SpicesInc.com - The Authentic India Spice Guide

The Authentic India Spice Guide

The Authentic India Spice Guide

Usually Indian cooks use far more spices and flavorings than do most Western cooks. This is not surprising since the country enjoys a long and revered history in the spice trade. Indian food is a rich blending of exotic spices and delicate herbs crafted into rich and light sauces and seasonings for poultry, meat, fish, grains and vegetables. Indian spices are usually heated in a pan with ghee or cooking oil to intensify the flavor before putting in food. Spices are one of the significant cooking ingredients of Indian cuisine. Spices and herbs are also one reason why Indian food is becoming famous to people around the world.

Indian recipes are more than just aromatic, savory dishes that delight the palate it is often seen to help attain spiritual, physical and emotional balance. Even those who haven’t tried authentic Indian dishes will come to love them because they usually include steamed rice and flour flatbread to wrap around the food. Following is a listing of all the Indian spices we carry. Check them out!

Ajwain:
It has a flavor similar to thyme or caraway seeds, only stronger. It is used in small quantities after it has been dry roasted or fried in ghee or oil. It is used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

Asafetida:
Asafetida is used mostly in Indian vegetarian cooking, in which the strong onion-garlic flavor enhances many dishes. It has a very strong, pungent smell and the flavor mellows when fried in oil.

Basil:
Sweet basil has a sweet, spicy aroma with a hint of anise and clove while the flavor is a bit peppery with some subtle anise and mint undertones. Basil is one of the most sacred plants with a strong religious mean in India.

Black Pepper:
This aromatic spice has a fruity, pungent fragrance and was introduced into Europe more than 3,000 years ago. Our black pepper is sourced from India and Indonesia and you'll find it in most savory Indian dishes.

Black Peppercorns:
Our Malabar Black Peppercorns are sourced from both India and Indonesia and are picked when the berry hasn’t fully ripened. This whole black peppercorn produces a distinctly spicy flavor which is slightly hot and biting with a just a hint of sweetness.

Cardamom:
Cardamom's taste is lemony and light while its aroma is rugged, but gentle, biting and fruity. In India Cardamom is referred to as the "queen of spices" (pepper is considered the king).

Cayenne:
Use cayenne to add warmth and the color of fire to any Indian dish. Cayenne is a unique type of chili pepper that is between four and twelve inches long, thin and features a pungent taste.

Chilies:
Indian cooking has multiple uses for chilies, from simple snacks like bhaji where chilies are dipped in batter and fried, to complex curries. Chilies are also dried, roasted and salted as a side dish for rice dishes.

Cilantro:
Cilantro is also known as coriander. It is used in Indian dishes such as salads, sauces and soups. Coriander is also a staple ingredient in spice blends like garam masala and Indian curry.

Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is used to add flavor and aroma to meat and rice dishes and chutneys. Cinnamon is a key ingredient in the Indian spice blend garam masala. When using whole cinnamon sticks in your Indian recipe be sure to remove them before serving.

Cloves:
In the north Indian cuisine, it is used in almost every sauce or side dish and some meat dishes in grounded form. They form a key ingredient in the preparation of tea along with green cardamoms.

Coriander:
Coriander is a staple ingredient in spice blends like garam masala and Indian curry. Coriander features spicy, warm, citrusy flavor and is used in chicken, meat and egg dishes.

Cumin:
A very popular spice in India Ground Cumin is an element in dishes such as curry powders, masala, mouth-watering spice mixes as well as vegetable and meat stews. Its distinctive flavor is warm, spicy-sweet and somewhat bitter and should be used sparingly.

Sweet Curry Powder:
Our Sweet Curry blend is light and mild with a bit of sweetness to it and is more of a sweet red curry than a sweet yellow curry.

Fennel Seed:
Fennel's subtle, anise-like flavor with licorice undertones is the perfect compliment with fish and is an essential ingredient in many curries. In India the seeds are chewed as a breath freshener.

Fenugreek Seeds:
Fenugreek seeds are rich in protein and are used whole or ground in a variety of ethnic cuisines. The aroma possesses the unmistakable scent of powerful curry powders. Fenugreek also gives that extra zing to Indian curry.

Garlic:
You'll find garlic in recipes for curries, fish, poultry, and meat. Most Indian recipes call for fresh garlic, but you can stock up on dried garlic flakes, powder and/or granules.

Garman Masala:
Common in Indian cuisines Garam Masala is a general purpose, spicy warm (but not necessarily hot) Indian seasoning. A traditional ingredient in Indian dishes such as dahl, kormas, samosas, tandoori, meat and poultry.

Ginger:
Ginger has a light, lemon pepper aura and the taste is sultry, intense and sharp. This is a chief ingredient in curry, chutneys, fish and poultry.

Mace:
Mace is one of the spices in Garam masala. It is used to flavor curries, masala chai and certain vegetables and Indian desserts.

Mustard Seed:
Indian cooks use mustard seed for its strong distinctive flavor as it adds flavor to sauces, mayonnaise, dressings and dry rubs as well as to processed sausages and meats.

Nutmeg:
The flavor of Nutmeg is bittersweet: with deep woody tones and is a key ingredient in several spice blends (most notably some curry powders) and it's also found in garam masala.

Onions:
Onions are the basis of many curries, and they're found in much of India's cuisine. For convenience, stock up onion flakes, granules and powder.

Pink Peppercorns:
They are prized for their spectacular reddish color (some folks call them red peppercorns) and they have a delightful spicy-sweet flavor with hints of citrus. It is excellent in Indian cocktail sauce.

Grade A1 Poppy Seed:
The creamy colored poppy seeds are common in India, where they are ground and used as a thickening agent in curries and sauces. They are also used in certain Indian breads.

Saffron:
Saffron spice has as an unmistakable aroma that is musky, sharp and floral with subtle honey undertones. The taste is light, cutting, warm, bitter and it then slowly dissipates from your palette. Used in Indian saffron rice and on lamb.

Salt:
Most cooks understand how salt brings together the flavors of a dish. With so many spices used in the typical Indian recipe, salt plays an important role.

Sesame Seed:
Sesame Seeds are fairly soft, flat, tiny and oval shaped and their taste is a bit nutty with a light crunch. Once you roast or grind the seeds the taste becomes more pronounced. One wonderful dish is sesame seed rice.

Star Anise:
The aroma of star anise is powerful with licorice undertones and is similar to anise seed but a bit more pungent. In India it is a key ingredient in Curry Powder and Garam Masala seasoning blends.

Tandoori:
Tandoori chicken is probably the most common dish that comes to a typical Americans mind when they think of a classic Indian dish. This is also frequently referred to as Tandoori Masala, Tandoori Spice or Tandoori Rub.

Turmeric Powder:
Turmeric is a central ingredient in Indian Curry Powders and pastes, Masala, Ras El Hanout and is also called Indian Saffron or Curcumin Turmeric.