List of Top 11 Souring Agents used in Indian Cooking

List of top eleven souring agents used in Indian cooking:- 1. Vinegar 2. Tomato 3. Curd 4. Tamarind 5. Lime/Lemon 6. Kokum 7. Mango 8. Pomegranate Seed 9. Gamboge 10. Kachri 11. Organic Seeds.

Souring Agent # 1. 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.

Table 26.1 discusses the various vinegars used in Indian cooking:

Types of Vinegar

Souring Agent # 2. Tomato:

Tomato is widely used in Indian cuisine. It is popularly used for its colour, flavour, and a touch of sourness.


There are two types of tomatoes used extensively in Indian cooking (Table 26.2):

Types of Tomato

Souring Agent # 3. Curd:

Curd is very popular in India and has various uses. It is used as souring agent and also has many medicinal values attached to it. It is believed that drinking yoghurt with biryani does not allow the fats in biryani to assimilate in the body. Apart from being used as souring agent in curries, it is also used as a thickening agent for gravies.


Both plain curd and hung curd are used in Indian cooking (Table 26.3):

Curd as a Souring Agent

Souring Agent # 4. Tamarind:

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.

Souring Agent # 5. 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 (Table 26.4). Lemon is also known as gandharaj (king of perfume) in Bengal, due to its pleasing aroma.


Lime/Lemon as a Souring Agent

Souring Agent # 6. 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.

Souring Agent # 7. 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.


Table 26.5 shows the role of mango as a souring agent:

Mango as a Souring Agent

Souring Agent # 8. Pomegranate Seed:

Dried pomegranate seeds are available whole or in crushed form to be used in Indian cooking.

Souring Agent # 9. 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.

Table 26.6 shows the usage of gamboge as a souring agent:

Gamboge as a Souring Agent

Souring Agent # 10. Kachri:

Kachri is a small fruit that is mostly available in Rajasthan.

Table 26.7 shows kachri as a souring agent:

Kachri as a Souring Agent

Souring Agent # 11. Organic Salts:

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 as discussed in Table 26.8.

Chemicals as Souring Agent

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