What are the most used spices in India?





The world of spices is impressive. I love opening my kitchen cupboard and smelling the mixed aromas of the dozens of jars I keep there, but I know they can't be compared to the most used spices in India.

How aromatic must be the cuisine of an Indian family! My mouth is watering just thinking about those colors and aromas ... Do you like the indian cuisine? So, we are going to know today which are the most used species in India.

India and its aromatic world

La Indian gastronomy It uses a myriad of spices, ground and unground, alone or in combination with others, so it can sometimes be intimidating to dare to make an Indian dish at home. But if you have a little practice and you manage to recognize them, you will have already come a long way.

Specialists in Indian cuisine say that there are basically 11 spices widely used in Indian cuisine. Most are used dry and toasted so that they can exude their essential oils before being ground and added to combinations with other spices.

Although the use of mortar is ancient, today it is easier and more advisable to use a kitchen robot to achieve a super fine grind. The fact is that some spices, for example the cassia bark, are very hard and with a mortar it is very difficult to grind them.

Learning about spices is important because changing your cooking technique can make a species have a different flavor, or in the same way, placing it at another point in preparation has other effects.

Obviously there are many more species, 40, not just eleven, but some are rare or used only in certain regions, for example, the stone flower. Thus, we can concentrate a subgroup of 24 essential spices that appear throughout Indian cuisine and in culinary traditions of the last centuries, and from there we can make another subgroup of 11, the most used.

Cardamom

There are two styles of cardamom that are used in Indian gastronomy: green and black. Green is the most common and is widely used in spice mixes and the most typical desserts. Green cardamom has a light, sweet flavor, with a mild eucalyptus note. It can be mixed whole when making mixes, as in the classic garam masala. Also, when using it in desserts and sweets, the open seed can be used.

Black cardamom is very intense and somewhat smoky and yes or yes you have to use it with care. Few seeds are used and if you use the whole pod you have to remove it before serving the dish because if you bite into it, my goodness.

Clove

It is also a classic species, with airs of anise, very recognizable in Indian dishes. Its flavor and aroma derive from its strong essential oil, almost medicinal. Clove is a flower and its oils are pressed and extracted before being used in cooking.

They can also be used whole or mixed with other spices and you don't have to be so careful because they are mild. A classic clove dish is Kerala Coconut Chicken Curry.

Cassia bark

It is also known as china cinnamon, although cinnamon is different. Cassia it is cheaper to produce And actually, most of the ground cinnamon you get is actually produced from cassia bark.

The Indians use cassia instead of cinnamon for cooking, taking advantage of its milder flavor, and use it in large quantities. It can also be used grain or ground and combined with others. It has a rougher consistency than cinnamon and it is easy to check if it is fresh or not: if you rub it between your fingers you should be able to smell the cinnamon fragrance if it is fresh.

Mughlai paneer curry is made with cassia crust.

Black pepper

I love black pepper. It is native to India, from the Malabar and Western Ghats regions. The truth is that it is a spice that it costs a lot to grow because it depends a lot on nature and its cycles. That is why it has prices that always vary.

Black pepper must be roasted before use and always, always, it is better to have it in grain and grind it a bit before using it. It's great on Indian chili chicken.

Cumin

I love cumin, especially as a marinade for ground beef. Cumin used in India whole or mixed with other spices and it is used to give that smoky tone to many Indian dishes. Its seeds are brown and very fragrant.

It is better to use fresh cumin if we want a more intense flavor. It burns easily, so be careful when roasting it. If it is passed, the cumin is bitter. The ideal is 30 seconds of light toast and then allow to cool before using.

Coriander

It is one of the oldest known species in the world, with its golden color, its flavor somewhat citrus and its somewhat rough texture. Coriander grain is used as the base for many spice blends, but coriander powder is one of the most widely used species in Indian dishes.

As in the case of cumin, you have to toast a little until golden brown and the seeds begin to jump a little in the pan. Chicken Tikka Masala is a classic.

Nutmeg and mace

Both are widely used in Indian gastronomy. The fresh nutmeg is processed to remove the exterior and remove the coating. The hard exterior covering the seeds can break off before grating and become mace. That is, mace is the shell of the nutmeg.

When it is dry it acquires a tone between golden and orange and adds to the preparation a warm and smooth flavor. On the other hand, once the nutmeg is dry it lasts a long time so it is always advisable to buy it in grain and grate it directly in the dish or preparation.

It is very rare to use nutmeg already ground because once it is grated it loses intensity, so why? The meat with massaman curry has nutmeg.

Mustard seeds

The seeds can be black, brown or yellow and are widely traded in Indian cuisine. The seeds give off their flavor when they are ground or cooked in oil. They taste like smoked and they are used a lot in curries and curry powders.

Also, mustard oil is widely used in North Indian cuisine.

Fenugreek or fenugreek

It is the species that not lacking in Madras curry powder. It is super characteristic for its fragrance and taste. The seeds of this plant are yellowish and dried and used as a spice, commonly called kasurimethi.

The seeds are very intense so you have to be careful with their use, as with cloves. They are also used in traditional medicine and in fake maple syrup found in India.

Turmeric

Very common in India, can be used fresh or dried. It has many health benefits and used in curries and in many different spice blends. It has a flavor that is stronger fresh than dry and stain enough, so you have to be careful when handling it.

It has a pungent, earthy fragrance and is used in small amounts to give curries their rich golden color. Bhruji eggs have turmeric in them.

Saffron

We already know, it is the most expensive species in the world. It is worth more than gold for its weight and if you are wondering why, it is simply because it takes a lot of work to produce. Saffron on the stigma of saffron flowers and must be grown by hand.

The best saffron is deep red and it comes from Spain, Iran or Kashmir. The cooler it is, the deeper that red hue is. It has a unique flavor, but the aroma varies according to the nose of each one. For some it is something floral, for others it has hints of honey ... Anyway, saffron is intense and is used in small quantities. it generally dissolves first in water or milk.

Do you dare to play with these indian spices in your kitchen?


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