Life Without Alu?: Know more about Joan (Ajwain or Carom Seeds)

Spices – Add the flavor, aroma, color, heat and everything

This is undoubtedly my favorite section. I love adding spices and herbs in my dishes. Believe me with the right amount of spices you can create magic in your dish, make the flavors pop and the color vibrant. I use a variety of spices because Indian cooking is done with quite a few. You can get most of the spices at Costco, your fresh market or local Indian stores.

Let me start with the most important one: Salt. Yes, you will be surprised how much flavor you can add in your dish by just using the right amount of Salt.

Next comes the heat: Black Pepper (used in recipe: Mughlai Mutton Stew and One Pot Chicken Tikka Masala) and Red Chili Powder (used in recipes: Grilled Salmon with Shrimp and Peppers and Masala Alu). If you are not using either of these, believe me you are missing. A little amount of heat converts a bland food to a mouthwatering dish.

For color I use Turmeric Powder (used in recipes: Amritsari Chole, Cholar Dal, Mamma’s Mixed Vegetables and Alu Kopir Torkari) and sometimes Paprika or Kashmiri Mirch (used in recipe: Alur Dom and Kalo Jeere diye Alur Torkari)

You can get spices in different forms, personally, I like cooking with a combination of whole and ground spices. However, I prefer to buy whole spices because they are not only economical but also flavorful and aromatic. Plus, they can be used in anyway I want (whole or ground forms) and I can mix and match them to prepare different dishes and spice mixes. I use my Nutri Bullet (milling blade) to ground the spices and this brings a ton of fresh aroma and flavor in the dishes. Here is a list of Indian spices that I frequently use:

Dried Red Pepper – available in whole, flakes and ground form, red pepper is the most common spice in most kitchens. Starting from tempering the dal, curries and gravies to pizzas, sauces and soups, this bright red hot pepper is a wonderful spice to pack in heat, color and flavor (used in recipes: Bread Dipping Oil with Parmesan and Herbs, Pui Saag er Chochchori and Butter Paneer).

Cumin – used not only in Indian but also middle eastern and Mexican cuisines, Cumin is used both as a seed and powder. Known for its warm earthy flavor and aroma, Cumin is often added to enhance the flavors of vegetables and meat. Cumin seeds (used in recipes: Jeera Rice, Namkeen, Niramish Alur Dom and Achari Mutton) are used to temper Dals and ground Cumin is used in many different Indian dishes (used in recipes: Debarshi’s Alu ka Paratha, Namkeen Puri and Mughlai Kabab). Cumin is also used in the preparation of Chili, Barbecue sauce and marinades. If you have been buying Cumin Powder from stores, then you don’t have to anymore. Click on the link to make your own homemade Cumin Powder whenever you want: Make Cumin Powder at Home

Green Cardamom – is used both in savory and sweet dishes. It brings a sweet taste and unique flavor and because of that it is also used as a mouth freshener. It is very strong and aromatic and hence widely used in the preparation of meat, spice cakes, puddings, curries and biryani (used in recipes: Palak Paneer, Dry Fruit Laddu, Matar Mushroom and Dahi Chicken)

Black Cardamom - is a small herb with strong aromatic fragrance. It is widely used in Indian cooking for its unique taste and flavor. It has several health benefits (like Gastro-Intestinal, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Oral, to name a few). I often use it to add flavor and aroma in the dishes (used in recipes: Jeera Rice, Garam Masala, Mughlai Mutton Stew, Debarshi’s Chicken Tikka Biryani and Shahi Pulao).

Clove – very aromatic and hence sometimes used as mouth freshener. Clove is also the most common home remedy to relieve the cough irritation and for treating toothaches. Clove adds a burst of flavor in your food. It is used both in sweet and savory dishes (used in recipes: Butter Chicken, Chingri Malai Curry and Dahi Chicken). I love adding it in the tempering stage so that it can enhance the flavors beautifully in meats, Dals and curries. It is also added in marinades and hot beverages and is used by many cuisines around the world.

Bay Leaf – an aromatic leaf used commonly in the preparation of many sweet and savory dishes. There are many health benefits of this leaf and it is widely used for many other purposes along with cooking like aroma therapy and herbal treatments. In Indian cuisine we always use the dried form of Bay leafs and it is added in the food during the first few steps. It is only used as a flavoring agent and never actually consumed with the food and you can very well remove the leaf before serving it to the guests. Bay leaf has a subtle flavor and adds a hint of aroma in the meat and rice dishes (used in recipes: Moonger Daler Khichuri, Goat Dhansak and Chicken Masala)

Kasuri Methi – the dried leaves of fenugreek plant are used to add a subtle bitter flavor in the dish while cutting the extra sweetness (used in recipes: Rajma and Kasuri Methi Paratha). For more information, read my article: Excited to use new spices? Know more about Methi (Fenugreek)

Amchur – also known as dried mango powder. It brings a fruity tanginess to the dish. It is often added to cut the extra sweetness of the vegetables or fruits. It is used widely as a seasoning in Chaat, drinks and other Indian street foods (used in recipes: Alu Kumro, Alu Kulcha and Mughlai Kabab).

Coriander Powder – it took me a while to get used to the word cilantro because in India, the green leafs of this plant are always known as Coriander leaves. The leaves, dried seeds and powder are used widely in Indian cooking. It has a pleasing aroma and taste and subtly enhances the flavor of the dish. It works very well with other Indian spices especially Cumin (used in recipes: Alu Borir Torkari, Alu Potol Kumror Dalna, Kosha Mangsho and Masala Alu).

Star Anise - It is a mahogany colored, 8 pointed star shaped fruit. It has a licorice anise like flavor, you will get hints of fennel, clove and a little pepper. It is perfect to add in dishes where the ingredients have a bland/ dull aroma and flavor (Used in recipes: Goat Stew with White Wine, Debarshi’s Chicken Tikka Biryani, Awadhi Mutton Biryani, Matar Mushroom and Kosha Mangsho).