Fennel which is more commonly known as saunf and is used as seeds in the Indian kitchen. It comes in colors ranging from bright green to pale green and tan and has a licorice like taste sweeter and slightly less pungent and intense than licorice. While it is mostly used Read more…
Let me introduce you to the most potent spice used in the Indian kitchen called Asafoetida. It is sometimes called “devil’s dung.” As often participants from my cooking workshops say that it smells like fart and I wouldn’t deny that at all. It definitely has a strong aroma and if Read more…
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine produced for its fruit. It is grown in hot climates for 3-4 years when the buds start to develop. All the colors of peppercorns know derive from the same plant – black (cooked and dried unripe fruit), green (dried unripe fruit), Read more…
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snackfoods, tea and traditional foods. It is widely used in Read more…
Indian Red Chilli powder maybe the most dreaded spice among those who think Indian food is spicy AF. To be honest, some kitchens within India do have a heavy use of the chilli powder in the food but this varies from different cities, to sub cultures to even different families. Read more…
Turmeric one of the most powerful spices in the Indian kitchen. It is also called Haldi in Hindi. It imparts a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods. It is not just used in Indian dishes but across Asia for e.g. the popular Moroccan spice ral-el-hanout Read more…
Ginger is native to India and China. It takes its name from the Sanskrit word stringa-vera, which means “with a body like a horn”, as in antlers. It is called Adrak in Hindi. Ginger is a very popular spice used worldwide; whether it be used to spice up meals, or Read more…
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. The clove tree is an evergreen that grows up to 8–12 metres (26–39 ft) tall. Cloves are used in the Indian kitchen as well as Asian, African, Mediterranean and the Middle East countries, lending flavor Read more…
Coriander is a spice produced from the round, tan-colored seeds of the coriander plant (Coriandrum sativum), which is a member of the parsley family. The word coriander can be used to describe the entire plant: leaves, stems, seeds, and all. It is known to be grown across Asia, Europe Read more…
Cumin is a very commonly used spice in Indian dishes. It is either used whole or powdered. It adds a smoky aroma to the dishes. It is a common spice but is often confused with fennel, caraway, and anise seeds. But the difference can be told by looking at Read more…
