Indian food is an extraordinary fusion of vegetables, meat, spices and basic ingredients from the age-old styled kitchens. It’s a myth that Indian food is a heavy mixture of Indian spices and they make curries everywhere they go. Wrong. If you look at the Indian culinary culture, you’ll find its more than just a curry.
Indian homes use many spices and seasonings than the food culture in the United States. Indian has deep roots in the spice trade, and it's not true that every Indian food has heavy usage of spices. Some of the Indian food recipes are also made without using any spices and thus, Indian food is getting popular in every part of the world.
Since we are talking about Indian spices a lot, if you are one of those having a curiosity about these little magic herbs, here are 7 of the top Indian spices you cannot miss in your Indian recipes.
Ajwain - Just like thyme in flavour, Ajwain or carrom seed is a strong spice used as whole or in powdered form to get the best flavour possible.
Asafoetida - A very well-known Indian spice for both vegetarian as well as non-veg recipes, asafoetida is a highly fragrant spice with a strong and pungent smell that just lingers around every kitchen in India. Asafoetida is loved by many Indians as it has been mentioned in Ayurveda as a medicine. It is basically a gum-resin which is used to give a mild flavour to Indian curries.
Basil - As a wide used herb in India, basil is apparently one of the most important. Known as the 'Queen of the herbs', it is grown in almost every part of India. Some Indian families also grow this in front of their doors as it is known to spread good energy and vibes to make the household pure. The unique flavour of basil is both sweet and slightly hot.
Black Peppercorns - They are used as whole or ground down in Indian cooking. Black Peppercorns are surely spicy and can be added to almost every recipe you can imagine in Indian foods. Commonly known as black pepper, it is also known as the King of Spices.
Cardamom Seed Powder - Cardamom is both citric and sweet in flavour. Cardamom is not just seen as a herb or spice in India but it is widely observed as a medicine to maintain a good immunity as it is rich with antioxidants and diuretic properties.
Chillies - Both used in raw and dried form, Indian spices are incomplete without this item in the stock. Indian prefer buying fresh raw chillies every week and stock up in their refrigerators but, the dried chillies are specially bought from the select shops where they are dried in the sunny regions of India.
Cinnamon - Cinnamon is the most loved as well as the most hated spice in Indian foods. Loved because it adds an aromatic flavour in the dishes like meat, rice and veggies but when people consume the food, they like to remove it because after cooking or cooked, cinnamon may taste bitter as it pours all its flavours in the dish.
Indian spices are the most complex things on the planet earth and one must use them in order to get the best flavours and aromas in the recipes as they might ruin your taste buds if not used properly. If you are seriously thinking of trying out Indian recipes at home, you can order Indian spices online at Quicklly and add a flavourful value to your Indian recipes.