Top 5 Essential Whole Spices used in Indian Cuisine
Most people find it intimidating to cook Indian food because it has a wide range of spices used while cooking Indian cuisine. Spices are the establishment of Indian cooking. Homemade cooking can transform any dish into a delicious meal. According to the popular science institute, it is said that Indian spices were cultivated during the 8th century BC in the field of Babylon.
These types of varieties are known as the seven whole spices of India, which are cumin, coriander, turmeric, clove, cinnamon, cardamom and fenugreek. These whole spices are used for both cooking as well as health purposes, and many are used in herbal medicines. The spices like cardamom and cloves are used to chew after meals to digest properly.
Most of the spices are dry roasted to release their necessary moistture before being grounded to the spice mix. Today in this article, let us discuss the famous 5 essential whole spices which are necessary while making Indian dishes. They are as follows:
Cumin
Cumin is mostly used in whole and spice mixes to add a smoky flavour to Indian cuisine. It can be notified by its distinct ridged brown seeds and ultimate fragrance. Sometimes it is confused with fennel, anise and caraway seeds, but you can identify them by looking at their colour.
Cumin is specially used to give a smoky, intense flavour, but make sure that it burns easily while you dry roasted the seed. The burnt cumin tastes bitter and will notice when you present the dish. Toss the spice until your nose gets a smoky and intense fragrance, and then let it cool before mixing the spice.
Red Chilli
Red chili powder comes from a variety of chili pepper. Sometimes, it also comes with many other spices where it is known as chilli seasoning mix or chili powder blend. It is also used as a blended spice for adding flavour and a pungent taste to culinary dishes. It is used not only in Indian cuisines but also in Chinese, Bengali, Portuguese, Thai, Korean and American dishes. Sunrise has its own red chilly powder which comes with absolute fineness and purity. It can enrich the taste of any dish you add it to.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the main commonly used Indian spices which is extracted from the root of a plant called Curcuma Longa. It also contains chemical named curcumin that helps in the reduction of swelling. This spice has a warm and bitter taste and it is often used in flavouring or colouring curry powders, cheeses, butter and mustards.
Coriander seeds
Coriander seed is the most ubiquitous of spices that are used in the Indian spice rack. The traditional form of spices in the world is identified by its golden yellow colour and gently ridged texture. The seeds are very aromatic with citrus flavour. It is also said that the whole type of coriander can be used as a base for many spice mixes, and ground coriander can be used as one of the commonly used ground spices which are popular in Indian dishes. It is needed to be dry roasted until you can see the light golden brown colour of the seeds, and they start to dance and pop out in the pan.
Black pepper
Black pepper is originally native to India, and it is identified from the Western Ghats and the Malabar region. It is a very rigid and hard spice to grow and depends on many natural cycles. During the rainy season, the prices of pepper vary a lot. Black pepper is needed to toast before blending. For the best flavour, Sunrise black pepper can be used in many dishes.
It would be best if you always tried to store these whole spices in an airtight container in a dark and cool place. Keep them away from heat and light so that the spices will stay quite longer.