| First, let me say that I still consider myself to be a fairly | | | | seeds in a pan with oil prior to adding meat or veggies, |
| novice Indian chef. I'm in my mid 20s and I've only been | | | | b) dry frying seeds in a pan without oil and then |
| cooking Indian food for about 7 years now. That being | | | | grinding the roasted seeds with a mortar and pestle to |
| said, my father's Indian, and I've got a lot of great Indian | | | | create roasted cumin powder (a very different flavor |
| chefs in my family, so I've learned from some of the | | | | that's nuttier than normal cumin, and c) using normal |
| best. | | | | cumin powder or just grinding seeds that have not |
| What I've found from cooking a fairly wide range of | | | | been roasted to create normal cumin powder |
| Indian dishes though is that there are essentially 4 | | | | 3. Black Mustard Seeds - These seeds are used often |
| spices or ingredients that I use over and over to flavor | | | | to flavor vegetable dishes (e.g., Indian Okra), and |
| my Indian cuisine. These are the must haves if you're | | | | they're typically fried in oil so that they release their |
| doing any Indian cooking: | | | | flavor into the oil. Black mustard seeds are the most |
| | | | pungent of mustard seeds, but using a few extra of |
| 1. Chili Powder - I'd say one of the first flavors people | | | | the yellow can also work for many dishes. |
| think of when they eat Indian food is "spicy" or "hot", so | | | | 4. Coriander Powder - Coriander is the seed of the |
| it's no mistake that chili powder is #1 on my list. I use | | | | plant which produces cilantro. It offers a slightly lemony |
| chili powder in just about every Indian dish I make, and | | | | flavor when added to dishes. Coriander seeds can be |
| if I'm not using chili powder then I'm using cayenne or | | | | ground into coriander powder or coriander powder can |
| fresh chilis. Chili powder is an absolute must and it's | | | | be purchased directly from a store. Coriander powder |
| probably the spice I go through the quickest. | | | | is used in garam masala and is added to a variety of |
| 2. Cumin Seeds - Cumin has a strong, rich, heat hot, | | | | meat and vegetable dishes for seasoning. |
| and somewhat smokey flavor. It's an incredibly | | | | So those are your must haves for your Indian spice |
| versatile ingredient and something I use in many of my | | | | cabinet. Keep them on hand and use them wisely! |
| Indian dishes. Ways I use cumin include: a) pan frying | | | | |