossoms in April–May, the seeds ripen in May–June. It is self-pollinated.
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole and ground form. Although cumin is used in traditional medicine, there is no high-quality evidence that it is safe or effective as a therapeutic agent.
