Some Common Indian Spices

 Whenever you enter an Indian household food fragrance floats universally, and it also manages to enter the neighborhood. While Indians are known to use a wide array of spices or masalas some ingredients are routinely used.

People use almost 80 spices in their recipes in India. Of these, a large number of spices are grown in India to be consumed locally and exported as well. Remember almost all the masalas used in the country contribute to health and contain many antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals besides the medicinal properties. Some are even able to fight cancer, reduce cholesterol, and ward off common diseases. Spices used in everyday cooking as well as in special recipes are:

Coriander is used in the wholesome form and in powdered form. If you peek into the kitchen in an Indian household you will find round container comprises of smaller containers that contain spices and coriander is one of them. It is the best curry flavor with a citrusy fragrance a not-so-sweet taste with a nutty aroma. In many recipes, the whole spice coriander can be fun to crunch

Turmeric is known globally for a plethora of medicinal properties the woody spice is a dried rhizome. It is used both as a whole as well as in the powdered form. Usually, it is available as whole rhizomes and powdered before use.

Cumin is used as a whole especially during blooming along with its powdered form in most of the recipes and curries. It is simply indispensable. It is savory, nutty, and mildly pungent. Remember masalas when used in conjunction change the flavor and aroma of the recipes and rarely dominate as independent.  

Mustard seeds are used as a whole and rarely grounded. They have a strong pungent taste like mustard oil but the seeds are odorless.  

In India, most housewives store the masalas as a whole and ground them in measured quantities, and stored them for daily use. Small flour mills do the job of grinding for a small charge. Wholesome spices are readily available in Indian markets. Living Beyond sells wholesome spices in attractive packing. It also sells premix recipes in wholesome form.   

Three Most Common Spices of India That are Healthy

In the Ayurvedic System of medicine, spices are used not for taste but more so for their use as health ingredients or therapeutics. The same spices are used in Indian kitchens, they are used as flavors but the health benefits accrue. Very few people in other countries realize the health benefits of Indian spices. The role of spices is used in flavoring, coloring, and even as a preservative. Most of the spices are also used in the industry in pharmaceutical industry, medical, cosmetic, and perfumery.

The masalas also cure many diseases like heart disease, diabetes, skin disorders, and anti-inflammatory agents. They contain vital chemicals, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Some of the spices are also linked to preventing  AIDs, cancers, and other disabling diseases. Some of the spices are well touted for a healthy heart.    

The spices are used in various Indian recipes, and there are hardly any recipes where the masalas are not added. They are most often used in tampering. Some of the commonly used spices are:

Cumin

Cumin is universally used, except in sweets, it is called Jeera by many other vernacular names in different regions of India. Jeera has an aromatic odor and a sweet spicey taste. It is used as condiments but goes well with curries, soups, and even fried food where the powder is sprinkled over the whole seeds. Cumin is often roasted grounded and then used in the recipes. Cumin is used all over India in local and regional dishes hence, it is indispensable.    Nutritional Values.

Calories- 350Kcal,

Protein- 18.7g,

Total Fats- 15g,

Carbohydrates- 36.6g,

Fibre- 1.2g,

Minerals- 5.8g,

Calcium- 1080mg,

Phosphorus- 511mg,

Iron- 11mg

 

Turmeric 

Turmeric is a rhizome, that grows in India, and is also imported from Afghanistan. Its use is widespread, and pan India. It has a woody taste but obliterates when used in curry powders, and other masalas.  It is not very aromatic but often smells like orange and ginger. Turmeric is known as haldi in Hindi and has many other vernacular and regional names. It is easily recognizable because of its bright orange color and thus, it is often used as a dye in the industry.

Mustard Seeds  

Mustard is also known as "sarsonh" in Hindi, and many other vernacular and regional names. It's a small seed shaped like small round balls.  They are used as a whole and in powdered form. Oil is also extracted from mustard.  and is known as sarsonh oil in India. It is widely used in North India for frying.

Nowadays, spice is available as whole mustard seeds in beautiful packings.  It is sold all over India by Living Beyond company based in India. It is also available in whole-spice curry recipes sold by Living Beyond in India.

Common Kitchen Ingredients

In spite of the great diversity in Indian Cuisine, kitchens in Indian households stock some basic ingredients used to cook everyday food. Remember women in India spend a lot of time in the kitchen except few in major cities who are working. The daily routine of cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner prevails in almost all households in the country. That Indian food is terribly spicy and hot is a myth as far as the daily diet is concerned. The daily diet comprises mildly spiced food and is rarely hot as presumed. 

Indian Spices

While the staple fare is rice, roti, lentil soup or dal, and vegetables among vegetarians, meat eaters add meat to their diet often replacing the vegetable. Hence few commonly used spices in a staple diet are:

• Red Chili
• Cumin Powder
• Garam Masala
• Turmeric
• Mustard Seeds
• Cumin Seeds
• Ajowain
• Asafoetida
• Dried Fenugreek Leaf Powder
• Fenugreek Seeds

In most of the common recipes, mint leaves or coriander is sprinkled over to impart an herbal touch of freshness. These herbs are rich in Vitamin C and impart amazing flavor.   Although these seasonings appear too common, a magical amalgamation of these in varied proportions imparts amazing and varied tastes. It would be wrong to term these spices as commonplace they are health-giving and add to the basic flavor of lentils and vegetables. 

In South Indian Households, dal is replaced by sambar which again is a flavorful lentil soup with tamarind, tomatoes, and vegetables added to it. In Southern India, people are predominately rice eaters and they consume little wheat in the shape of chapatis. This is applicable to East India where fish curry replaces dal often.       

All the common ingredients described above are available in powdered or seed form in the open markets or in packets. Of late packet, masalas are capturing the market but the trend is moving towards whole spices in modern packing. Besides the whole spices, the trend is also favoring ready-to-mix whole spice recipes in modern packing. The recipe comprises popular dishes which are complex and require time and patience to make at home. 

The alternative in modern packaging is ready-to-mix whole-spice recipes that save time. All one has to do is open the packet, pour whole spices and roast them lightly and then grind. The powdered spice mix so obtained has to be mixed in the recipe to ready the dish. 

The concept of whole spices is picking ground as the ingredients can be judged for quality and freshness unlike in the case of packed powders. In the case of the latter is difficult to make out what is mixed in the powder and how fresh it is?  Thus, in time to come whole spices consumption in Indian kitchens will rise exponentially.