Orlando Santos Bilan

India is popularly known for its rich culture, for its people, and most especially for their very rich flavorful food. Indian cuisine is very rich in flavor and very healthy, as Indian Cuisine requires and uses a wide variety of spices. Spices are mixed and used differently in different recipes. A subtle shift of technique in cooking Indian cuisine can make the same spice taste totally different. Even the set of order in which the spices are put or mixed while cooking can result in an entirely different taste of the food. Indian spices are a very critical ingredient for cooking real authentic Indian food. There are a few techniques to use Indian spices. You can grind it with the use of a spice grinder, a powerful blender to make sure your mixes are finely ground, especially some spices are very hard and tough to grind up to a fine powder like Cinnamon sticks and Cassia bark. Back in the olden days, people use mortar and pestle to mix and grind spices. Here listed are the Top Essential Spices for Indian Cooking: 1.) Cardamom There are two different kinds of cardamom, the black, and the green. Both have a different use in Indian cooking, for example, green is the most common variety, it is used for everything from spice mixes to lassi and to Indian desserts. The green cardamom flavor is light and sweet. It can be blended whole when making mixed spice mixes, like garam masala. Although when using cardamom in sweets or desserts, you would have to pop the pod and open lightly to crush the fragrant black seed before using it. On the other hand, Black Cardamom has a very powerful and smoky type of flavor compared to the green one. This one needs a lot of caution in using for cooking. The seeds are normally the only thing that would be used, if using the whole pod, it’s best to note to pull it out before serving a dish as it can be very spicy when you bite into it. 2.) Clove It is a common spice ingredient in Indian cuisine. The strong aromatic and pungent flavor came from the concentration of essential oils. Cloves are basically flowers and a lot of their oils are pressed out before they are dried and before they are used for cooking. They can be used as a whole or can also be blended into mixed spices. Cloves are needed to be used with caution in cooking as they tend to overpower other delicate spices when used too much. 3.) Turmeric An Indian spice, also known as “Indian ginger” as Turmeric belongs to the ginger family. It is one of the most commonly used spices in Indian cuisine. Turmeric has an earthy consistency and warm aroma, mainly used for flavor and color. Turmeric is also known for its medicinal and healing properties. 4.) Cumin It is frequently used whole and in spice mixes to add a smoky character to Indian dishes. It is identified by its distinct ridged brown seeds and intense smell. It is sometimes confused with fennel, caraway and anise seeds, but you can tell the difference by looking at its brown color opposed to green fennel, by its smoky taste opposed to licorice taste. Cumin is best used freshly ground for more intense flavor. Keep note that this spice burns easily, and burnt cumin tastes very bitter and will be noticeable on your dish. 5.) Coriander or Dhania Coriander is probably the most universal spice in Indian spice rack. One of the oldest spices known in the world, and it is characterized by its yellowish-golden color and for its ridged texture. This is used as a base for many mixed spices, and ground coriander is one of the most commonly used in ground Indian spices. Just like Cumin, this spice needs to be dry-roasted until light golden-brown tinges start to show on the seeds. 6.) Saffron This spice is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Saffron is more valuable by weight than gold due to the fact that it is one the most labor-intensive spice to produce. The best type of quality of Saffron is dark-reddish in color and comes from Iran or Spain. The fresher the Saffron, the deeper the color. Its flavor is very unique. Saffron has an intense taste and should only be used in small quantities, this is usually dissolved in warm water or milk before adding to the dish. 7.) Cinnamon Cinnamon is widely used in Biryanis, it has a sweet-tasting spice with a warm, earthy and woody aroma. These properties make this a great ingredient to be added or used in cakes and other desserts. Aside from adding flavor to food, this spice also has various health benefits, it is thought to help prevent cancer and lower blood pressure. 8.) Red Chili Powder Red Chili Powder is made from the seeds of red chilies, the hottest part of the chili. Red Chili Powder is exceptionally strong and should be used in small quantities. This chili is used in its whole form in various types of curries in Southern Indian. 9.) Curry Leaf Curry leaves are very essential to Indian cuisine. The curry leaves and the oil that is obtained from are highly prized not just as a flavoring agent but also for its medicinal properties of the oil. Curry leaves are mainly used in Southern India. Curry leaves are best used when fresh. The leaves are generally used to flavor a dish right after the preparation of the dish. The leaves are crushed by the hand to help release the flavor. 10.) Mustard Seeds Mustard Seeds can be yellow, brown, or black. Mustard seeds are used interchangeably in Indian Cooking. Its flavor is only released by crushing or cooking it in oil. The nutty, smoky aroma and flavor of mustard seeds is a primary in curries and curry powders. Mustard seeds infused in oil is commonly used in Northern India.