20 Indian Spices for a Flavoury Cooking | Mevive International

1
(No Transcript)
2

• Spices are one of the things that make Indian
  food very distinct and so full of flavour.
• Spices are not all chillies, but cumin, cinnamon,
  cardamom fragrant spices, flavourful ones, sweet
  ones, peppery ones and what not.
• Flowers, leaves, roots, bark, seeds and bulbs,
  the simplest of natural ingredients are used in
  endless combinations to produce an infinite
  variety of flavours sweet, sharp, hot, sour,
  spicy, aromatic, tart, mild, fragrant or pungent.
  
• Indian spices not only add flavour to Indian
  cuisine, but also enrich it with essential
  nutrients and contribute towards an individual's
  healthy life.

3

• Red Chilli
• The scorching aroma of Red Chilli adds a tingling
  effect to our taste buds with their sharp, spicy
  and zesty flavour to exquisite delicacies.
• It also adds a glowing natural red colour to
  various gravies, chutneys, curried dishes and
  pickles, making them more palatable.
• An excellent antioxidant, it increases
  metabolism, prevents diabetes and reduces the
  risk of cancer.

4
Coriander

• Coriander seeds (or dhania) are warm, nutty,
  spicy, and orange-flavoured traditional spice.
• These plump and brown seeds have a hollow cavity
  that bears essential oils, which upon roasting
  increase their flavour, aroma, and pungency that
  they flavour various kinds of masala, sambhar,
  rasam, and other Indian curries.
• With antiseptic properties, coriander Powder cure
  skin ailments and hair fall. They aid in
  digestion, tackle diabetes and keep a check on
  cholesterol.

5
Cardamom

• An aromatic seed pod, cardamom lends a distinct
  aroma and a sweet flavour. Cardamom is
  spindle-shaped and has a triangular
  brownish-black seeds, and it has a warm pungent
  taste.
• The cardamom pod can be used whole or ground.
  Cardamom is used in gravies, curries, pulao or
  biryani, kheer, sweets, etc.
• Cardamoms are prized for their healing qualities
  too, such as, digestion problem, common cold,
  cough, bronchitis, sore throat, urinary problems,
  epilepsy, headache, and high blood pressure.

6
Turmeric

• An ancient Indian spice, it has a (pungent)
  distinct earthy, slightly bitter, hot peppery and
  a mustardy fragrance and gives a beautiful golden
  hue to various curries.
• Grown as a rhizome, turmeric has curcumin as its
  active ingredient that has medicinal properties.
  
• It is an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant and a
  natural antibiotic.
• It lowers cholesterol and is widely used in
  Ayurvedic treatment.

7
Fennel

• Resembling cumin, in shape and size, fennel is a
  different spice altogether.
• Fennel (saunf) exude an anise-like sweet fruity
  aroma that makes them a widely-used savoury spice
  in pizzas, soups, sauces, confectionaries, etc.
• They are added in cooking, mainly as a flavouring
  base.
• They are used as a condiment after food to
  improve digestion and also as a mouth freshener.
• They reduce cholesterol, and treat asthma and
  help combat diabetes.

8
Asafoetida

• An essential spice in Indian cuisine, asafoetida
  is acrid and bitter in taste and emits a strong
  disagreeable pungent odour.
• Asafoetida changes colour from white when it is
  raw to brown. This spice is used as a condiment
  in food and in pickling too.
• Asafoetida acts as a savoury enhancer and adds
  great flavour to curries, sauces, and pickles.
• It helps treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
  breathing or throat problems, digestion problem.

9
Pepper

• Black pepper has a distinct and undeniable
  earthiness flavour that is woody, piney and sharp
  all at the same time. It has a unique pungent
  taste as well.
• There is black and white pepper. While the former
  is made out of green berries, the latter is
  allowed to ripen fully.
• Though white pepper retains the full pungency of
  black pepper, it tastes different due to partial
  loss of aroma.
• Black pepper is used in South Indian delicacies
  like Pongal, dosa, kootu, soups, sandwiches,
  cheese spreads, etc. while because of its colour,
  white pepper is used in white sauces, pasta,
  salads, seafood dishes, etc.
• Pepper aid digestion and helps cure common cough,
  cold and respiratory disorders and heart
  diseases.

10
Cumin

• Cumin (jeera) can be identified by its distinct
  ridged brown seeds and intense fragrance.
• Cumin is used to add a distinct smoky note and a
  robust flavour to most Indian curries. So, it is
  often used as a whole, to flavour rice, stuffed
  vegetables, curries and many savoury dishes, and
  as a powder for puddings and buttermilk.
• Cumin aids digestion improves cholesterol and
  helps fight diabetes.

11
Bay leaf

• Pleasantly aromatic, the Bay leaf/ tejpata has a
  clove-like taste and a faint pepper-like odour.
• The glossy, dark-green Bay leaf is oval, pointed
  and smooth, 2.5 8 cm (1 to 3 inches) long.
• Bay leaves give off a pleasing and sweet aroma
  that makes it a great flavouring condiment for
  soups, sauces, stews and pickles.
• Bay leaf is useful for treating high blood sugar,
  migraine headaches, bacterial and fungal
  infections, and gastric ulcers.

12
Cinnamon

• A sweet-tasting spice with a warm and woody
  aroma, cinnamon chips are rough non-peelable
  barks scraped off from the thicker stems.
• Cinnamon is a wonderful spice with a pleasant
  taste that makes it a great ingredient to be used
  in cakes and desserts.
• It is widely used in Hyderabadi Biryani, gravies
  and curry dishes in India.
• Cinnamon helps prevent cancer, fight diabetes and
  lower blood pressure.

13
Cloves

• Dark-brownish in colour, cloves are the dried
  aromatic flower buds of the clove tree.
• They have elongated bodies with a flowery head
  and look like small nails.
• They have a strong taste and sweet pungent smell
  that gives spicy warmth to soups, sauces,
  curries, meat, pickles and also to flavour sweet
  dishes like cookies, cakes and fruit pies.
• Cloves act as antioxidants, cure mild toothaches,
  aid digestion and help control blood pressure,
  etc.

14
Fenugreek seeds

• Commonly known as Methi, fenugreek seeds are hot
  in nature, with a bitter, nutty taste.
• It is a common condiment in spice blends in
  Indian cuisine over a variety of dishes like
  gravies, curries, parathas, beverages, etc.
• Fenugreek seeds have been used to enhance the
  sensory quality of food. From adding flavour to
  dishes, they help control diabetes, prevent
  cancer and alleviating digestive problems.

15
Black Stone Flower

• Black Stone Flower (Kalpasi) is a species of
  lichens used as a spice in India.
• A rare dried flower, Kalpasi has a sweet and
  strong earthy aroma and dry texture. Its upper
  surface is dark green and much lighter inside.
• This spice is used to make soups, Bombay Biryani,
  and meat dishes.
• It improves digestion, helps heal wounds and
  cures respiratory disorders.

16
Nutmeg and Mace

• While nutmeg is a shelled dried seed of a plant,
  mace is a dried net-like covering of the shell of
  the seed.
• While nutmeg has a distinctive pungent fragrance
  and a warm slightly sweet taste, mace has a more
  delicate flavour and gives a saffron-like hue to
  dishes.
• Both are used as a condiment for sweet products
  such as baked items, custards, puddings, jellies,
  etc.
• Mace is also used for seasoning. Both together
  treat cancer, kidney diseases, diarrhea, stomach
  pains, etc.

17
Saffron

• The saffron (Kesar) is the most expensive spice
  and it is a colour too.
• Saffron has a very subtle flavour and aroma. It
  is used as a culinary seasoning for chicken and
  meat, biriyani, pulao, etc.
• It adds taste, colour, and aroma to Indian sweets
  like Rasmalai, Kesar Pista etc. and flavours
  kheer, badam milk, saffron milk, etc.
• Saffron increases immunity and strength, heals
  arthritis, helps in diet control and maintaining
  skin texture.

18
Sesame seeds

• With a crunchy texture and a nutty taste, sesame
  seeds are added to many dishes for the extra
  flavour.
• The oldest known oil seeds, sesame are tiny flat
  oval seeds and come in a variety of colours that
  includes white, black and red.
• Sesame offers a pleasant aroma and rich taste to
  South Indian delicacies, rice dishes and
  confectioneries such as sweets, bread, muffins,
  and cookies.
• Sesame helps reduce cholesterol, prevent blood
  pressure and protects liver damage.

19
Star Anise

• Star Anise is famed for its strong and distinct
  flavour. As goes its name, this star-shaped,
  reddish-brown pod consists of 6-8 carpels
  arranged in a coil.
• The carpel is 10 mm, boat-shaped and hard and
  wrinkled containing a seed.
• It is used as a condiment to flavour curries,
  confectionaries, bakery products and also
  pickling.
• Anti-bacterial in nature, star anise strengthens
  the immune system, treats asthma and bronchitis,
  and reduces the rheumatic disorders and lower
  back pain.

20
Pomegranate seeds

• The beautiful red seeds are of one of the
  healthiest fruits namely pomegranate. Hard and
  fibrous, these seeds are a mildly sweet and tangy
  flavour.
• These aromatic are thus used as a souring agent
  in Indian gravies such as Chole, Dals, etc.,
  curries, salads and bakery products too.
• Rich in antioxidants, pomegranate seeds are low
  in calories and help indigestion.

21
Dried Ginger and Powder

• Dry ginger is nothing but dehydrated ginger that
  turns pale white with a beautiful fragrance and a
  sharp taste.
• And the ginger powder is a fine off-whitish
  powder with a strong aroma and a slightly pungent
  flavour.
• Dried ginger is used to flavour gingerbreads,
  sweets, tea, gravies, curries, stews, etc.
• Dried ginger aids digestion, cures cold and
  cough, sore throat, stimulates blood circulation,
  cleanses the kidney, etc.

22
Mint

• Refreshing, zingy and delightful, a dash of mint
  adds a peppy flavour with a refreshing aroma.
• It is often used in sauces, chutneys, raitas,
  desserts and even garnishes biryanis and its
  cooling essence often make it handy for
  mocktails, jaljeera, sweet lime-mint juices, etc.
• From boosting digestion to keep the mouth fresh,
  mint has powerful antioxidant properties. Mint
  helps control blood sugar levels.

23

• Thus, the secret of Indian food is the right
  combination of spices that makes Indian cuisine
  one of the most popular and the finest in the
  world today.
• About Us We mevive international (food
  ingredient company in India) deals with a variety
  of Indian Spices at a best price in India.
  Submit your requirements here. Quick shipment!
  Bulk pricing!
• Source http//www.dehydratedveg.com/blog/20-india
  n-spices-for-a-flavoury-cooking.html