N

glossary

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NIGELLA

Also known as onion seeds. It is small and black and often referred to in India as kalonji. Not considered an essential ingredient and may be left out if not available. Where specified, eg like in Indian breads, you may substitute with black sesame seeds.

NOODLES

A very common ingredient in Asian cooking. Noodles can be fresh and dried and are made from either rice flour, wheat flour or mung bean flour. The most popular variant is the fresh yellow or "Hokkien" noodles - spaghetti-like noodles made from flour and eggs. Dried wheat-flour noodles that needs to be plunged into boiling water to soften. Fresh flat rice-flour noodles commonly stir-fried or served as the main ingredient in a soup dish; fresh laksa noodles, which look like white spaghetti; dried rice-flour vermicelli, sometimes called rice-stick noodles and dried mung bean noodles also commonly used in soup dishes and is often referred to as "glass", "jelly" or "transparent  noodles. In Japan, wheat noodles are known as udon and it comes in various widths and is either flat or round. Dried udon are readily available in Japanese stores. Another variant, somen,  also made from wheat is fine and white in color. Soba are made from buckwheat, sometimes flavored with green tea. Devil's tongue is an essential ingredient for shirataki konnyaku - noodles that soak in hot water until swollen and appear to be transparent.

NORI

See  SEAWEED

NUTMEG

A native of the Moluccan islands, the nutmeg is actually the seed of a fleshy fruit. Try to purchase whole is possible and grate when required.