Best important spices of Indian kitchen cooking
As soon as the mention of Indian dish scripture is made, we are reminded of the aromatic and rich dishes, which are cooked by mixing in many spices. These spices along with coloring and flavoring the food also preserve it. They make the food fragrant.
Some of the major spices are as follows:
- Cardamom
It is of two types, small and big. Small cardamom serves the aroma of food and big cardamom spices. In Sanskrit its name is Ella. Its medicinal properties protect us from diseases.
- Cloves
Cloves are called ‘cloves’ in English. These are the dry buds of a plant named ‘Eugenia cariafileata’. In Sanskrit language it is known as ‘Pippali’. It is highly used in Indian food. This makes the food fragrant. It is also used as a medicine. Its oil is used in tooth pain and sucking the entire clove in cough is beneficial.
- Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the bark of an evergreen tree. It occurs in Sri Lanka and South India. Cinnamon is an aromatic spice. It is counted in hot spices. Oil made from its leaf is used to kill mosquitoes.
- Black Pepper
Similar to a vine of the Pippali dynasty, the plant has pepper seeds as ripe, undercooked and dried fruits. The seeds that come out of dried fruits are black pepper. It is used as a spice. It tastes pungent. It is an energetic and stimulating spice. It is also used as a medicine in Ayurveda. It is used for the treatment of diseases like cough, vata, breathing etc.
- Cumin seeds
Cumin known as ‘Zirak’ in Sanskrit is like fennel. It is a flowering plant of the Pasralae species. Cumin is made by drying flower seeds. It is used both in whole and ground form in Indian cuisine. Its flowers are white or pink.
- Coriander
Coriander called dhana in Marwari is the pride of Indian kitchen. Its leaves and stem are useful from seed to seed. Green coriander is used to scent and decorate dishes, then dry coriander (seed) spices. It acts as a medicine in many diseases.
- Nutmeg and Javanese
Nutmeg and mace are obtained from a tree called ‘Myristica’. It grows in places like Kerala, Sri Lanka etc. When its fruit bursts on ripening, it has two parts. The part like vermilion fiber is mace and nutmeg. Both taste almost the same. They are mostly used for scenting food.
- Fenugreek
Its plant is about 8 to 10 inches long. Its leaves are used as greens and yellow seeds are used as spices. Its leaves and seeds are both beneficial and are used as medicine in many diseases.
- Turmeric
One vegetable of the ginger class is turmeric which is the root of the plant. It is yellow and gives food a yellow color. It is used as a medicine in Ayurveda. Its use on marriage and auspicious occasions is considered auspicious. It is beautiful.’
- Fennel
Fennel has its own place in Indian cuisine. Its plant is a carrot species. Which happens throughout the year. It is used as a medicine for many diseases along with scenting the dishes.
- Saffron
Saffron is a coarse thread-like spice of a blood color, which is grown in Kashmir. It is used to scent the dish and give it a golden (orange) color. It is known as the world’s most precious spice.
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