Indian food is renowned for its wide array of spices. However, the beauty of this cuisine is about the delicate balance of many Indian spices. Whether you oil-fry your spices or dry-roast them, they are full of aromatics and flavour.
There is no secret that Indian cooking is a delicious mix of spices in terms of aroma, colours and flavours. We can say that masala or spice is the soul of the kitchen in India, but when you plan to cook with a long list of spices, then it can be daunting.
It does not matter if it is a unique or straightforward dish; the right amount of spice is needed for the perfect dish. Moreover, spices are not just to flavour the food or make them spicy. When mixed in the dish in proper proportion with others, every spice has its benefits and creates a delicious dish.
Many spices are used for health and medicinal purposes in Indian culture to cure illnesses and indigestion. While there are numerous Indian spices to use when cooking various dishes, the following are the essential spices you can include while cooking Indian food.
Popular Indian Spices For Delicious Cuisine
● Turmeric
Indian food needs turmeric as it is commonly known to us as Haldi. Turmeric is one of the best spices having an earthy supporting flavour. Haldi has enormous health benefits and a unique yellow colour among all the spices used in Indian cooking.
Usually, only a teaspoon amount of turmeric is used to flavour and colour a dish for a family of four members. While turmeric, popularly known as Haldi, is used for healthy purposes, make sure to include at least a small amount of black pepper in your recipes.
The spice turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory, but its effects are diminished without the piperine from black pepper.
● Cumin
Cumin seed is a spice having a taste like caraway or dill. It is a staple spice of cuisines for Indian cooking and curries. Generally, cumin seeds are best used as a whole and fried in oil at the beginning of a dish, and the whole process is called Tadka.
At a higher heat, cumin seeds will turn brown quickly, roughly in fifteen seconds. So you can make sure that you do not burn them, and when they start to pop, you know they are done. Ground cumin powder is the essential spice used in India. This spice is the primary ingredient in the spice mix of garam masala.
● Coriander
Coriander is the seed of cilantro and is one of the essential spices on our list. The coriander seed has a fragrance similar to citrus mixed with some leafy and woody notes. This spice is widely used in multiple dishes, including Vindaloo and Madras curries.
When coriander is ground into a powder before adding it to a sauce, it is best to use coriander seeds.
● Cardamom
Black cardamom and green cardamom are two different varieties of cardamom that are commonly used in cooking. Green cardamom is used widely with light and sweet cuisines that can be found from garam masala to lassi.
Black cardamom gives a smoky taste and is used as a potent flavouring agent. When using cardamom, you must be careful with being too heavy-handed. You do not want it to overpower the rest of the flavours of the dish.
● Fenugreek
Fenugreek is one of the subtle Indian spices found in the kitchen for cooking. Fenugreek seeds are pretty bitter, but it has enormous health benefits. The fenugreek leaves are used as a green spice that is less bitter and has a delicious maple-like smell. Various people experience this spice and smell like curry.
This spice may be the most essential of all the spices available. You can use fenugreek up to a few tablespoons at starting in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process. Apart from usage in cooking, fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.
● Fennel
Fennel and anise both spices have a similar resemblance to black liquorice. Fennel is used as a primary ingredient in flavouring many cuisines such as madras and other curries. Fennel is used as a whole spice in Tadka. Various Indian restaurants often use candied fennel seed as an after-dinner mint.
Conclusion
You can bring home the essential spices for healthy and tasty food. In addition, you can get it from wholesale Indian spices for making delicious cooking. Moreover, we will obtain many benefits of spices in proper amounts in food preparation.
