INTRODUCTION
Souring agents have citric acid properties and therefore they make the dishes sour.
All these agents are a great source of Vitamin C as well as antioxidants.
Souring agents used in cooking:-
- Amla (Gooseberry)
- Vinegar
- Tomato
- Curd
- Tamarind
- Lime/Lemon
- Kokum
- Mango
- Pomegranate Seed
- Gamboge
- Kachri
- Organic Seeds.
- Amla (Gooseberry)
This fruit is used in South Indian food such as dal and often rice.
- Vinegar
Vinegar is the acid obtained by fermenting alcohol. The usage of vinegar has been probably handed over by the Portuguese travellers, which explains the amount of vinegar used in Goan and south Indian food. North India also utilizes vinegar for marinating kebabs. Vinegar is also used in Mangalore, Kerala, as well as in Anglo Indian and Parsee cooking.
- Tomato
Tomato is widely used in Indian cuisine. It is popularly used for its colour, flavour, and a touch of sourness.
- Curd
Tamarind is a pod, which is deseeded and dried. It is soaked and the pulp is squeezed and used as souring ingredient in Indian cuisine. It is mainly used in south Indian cuisine.
- Lime/Lemon
The juice of a citrus fruit, such as lemon and lime, is added to the dishes at the end to make them tangy. It is also used as a tenderizing agent. Lime is round in shape, whereas lemon is large and oval-shaped. Lemon is also known as gandharaj (king of perfume) in Bengal, due to its pleasing aroma.
- Kokum
This deep purple fruit with a large seed is grown in the western coast. This is mainly used in coastal regions of the west. It is also used in gravies, curries etc. in south India. Kokum is mainly used in fish preparations and aperitifs. Kokum also gives a pleasing pink colour to the dish and can also be used as a colouring agent.
- Mango
Mangoes are grown in almost all the parts of India and each mango has a special name and regional specialities attached to it. Mango is eaten like a fruit and used in dessert preparation just like it is done in the West, but many other forms of mangoes are used for souring purposes of gravies and curries and other applications.
- Pomegranate Seed
Dried pomegranate seeds are available whole or in crushed form to be used in Indian cooking.
- Gamboge
Gamboge is also known as fish tamarind or Malabar tamarind. It is a tropical fruit that grows in Kerala. It is also used commonly found in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
- Kachri
Kachri is a small fruit that is mostly available in Rajasthan.
- Organic Seeds
Certain chemicals or organic salts are used as souring agents C in Indian cuisine. Chemicals such as tartaric acid and citric acid are very commonly used, though not so much for the purpose of souring, but various other uses.