| Spices in Indian cooking is of great importance. Most | | | | an after dinner digestive. The black cardamom is larger |
| spices can be found in most supermarkets. A few you | | | | and is used to flavour rice and meat dishes. |
| might be able to get from specialist Indian shops. If you | | | | Green Chillies - Fresh green chillies are a vital ingredient |
| can buy fresh spices and grind them at home it is far | | | | in Indian cooking, they are used in many dishes such as |
| better, as the aroma of freshly grinded spices beats | | | | chutneys, curries, vegetable and snacks. They have to |
| ready to use spices any day. Only grind a small | | | | be kept like any vegetable, in a refrigerator in a plastic |
| amount of spices that you will need for that particular | | | | box or bag and have a limited life. If you want a milder |
| dish, store the rest away in a sealed container and use | | | | taste to your dishes you can take the seeds out of |
| and grind when that spice is needed. Following is a | | | | the chillies before using them. |
| description of some of the most used spices in Indian | | | | Cinnamon - These are sticks of dried young bark and |
| cooking. | | | | have a sweet aromatic flavour. They are used in |
| Cardamom - There are two types of cardamom | | | | meat and rice dishes. It is best to discard the sticks |
| pods, black and green. The green one is smaller and is | | | | before serving the dish. |
| used in sweet and savory dishes and is also used as | | | | |