Kitchen of India - Exotic Spices

One thing which is common among us Indians is: Our Love for Food!

Each and every state has its own set of cuisines and flavors. And as we all know: Best way to understand a place is through its culinary culture.

Be it spicy Biryani from Hyderabad, Daal-Baati Churma from Rajasthan, Macher Jhol from West-Bengal or amazing Kashmiri Pulao, each and every cuisine is unique in its aroma and taste. Each of our states has a unique culinary story to tell.

But if we dig deeper, there is one thing which makes these cuisines delectable – its Ingredients. 

“The Kitchen of India” has ample number of rare ingredients which are cherished by Chefs, all over the world.

Let’s take a step further and get on a journey to explore different varieties of ingredients commonly found in India.

In our quest of better understanding a typical Indian Kitchen, the first and most important set of ingredients which comes to my mind is – Exotic Spices of India.

Let’s learn where to find and how to use them in detail:

Saffron

• Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.
• Fortunately, only a small amount of it is required to impart its beautiful color and flavor to food.
• It is used in many Spanish and Indian cuisines, mainly Seafood Paella, Biryani etc.
    Black Cardamom or Badi Elaichi
  

• Also known as Queen of Spices.
• Its seed pods have a strong camphor-like flavour.
• It is commonly used in many Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese and Chinese dishes.

Red Chilli Powder

• Also known as King of Spices.
• It is used to add pungency and flavour to dishes.
• It is used in many different cuisines, including Tex-Mex, Indian, Chinese, and Korean.

Amchoor

• It is a fruity spice-powder made from dried, unripe green mangoes.
• Commonly used as a souring agent in Indian cuisines.

Carom seeds or Ajwain

• Mainly produced in Rajasthan in India, Ajwain has many health benefits as well.
• Primarily, it helps in digestion and cough & asthma.
• Commonly used in cuisines in India and Afghanistan.

Long Pepper

• It is mainly used in European, Indian, Nepalese, Indonesian, Malaysian and North African cuisines.
• It has similar, but stronger taste than black, green or white varieties of pepper.

Nigella seeds or Kalonji

• It has a pungent - bitter taste and smell.
• It is used primarily in confectioneries and liquors. Peshawari naan is topped with kalonji seeds.

Cumin seeds or Jeera

• Cumin can be used ground or as a whole seeds.
• It helps to add an earthy and warming feeling to food.
• Mainly used in South Asian, Brazillian and Latin American cuisines.

Asafoetida or Hing

• It typically works as a flavour enhancer.
• This spice is a digestive aid and is used in food and pickle as a condiment.

Cinnamon or Dalachini

• Mainly is used in preparation of Chocolate and dessert recipes.
• Cinnamon flavored tea, is consumed as a hot beverage in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Being an Hotelier in India, it’s our duty to learn about these ingredients, experiment with them and add them to our recipes.

Let’s take our guests to a culinary journey and let them rediscover the meaning of Indian food. Let’s make them fall in love with Indian Kitchen all over again.

Stay tuned for next article in this series – Exotic Fruits and Vegetables in India.

Till then – Bon Appetite!!!