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| Indian Spices and their Uses
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| Black Cardamom (Moti Elaichi) |
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| Appearance |
| Cardamom comes from the seeds of a ginger-like plant. The small, brown-black sticky seeds are contained in a pod. The pods are roughly triangular in cross section and oval or oblate. Their dried surface is rough and furrowed having deep wrinkles. The texture of the pod is that of tough paper. Pods are available whole or split and the seeds are sold loose or ground. It is best to buy the whole pods as ground cardamom quickly loses flavour. |
| Culinary Use |
| The pods can be used whole or split when cooked in Indian substantial meals such as pulses. Otherwise, the seeds can be bruised and fried before adding main ingredients to the pan, or pounded with other spices as required. Keep the pods whole until use. The pod itself is neutral in flavour and not generally used, imparting an unpleasant bitter flavour when left in dishes. |
| Availibility |
| Indian Store and ?? |
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| Cinnamon (Dal Chini) |
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| Appearance |
| Cinnamon comes in ‘quills’, strips of bark rolled one in another. The pale brown to tan bar strips are generally thin, the spongy outer bark having been scraped off. The best varieties are pale and parchment-like in appearance. |
| Culinary Use |
| Cinnamon is a delicately fragrant, slightly sweet spice. It is used more in dessert dishes. It is commonly used in cakes and other baked goods, milk and rice puddings, chocolate dishes and fruit desserts, particularly apples and pears. It is used in curries and pilaus and in garam masala, used mainly to accentuate the rich aroma and to add a full flavour to the preparation. |
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| Cloves (Laung) |
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| Appearance |
| Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of a tropical tree. When fresh, they are pink, dried, they turn to a rust-brown colour. They resemble small nails, with a tapered stem. The large end of the clove is the four-pointed flower bud. |
| Culinary Use |
| Cloves Whole One of the world's oldest and most useful spices. Use to make authentic garam masala and in various dals and pilau rice. Has a vast range of uses in all types of cooking. Cloves can easily overpower a dish, particularly when ground, so only a few need be used. They are used in a number of spice mixtures including curry powders, mulling spices and pickling spices. Cloves also figure in the flavour of Worcestershire sauce. They enjoy much popularity in North Africa and the Middle East where they are generally used for meat dishes, though rice is often aromatized with a few cloves. |
| Availibility |
| Indian Store |
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| Whole Red Chilli or Peppers (Sabut Lal Mirch) |
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| Appearance |
| Red Chilli is the dried, ripened fruit pod of a plant belonging to the capsicum family. The color varies form orange-red to deep red. |
| Culinary Use |
| Great for hot sauces & chilli oil. Add very sparingly to curries to enhance the flavour and make the preparation hot. Chillies are the hot cousins in the Capsicum family. Dried chillies have a unique taste and many uses. Heat whole dried chillies in some oil until they increase in size. The frying enhances their flavour. These chillies may be small but they are very hot so use with care! Also availible as crushed red pepper and great for adding a little heat to your pizza or pasta. |
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| Green Cardamom (Chhoti Elaichi) |
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| Appearance |
| Cardamom is the dried, unripened fruit of a perennial plant Enclosed in the green fruit pods are 10-20 tiny, brown, aromatic and sticky seeds which are slightly pungent to taste. The best quality cardamom seeds are ripe, hard and dark brown in color. |
| Culinary Use |
| Highly aromatic with a sweet distinctive flavour. Cardamom can enhance both sweet and savory tastes. The flavor is in the small hard seeds, protected by the pods. In Indian cuisine, the whole pod is used in curries and garam masalas. In other cuisines it is used in puddings, pastries and ice creams. Place a few pods into a pot of tea or coffee and experience a delicious new taste. |
| Availibility |
| Indian, Middle Eastern and American Stores |
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| Whole Black Pepper (Sabut Kali Mirch) |
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| Appearance |
| Black peppercorns are the dried, unripe berry or fruit of the plant. The corns are wrinkled and spherical, about 5 mm (1/8 in) in diameter. |
| Culinary Use |
| It is very pungent and fiery. Pepper is best ground directly on to food. With hot food it is best to add pepper well towards the end of the cooking process, to preserve its aroma. Sometimes it can be a substitute for red chilli powder to make hot curries and vegetables. It gives a distinct aroma and unique flavour when added to pulao or plain rice. |
| Availibility |
| American grocery stores |
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| Cumin Seeds (Jeera) |
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| Appearance |
| They have a striped pattern of nine ridges and oil canals, and are hairy, brownish in colour, boat-shaped, tapering at each extremity, with tiny stalks attached. They resemble caraway seeds, but are lighter in colour and unlike caraway, have minute bristles hardly visible to the naked eye. They are available dried, or ground to a brownish-green powder. |
| Culinary Use |
| It is an ingredient of most curry powders and many savoury spice mixtures, and is used in stews, grills - especially lamb - and chicken dishes. It gives bite to plain rice, and to beans and cakes. Small amounts can be usefully used in aubergine and kidney bean dishes. Indian cooks use this spice in many of their curries and tandoori dishes. To bring out its nutty flavor, it helps to toast the seeds briefly before using them. |
| Availibility |
| Indian and Middle Eastern stores |
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| Mustard Seeds (Rai) |
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| Appearance |
| Black Mustard is a round hard seed, varying in colour from dark brown to black. |
| Culinary use |
| Whole mustard seed is used in pickling spice and in spice mixtures for cooking meats and seafood. In India, whole seeds are fried in ghee until the seed pops, producing a milder nutty flavour that is useful as a garnish or seasoning for other Indian dishes. The brown seed is also pounded with other spices in the preparation of curry powders and pastes. It is used in making Mustard oil which is widely used in India in the same way as ghee. Powdered mustard acts as an emulsifier in the preparation of mayonnaise and salad dressings. Powdered mustard is also useful for flavouring barbecue sauces, baked beans, many meat dishes and eggs. There are many ready-made mustards from mild and sweet to sharp and strong. They can be smooth or coarse and flavoured with a wide variety of herbs, spices and liquids. |
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| Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds) |
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| Appearance |
| Fenugreek is the small stony seeds from the pod of a bean-like plant. The seeds are hard, yellowish brown and angular although some are oblong or rhombic. They are available whole and dried , or as a dull yellow powder, ground from the roasted seeds. |
| Culinary Use |
| This adds an earthy flavor and a tangy aroma to curries, chutneys, and sauces. The leaves, both fresh and dried, are used in meat curries, dal and vegetable dishes and chutneys. Dried seeds should be lightly roasted before using (don't overdo it though, or they will become bitter). After roasting, they are easily ground. A small amount will complement many other spices, but too much can be overpowering. If the seeds are required as part of a curry paste they can be soaked overnight to swell and soften, and be easily mixed with the other ingredients. If it's not available, just leave it out of the recipe. |
| Availibility |
| Indian and Middle Eastern markets |
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| Fennel Seeds (Saunf) |
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| Appearance |
| They are 4 -8 mm long, thin and curved, with colour varying from brown to light green (the green being superior). |
| Culinary Use |
| These have a warm aroma and a sweetish taste like aniseed. Tastes great with seafood, pork, stuffings, sauces, pickles and some curries. It is used to flavour breads, cakes and confectionery. It is also chewed as a natural breath freshener and as an aid to digestion. |
| Availibility |
| Indian, European and American grocery stores |
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| Pomegranate seed powder ( Anardana Powder) |
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