Spices and Herbs in Indian Cooking

Spices are one of the most important ingredients of Indian cuisine. Without them, Indian dishes would lose its characteristics and be as ordinary as the others. Spices and herbs are also one of the reasons why Indian cuisine is becoming increasingly popular to people across the globe.

One of the most famous Indian dishes, the curry, is one example of the ingenious use of herbs and spices in India. Curry which came from the word kari literally means vegetables immersed in spices. Curry became so attached with Indian cuisine that in fact, made it a symbolism of Indian food in all parts of the world.

There are a myriad of spices and herbs that could be found in India, however, you need not know all of them. There are just some spices that you’ll utilize more commonly than others such as the asafetida, turmeric, tamarind, chilli pepper, fenugreek, black mustard seed, aniseed, cumin, star anise, ginger, coriander seeds and garlic. In sweet dishes, rose petal essence, saffron, nutmeg and cardamom are commonly used. These herbs and spices, as well as other things related with Indian spices would be enumerated below.

Bhuna - Bhuna is a method of tempering Indian spices, particularly gently frying the spices in a substantial amount of hot oil. This process is used to release and preserve the aroma of the spices while removing the raw taste of them.

Tadka - This is also a process of cooking spices which is similar to Bhuna. However, the difference is that Tadka is used for whole spices only.

Masala - Masala is a term in India which means mixture of spices cooked in oil. Its most popular version is the Garam Masala which is used in cooking many Indian dishes such as the curry. This mixture of five or more dried spices is usually added at the end of cooking to retain its flavor. Every region has its own blend of Garam Masala.

Mustard seeds - These small round seeds that are reddish brown to black in color are frequently used in Indian cuisine. Indian recipes may call for the use of this spice in the form of whole, broken to pieces, in paste or powdered form. Mustard seeds are commonly used to flavor vegetables, pickles and pulses.

Tamarind - This is the fruit of tamarind tree. Tamarind is homemade into pulp or can be readily bought from groceries before it is used in cooking recipes. This spice is dark brown in color and sour in taste. Tamarind is ideal to be used in cooking chutney, vegetables, sauces, pulses and snacks.

Cumin (Jeera) - Cumin seeds are very frequently used in Indian cooking, particularly that of North Indian. Its taste is distinctive, slightly bitter yet gives a dish a sweet aroma. When roasted or cooked in hot oil, cumin seeds release a more intense aroma. It’s available in whole or in powdered form. Cumin is found to have digestive attributes and is used to flavor food such as curry and vegetables.

Star Anise - Star anise has the wonderful aroma of licorice and is perfect for flavoring biryani’s and other non-vegetarian Indian dishes. As its name suggests, this spice is star-shaped with each of its points containing a star anise seed. Ground star anise should be stored in an airtight container for no more than 3 months in a cool, dark place.

Ginger (adrak) - This spice with peppery flavor and slightly sweet in taste is very commonly used in Indian cooking. Its aroma is pungent and spicy. Please note that dried ground ginger and fresh ginger cannot be used interchangeably in a recipe.

Aniseed – It is an aromatic seed that is golden-brown in color. Aniseed is said to have the property to stimulate the appetite and help in digestion.

Asafetida (hing) - It is the dried gum resin derived from an Indian plant that has a strong odor and mildly spicy and garlicky flavor. Just a pinch of this yellow powdered spice is usually used for cooking vegetables, fish and making Indian pickles.

These are some of the things you need to know about Indian spices and herbs. Indian spices are not really hard to deal with and some are similar to what we use in other cooking. It is just a matter of mixing and cooking them in a right way.

By Silvia Blach