Ganga<p>Kewra aka Pandanus/Pandan</p><p>Also known as screwpine.</p><p>Kewra is a herbaceous tropical plant that grows easily in SE Asia, India and Sri Lanka. </p><p>Kewra is usually used in cooking in the form of its oil (kewra essence), a diluted form (kewra water) and its leaves (pandan/pandanus leaves). In some areas the fruit and nuts are also used. </p><p>The flowery essence, distilled from the pandan flower, is used in India, particularly in Muslim Indian cooking - in banquet style dishes and desserts. </p><p>Kewra water is sprinkled on breads and used to enhance flavour in dishes, such as in kheer. It is also available as a syrup which is mixed with ice and water to make a summer drink.</p><p>Pandanus leaves (my favourite use) are used widely in SE and South Asian cuisines to add a distinct aroma to various dishes, both sweet and savoury. Fresh leaves are typically torn into strips, tied in a knot to facilitate removal, placed in the cooking liquid, then removed at the end of cooking. They can also be used to wrap small items of food.</p><p>Pandan leaves are also available as a paste, extract, and powder, such as in the wide variety of pandan desserts/cakes in SE Asia.</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.au/tags/Food" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Food</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.au/tags/FoodInfo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>FoodInfo</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.au/tags/WhatIs" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WhatIs</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.au/tags/IndianFood" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IndianFood</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.au/tags/SEAsianFood" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SEAsianFood</span></a></p>