INDIAN SPICES

Indian Spices in food are used subtly and although Indian food is not bland, most Indian dishes
are delicately spiced to enhance the flavor of the main cooking ingredient. Curry powder is the
definition of fine spices roasted, combined and ground dry. Fresh ground spices are the order of
the day in an Indian home and will be chosen according to the nature of the dish, season, and
family.
The role of spices and herbs goes beyond just cooking. Ancient Ayurvedic texts prescribe the
herbs and spices for curative and therapeutic functions. Ayurvedic scripts dating back to 3000
years, list the preventive and curative properties of various spices.

1. Curative Properties: Most spices used in Indian cooking are very healthy, and make the
digestion process much easier. The typical Indian cook has learnt to use this knowledge and
weave them into everyday dishes. Ginger prevents dyspepsia, garlic reduces cholesterol and
hypertension, and fenugreek is a good resistance builder. Pepper is often served as
antihistamines, turmeric is used for stomach ulcers and for glow of the skin.
2. Preserving Foods: Spices have been used to make the food last longer in the days when
refrigerators were not avaialable.
3. Aiding Digestion: In the Western part of the world, after dinner mints are usually given at a
restaurant. Indian restaurants serve fragrant spices such as fennel, cardamom or cloves. Not only
are they great mouth fresheners, but they aid digestion, prevent heartburn and curb nausea.
Others such as asafetida and ginger root, have been known to counteract flatulence and colic, and
are added to lentils, a must with every Indian meal.
4. Balancing Tastes and Properties of Food: Each spice has a property-not just a taste property,
but a warm or cooling property to it, along with many others. The cook generally understands
these properties and cooking is elevated to yet another level by using this knowledge of spices
into the cooking.
Masala is a word that is often used in an Indian kitchen. It means a 'blend of several spices.'
Garam (hot) masala is the most important blend masala and an absolute essential to north Indian
preparations, added just before serving the dish to enhance its flavor. The Garam masala is a
blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. Masala may be in dry, roasted ground
or paste form. Each State in India has its own particular blend, and furthermore, each family is
partial to their own blend, as well as each cook is partial to his blend.

Cooking with Indian Spices

There is an art to using Indian spices. Indians spice their dishes in layers harmoniously blending
subtle spices with aromatic ones and layering it with herbs, ginger, garlic and lime juice or
tamarind. For practical purposes Indian spices could be divided into 3 stages.
The dance of spicing is as follows.
1. BASIC OR ESSENTIAL SPICES - -
There are certain basic spices which go into most dishes - We heat a pot - add ghee in it then we
add cumin seeds or mustard seeds and asafetida till they sizzle.
Then we add red chili powder, coriander seed powder and turmeric powder. We also add our
minced ginger at this time. We then add our vegetables, salt and steam the dish.

Asafetida (hing, heeng), is used mainly for its strong taste on the same lines of garlic.

Cumin Seeds - is a basic spice used in most dishes in North India. It has a strong but pleasing
flavor. Cumin may be fried whole in oil, or ground, or roasted and ground, or ground and then
roasted, all with very different results.

Turmeric (haldi)is also a basic Indian spice and is virtually used in most Indian savory dishes. It
has no real taste and is mainly for its medicinal properties and the lovely color that it gives to the
dishes.

Coriander seeds (dhaniya)is the third basic spice in Indian cooking and is mainly for its fresh,
cooling and soothing taste.

Chili Powder - is used mainly for its special pungent and fiery taste.

Mustard seeds is mainly in south and west India. Used for its strong but very pleasing flavor.

At the time we add cumin or mustard seeds as specified above we could also add fennel seeds,
nigella seeds (for root veggies we may add ajwain seeds.

Other Indian spices (to complement the above)that are basic spices but not eaasential spices are:

Fennel seeds (sounf)- is used mainly in North India. Used for its strong but very pleasing flavor.
Fennel may be fried whole in oil, or ground, or roasted and ground, or ground and then roasted,
all with different results.

Fenugreek (methi)seeds - is valued for its bitter taste and health qualities. If it is burnt it gets
very bitter and should be thrown away.

Nigella Seeds or Kalonji is used mainly in North India. Used for its strong but very pleasing
flavor. Small black seed, sometimes called onion seeds, although they are not really seeds from
onions. It is often sprinkled on naan (bread)

Carom (ajowain)is mainly used in North India to flavor breads and root vegetables.
AROMATIC or SECONDARY INDIAN SPICES - (also called garam masala) to enhance the
above 2 sections - we may or may not add these to our dishes - we add them for tomato curries
and thick onion curries. To the above spices we would add chopped onions, tomatoes and herbs
and any of the following secondary spices. Then add potatoes, meat, cauliflower or ingredient for
your curry and steam with a bit of water.

Dried Ginger powder(adrak, or sont)is again a basic but not essential Indian spice. Used mainly
in North India.

Green cardamom pods (eliachi) - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout
India - both in North and South Cooking. Used for its strong but very pleasing flavor. - One of
the spices in Garam masala - It is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill.
Cardamom loses its natural oils quickly, it also loses its flavor. Cardamom is an expensive spice.
- Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts

Black cardamom (kala eliachi) - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used in North
Indian Cooking. Used for its mellow and warm flavor. - This larger dark brown variety is used
flavoring meat, poultry and rice dishes. The inner seeds are often used for making Garam masala.

Black Peppercorns
Cinnamon (dalchini) - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout India - both
in North and South Cooking. Used for its sweet and pleasing flavor. It is the bark of the
cinnamon tree - One of the spices in Garam masala - Used to flavor curries, masala chai and
certain vegetables and Indian desserts

Cloves (lavang or laung) - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout India -
both in North and South Cooking. Used for its pleasing flavor. - One of the spices in Garam
masala - It is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill. It easily loses its flavor. -
Used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables

Nutmeg - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout India - both in North and
South Cooking. Used for its warm and pleasing flavor. - One of the spices in Garam masala - It
is best to grind small quantities at home using a coffee mill. It easily loses its flavor. - Used to
flavor curries, masala chai, coffee and certain vegetables and Indian desserts

Mace (jaivitri) - A secondary and not essential Indian spice. Used throughout India - both in
North and South Cooking. Used for its warm and pleasing flavor. - One of the spices in Garam
masala - It is best to use the blades whole and remove them after cooking - Used to flavor
curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts available whole or ground
Garam masala - powdered blend of spices that may include cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black
peppercorns, nutmeg, mace. - garam means "hot", but not chili hot, hot in the sense that these
spices are said to increase body temperature. Interestingly, many of these spices are used in
deserts in western cooking (i.e. cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace) - different regions use
different mixtures (masalas) and proportions. Garam masala will also vary from household to
household. - powdered garam masala is often added at the end of cooking in small quantities
whole garam masala is used in north Indian cooking, especially meat dishes. - A whole garam
masala could include whole cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom (black or green),
whole mace, and black peppercorns. - Often these are fried in hot oil before other wet ingredients
such as meat, onions, garlic, and/or ginger are added. Cooking with these spices release a
wonderful botanical odor that fills your house and neighborhood.

WET SPICES- Wet spices are fresh herbs and ingredients that are ground with some water and
added to the spice base and include coconuts, mint leaves, cilantro leaves, fresh ginger root and
garlic.
INDIAN SWEETNERS- Try out Indian jaggery or Gur to sweeten vegetables like squash and
zucchini and lentil dishes.
INDIAN SOURING AGENTS- Dried mango(amchoor, Tamarind (imli), tart yogurt and Lime
Juice is used to add a tart taste to Indian dishes
THICKENING AGENTS - poppy seeds, sesame seeds, cashews and almonds are used to thicken
gravies.
SPECIAL SPICES
Saffron (kesar or zafran)to color and flavor rice and desserts, by soaking its threads in hot milk
for about 15 minutes before using to bring out the color in fancy Mughal dishes, not usually in
everyday cooking.
Black salt is used in pickles and Chat Masala (a northern Indian spice mix sprinkled over fresh
fruit)
Fenugreek leaves