Indian cuisine is renowned worldwide for its vibrant flavors and aromatic dishes, and at the heart of this culinary excellence lies an array of spices and seasonings. From the fiery heat of chili peppers to the earthy warmth of cumin, Indian spices are the essence of the country’s rich gastronomic heritage. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of Indian seasonings and spices.
- Turmeric (Haldi): Known as the golden spice of India, turmeric is a staple in Indian cooking. Its vibrant yellow color not only adds visual appeal to dishes but also offers numerous health benefits. Turmeric is prized for its anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used in curries, rice dishes, and lentil preparations.
- Cumin (Jeera): Cumin seeds are ubiquitous in Indian cuisine, lending a warm and earthy flavor to dishes. They are often toasted before being ground and added to curries, dals, and vegetable stir-fries. Cumin is also a key ingredient in many spice blends, such as garam masala.
- Coriander (Dhania): Both the seeds and leaves of the coriander plant are used in Indian cooking. The seeds have a citrusy and slightly sweet flavor, while the fresh leaves (cilantro) add a burst of freshness to dishes. Coriander seeds are commonly used whole or ground in curries, pickles, and chutneys.
- Chili Peppers (Mirch): Indian cuisine is known for its bold and spicy flavors, thanks in part to the use of chili peppers. From mild varieties like Kashmiri chili to the intensely hot ghost pepper (bhut jolokia), there’s a chili pepper to suit every palate. They are used fresh, dried, or ground into powders to add heat and depth to dishes.
- Mustard Seeds (Rai): Mustard seeds are a common seasoning in Indian cooking, particularly in the southern and eastern regions of the country. When heated in oil, they release a nutty and slightly pungent flavor. Mustard seeds are often tempered with other spices and added to dishes like vegetable curries and lentil soups.
- Cardamom (Elaichi): Cardamom is prized for its sweet and floral aroma, which adds a unique fragrance to both sweet and savory dishes. It comes in two varieties: green and black. Green cardamom is more commonly used in Indian cuisine and is often found in desserts, chai tea, and meat dishes.
- Fenugreek (Methi): Fenugreek seeds have a slightly bitter taste that mellows when cooked, adding depth to dishes. They are often used in spice blends like curry powder and are a key ingredient in dishes such as butter chicken and methi paratha.
These are just a few examples of the many spices and seasonings that contribute to the rich and diverse flavors of Indian cuisine. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice cook, experimenting with these aromatic ingredients is sure to elevate your culinary creations to new heights. So, next time you’re in the kitchen, don’t be afraid to unleash the magic of Indian spices!
For all images courtesy of Google
AJWAIN SEEDS
Trachyspermum ammi, commonly known as ajowan caraway, bishop’s weed, or carom, is an annual plant of the Apiaceae family. Both the plant’s leaves and the seedlike fruit are edible. “Bishop’s weed” is also a popular name for various plants. These little brown or green-brown, ridged celery seed resemblers appear fragrance-free at first, but when crushed, they exude a powerful and very fragrant, thyme-like perfume that fades after being cooked. They have an extremely spicy and pungent bite when eaten fresh. Ajwain seeds are a fantastic home cure for relieving gas and stomachaches and are commonly consumed raw by those with seasoned tastes.
ASAFOETIDA
Trachyspermum ammi, commonly known as ajowan caraway, bishop’s weed, or carom, is an annual plant of the Apiaceae family. Both the plant’s leaves and the seedlike fruit are edible. “Bishop’s weed” is also a popular name for various plants. These little brown or green-brown, ridged celery seed resemblers appear fragrance-free at first, but when crushed, they exude a powerful and very fragrant, thyme-like perfume that fades after being cooked. They have an extremely spicy and pungent bite when eaten fresh. Ajwain seeds are a fantastic home cure for relieving gas and stomachaches and are commonly consumed raw by those with seasoned tastes.
BAY LEAVES
The bay leaf, also known as Tejpatta, Tejpat, or Tej Patra in Hindi, is a fragrant leaf that is often used in cooking. It can be consumed whole or dried and powdered. The leaves of the bay laurel, which is abundant in the Western hemisphere, and those of the Indian cassia tree are the two most frequent kinds. Both work perfectly, but if you can get the Indian version, it will make the meals a little more “Indian.” But it doesn’t really matter.
BLACK SALT
Black salt, also known as Kaala namak in Hindi, is a kiln-fired rock salt that is widely used in South Asian locations. It has a sulfurous, strong odour. It is also known as “Himalayan black salt”, Sulemani namak, bit labour, kala noon, or pada loon and is made from salts mined in the Himalayan area.
CARDAMOM
Cardamom is a spice derived from the seeds of numerous plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the Zingiberaceae family. Both species are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. There are two types of this: little green ones (named hari or chhoti elaichi in Hindi) and giant black ones (called badi or kaali elaichi in Hindi). The green ones have a strong refreshing scent, whilst the large black ones have a gentler woody-smoky scent. Both are excellent home remedies for treating and managing gas, as well as nausea and vomiting. They also serve as a natural mouth refresher.
FRESH GREEN AND DRIED RED CHILES
The fresh green (hari mirch) and dried red (laal mirch) chile peppers, often known as mirch or mirchi in Hindi, are members of the capsicum family. Normally, immature green chiles turn red as they ripen. Compared to the red ones, the younger, greener chilies have a considerably spicier flavour. Indian cuisine frequently uses a red powder that is made from dried and powdered red chilies. If you can’t locate pure red chile powder because you live somewhere else in the world, try for “cayenne powder” in a neighbouring store or online. Chiles are also excellent for your health and help with digestion. Strong home cures for colds, coughs, and sinus problems employ them. Just be careful not to touch any delicate portions of your body after handling it.
CASSIA AND CINNAMON
Cinnamon, also known as Dalchini or Darchini in Hindi, is a staple in kitchens all around the world and is frequently found in stick or ground form. Cinnamon enhances the flavour of meals and is beneficial to the digestive system.
CLOVES
Cloves, also known as Laung or Lavang in Hindi, are the fragrant flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, a member of the Myrtaceae family. They taste very sweet and sour and have a distinct scent. They are excellent for digestion and gas relief.
SEEDS AND GREENS OF CORIANDER
Coriander is an annual plant of the Apiaceae family that is also known by the Hindi names Dhania, sookha, patta, and hara. It is often referred to as Chinese parsley, and the stems and leaves are frequently called cilantro in the US. Although the entire plant can be eaten, cooking typically calls for fresh leaves and dried seeds. The fragrant, sweet citrus fragrance and fresh green leaves have a wonderful aroma. Because they are so perishable, keep them in your refrigerator at all times and utilise them as soon as you can.
BLACK CUMIN AND CUMIN
Another kind is shahi jeera, a normal one also known as jeera or zeera in Hindi. Native to southern Asia, including the Middle East, cumin is a flowering plant of the Apiaceae family. Its seeds, which are individually encased within a dried fruit, are a common ingredient in Indian cuisine. They taste harsh and have a strong spicy fragrance. It benefits the stomach greatly.
CURRY LEAVES
Curry leaves, also known as meethineem or karipatta in Hindi, come from the curry leaf tree, a tropical to subtropical tree belonging to the Rutaceae family that is indigenous to India. Curry leaves are a common component of Indian cuisine. Although they have a little bitter flavour, they are fantastic in some dishes.
FENNEL SEEDS
Fennel, also known as saunf in Hindi, is a kind of flowering plant that belongs to the family of carrots. They have a lengthy, ridged, oval, or curved appearance and are coloured green-yellow. They taste aromatically delicious and are excellent for the digestive system.
FENUGREEK SEEDS AND GREENS
Fenugreek seeds, also known as Daana-methi, metharae, and patta or hari methi in Hindi, are the dried, angular, yellow-brown seeds of an annual plant that belongs to the legume family. They are extensively cultivated in India and have a strong flavour when eaten fresh. Fortunately, they shouldn’t be consumed uncooked. These become really tasty dishes when stir-fried or dry-roasted.
GINGER
Ginger, also known as Adrak, Taaza, and Sookha in Hindi, needs no introduction. This succulent subterranean stem has a powerful flavour and is very beneficial to health. Make sure you purchase the most recent, juiciest ginger when purchasing. Pick a different one if there are any indications of mould, shrivelling, or dryness.
KALONJI
These are also known as nigella, onion, black onion, black caraway, and black cumin seeds. However, it is known as kalonji in Hindi and is also a widely used phrase outside of India. These tiny triangular seeds are charcoal black and resemble onion seeds. When uncooked, they taste harsh and have a mild oregano flavour. But as soon as they’re cooked, they begin to taste and smell nutty.
KOKUM
Kokum is the sun-dried rind of a 1/2 to 1-inch fruit of the mangosteen oil tree, also known as cocum, cocamful, and fish tamarind. The majority of the ripe fruits are dried into fairly sticky, sour, purple-black bits of kokum, a delectable spice, however, some of the ripe fruits are consumed as well. If you can’t find this item when a recipe asks for it, you can substitute tamarind.
MANGO POWDER
Mango powder, also known as Amchur in Hindi, is a delicious spice powder prepared from dried, unripe green mangoes and is a common ingredient in Indian food. It is mostly made in India and is used to provide mango nutritional value when fresh fruit is not in season as well as a citrus flavour.
MINT
One of the most well-known plants in the world, mint is known by the Hindi names Pudina, Taaza, and Sookha.
Additionally a mainstay in Indian cooking, mint should be purchased with fresh, fragrant leaves.
MIXED MELON SEEDS
This is a blend of seeds from four distinct summer melons—cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin—and is known as char-magaz in Hindi. The seeds have a very faint flavour that is reminiscent of pumpkin and unscented. These are excellent for the brain since they are packed with zinc, iron, and potassium.
MUSTARD SEEDS AND GREENS
Mustard, also known as Raayi or Rai and Sarson in Hindi, is well-known throughout the entire world. Today, the most popular application of mustard seeds is to manufacture mustard oil, a cheap, wholesome cooking oil that is a standard in kitchens everywhere. The leaves are a well-known healthy meal since they are packed with calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. They have a very strong flavour on their own, but you will quickly discover that they complement many Indian cuisines.
NUTMEG AND MACE
Nutmeg and mace, known in Hindi as Jaiphul and Javitri, are two distinct types of spices made from the same apricot-like fruit of a tall evergreen tree. Inside the thin, fragile, glossy shell of a mature nutmeg seed lies a wrinkled, medium-brown, 1-inch oval nut called nutmeg. The shell of the nutmeg must be cracked to access it.
The lacy, web-like layer that surrounds the nutmeg shell’s exterior is called mace. After the fruit has been carefully cracked open, its glittering coating is carefully removed, flattened, and dried to produce brittle yellow-orange mace that is ready for use. Both of them are beneficial to health and essential components for the pharmaceutical industry.
PAPRIKA
Indian paprika, also known as Kashmiri degi mirch or ring vaali mirch in Hindi, is a bright red powder prepared from mild, non-pungent red chilies. Despite being derived from red chiles, it has a mild flavour and is mostly used for colour. It is a necessary component of the Indian pantry.
BLACK PEPPER
Black pepper, also known as Kaalimirch in Hindi, is frequently referred to as the king of all spices. One of the oldest and most widely used spices in the world. It comes as no surprise that it is a mainstay in Indian cooking and can be included in just about every dish.
DRIED POMEGRANATE SEEDS
Dried pomegranate seeds, also known as anaardana in Hindi, are simply fruity seeds that have been sun-dried or dehydrated together with the flesh of a wild pomegranate tree. They are frequently used in Indian cuisine and have a pleasant, fruity scent.
POPPY SEEDS
Called Khas-khas in Hindi, poppy seeds are oilseeds obtained from
opium poppy. Poppy seeds come in many colours, but the Indian
versions are pale yellow. If a recipe calls for poppy seeds, feel free to
use any kind of poppy seeds you wish.
ROSE WATER AND ESSENCE
The petals of carefully grown, intensely fragrant red roses are used to create rose water, also known as rose essence, and rose essence, also known as ruh gulaab, in Hindi. Rose water is just water that has a powerful rose smell. Rose water is frequently found at supermarkets in little bottles.
SAFFRON
Saffron, also known as Kesar or zaffran in Hindi, is one of the most expensive spices on the market and should be used sparingly if you’re on a tight budget. The majority of the saffron used in India originates from Kashmir in North India. Its unusual flavour gives foods its golden tint, and it also has a flavour of its own.
SCREWPINE ESSENCE
Screwpine, also known as Kewda or ruh kewra in Hindi, is a tropical flowering tree whose leaves have a thin, sword-like shape. Consider this to be rose water with a different scent.
SESAME SEEDS AND OIL
Sesame seeds, also known as til or gingelly in Hindi, are the minuscule, smooth, oval, flat seeds of an annual tropical plant. These have absolutely little scent when they are raw, but after being dry-roasted, they take on a nutty flavour.
SILVER LEAVES
Silver leaves, also known as Chandi ka verk or vark in Hindi, are often used as a garnish and don’t actually offer much flavour. This is used in Indian cuisine to give them a unique appearance.
STAR ANISE
Star anise, also known as Badian ka Phul, badiyan, dodhful, dodphul, and anasphal in Hindi, is a dried fruit with eight points, a mahogany colour, and a star-like shape. It has a sweet flavour and is a common component in Indian cooking.
TAMARIND
Called Imli in Hindi, tamarind has a highly sour taste, and is a staple
in the Indian kitchen. It is rich in vitamin C and good for digestion,
fighting throat infections, and fighting mild colds.
TURMERIC
Turmeric, often known as Haldi in Hindi, is a typical component in Indian curries. One of the healthiest spices available, it has a warm and bitter flavour. It functions as a blood purifier, an anti-inflammatory, and a natural antiseptic. Numerous home treatments, including those for relieving aches and pains, include turmeric.
