Indian Herbs and Spices

ign="center">imparts to a dish.
Spices are one of the most important ingredients ofCumin (Jeera) - Cumin seeds are very frequently used
Indian food. Without them, Indian cooking would lose itsin Indian dishes, particularly that of North Indian. Its taste
uniqueness and be as ordinary as the others. Spicesis distinctive, slightly bitter yet gives a dish a sweet
and herbs are also one of the reasons why Indianaroma. When roasted or cooked in hot oil, cumin
food is becoming increasingly adored by people aroundseeds release a more intense flavor. It’s
the world.available in whole or in powdered form. Cumin is found
One of the most popular Indian food, the curry, is oneto have digestive attributes and is used to flavor food
example of the ingenious use of spices and herbs insuch as vegetables and curry.
India. Curry which came from the word kari literallyStar Anise - Star anise has the wonderful aroma of
means vegetables drenched in spices. Curry becamelicorice and is perfect for flavoring biryani’s
so attached with Indian cuisine that in fact, made it aand other non-vegetarian Indian dishes. As its name
symbolism of Indian food in all parts of the world.suggests, this spice is star-shaped with each of its
There are a lot of spices and herbs that are used inpoints containing a star anise seed. Ground star anise
Indian cooking, however, you need not learn all of them.should be stored in an airtight container for no more
There are just some spices that you’ll usethan 3 months in a cool, dark place.
more commonly than others such as the asafetida,Garlic (lassan) - Sometimes minced or chopped garlic
turmeric, tamarind, chilli pepper, fenugreek, blackor garlic paste are used and sometimes an Indian
mustard seed, cumin, aniseed, ginger, star anise, garlicrecipe will call for whole garlic. Garlic pastes are easily
and coriander seeds. In sweet dishes, rose petalavailable in Indian grocery stores or online.
essence, saffron, cardamom and nutmeg areAniseed – This is an aromatic seed that is
frequently used. These spices and herbs, as well asgolden-brown in color. Aniseed is claimed to have the
other things related with Indian spices would beproperty to stimulate the appetite and help in digestion.
enumerated below.Cardamom - Cardamom pods are not generally used
Bhuna - Bhuna is a method of tempering Indian spices,but its brownish black seeds contained in the pods are
particularly slowly frying the spices in plenty of hot oil.used more often in Indian cooking instead, either whole
This process is used to release and preserve theor split. Ground cardamom loses its aroma quickly so
flavors of the spices while removing the raw feel ofit’s advisable to grind it only when needed.
them.Cardamom is a very versatile spice which can be
Tadka - This is also a process of cooking spicesused in sweet dishes as well as savory ones.
which is similar to Bhuna. However, the difference isThese are some of the things you need to know
that Tadka is used for whole spices only.about Indian spices and herbs. Indian spices are not
Masala - Masala is a term in India which means blendreally difficult to deal with and some are similar to what
of spices cooked in oil. Its most popular version is thewe use in other cuisine. It is just a matter of mixing and
Garam Masala which is used in preparing many Indiancooking them in a right way.
food like curry. This mixture of five or more driedIndian Food Recipes is an online Indian cooking website
spices is usually added at the end of cooking to retainoffering a collection of free Indian recipes and cooking
its flavor. Every region has its own blend of Garamtips.
Masala.Report this article
Mustard seeds - These small round seeds that areThis article is free for republishing
reddish brown to black in color are frequently used inSource:
Indian cooking. Indian recipes may call for the use ofRepublish this article
this spice in the form of whole, broken to pieces, in
paste or powdered form. Mustard seeds areAsk a Question About this Article
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