Introduction to Indian food

Introduction to Indian food

Think of India and one of the first things that comes to mind is its diversity. A large country, its population is second only to China, its languages are numerous and every state (of which there are 28 and seven Union territories) is unique in its traditions and very importantly, its food. In fact, food from one region may actually be totally alien to a person from another region! The common thread that runs through most Indian food though, is the use of numerous spices to create flavor and aroma.

Indians take their food very seriously. Cooking is considered an art and mothers usually begin to teach their daughters and pass down family recipes by show-and-tell, fairly young in life. Mealtimes are important occasions for family to get together. Most meals comprise of several dishes ranging from staples like rice and breads to meat and vegetables and rounded off with a dessert. In a lot of Indian homes, foods are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. For example, some families buy their favorite type of wheat, wash it, dry it in the sun and then take it in to a flourmill to have it ground into flour exactly the way they like, as opposed to buying flour from a store! This is changing in bigger cities where people have increasingly hectic lives and are happy to use ready-to-eat, pre-made ingredients.

Role of spices in Indian cookery

It’s hard to imagine cooking without spices. Spices are natural flavouring elements most often in dried form but sometimes fresh. A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavouring. So accustomed are we to the richness of flavour, vibrancy of colour and the delicacy of aroma that the food we eat would be sadly lacking without these vital ingredients. Cooking with spices goes a long way to achieving a cook’s desire to serve delicious food. Today’s enthusiasm of trying different foods and flavours lies behind much of the growth in the availability of spices.

The role of spices in cooking has never been in question. Spices have been traded for over 7,000 years and played a major role in the development of Civilization. Wars were fought and lands explored and colonised in an attempt to find new ways of obtaining spices from the Orient and gaining control of established routes. The great thing is the availability of good spices now. Spices tend to be associated with cooking to enrich and give a distinctive depth of colour and flavour to food. Different spices like basic spices including powder spices and whole spices are often used together to wonderful flavours to certain styles of cooking. Spices add a whole new dimension to cooking. Each of these spices has its own distinctive colour and flavour. Indian spices have been used for hundreds of years to flavour food. We must salute to the role that these foodstuffs play in our cooking. Let us give them the respect they deserve and allow them to provide the maximum flavour and pleasure they can to our cooking.

Fresh ground spices are the order of the day in any home and will be chosen according to the nature of the dish, season, and family. The role of spices goes beyond cooking.  Ayurveda prescribes spices for curative and therapeutic functions. Most spices used in cooking are very healthy, and make the digestion process much easier. Spices have been used to make the food last longer in the days when refrigerators were not available. Integral to cooking all year round, spices are supremely important to have in your kitchen. Spices are high in flavour yet low in fat, calories and sodium. Spices offer the opportunity to explore new tastes.

Indian food is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices. Each single spice used in Indian cuisines carries some or the other dietary as well as medicinal properties. Spices are frequently used to heighten culinary appeal. Spices are also used in large amount in the kitchens for flavouring and preserving food. Spices not only flavour and improve the taste of the food, but supply us with many nutritional prophylactic substances. Recent scientific studies have revealed the important role these spices play in maintaining good health. Apart from adding colour, flavour and taste, consumption of spices provide infinite health benefits. Spices are used for many home remedies.  You can be more creative in use of spices if you know its uses better.

Having the right spices and ingredients in your kitchen will help you start your journey into the wonderful world of cuisine. Spices play an integral role in cooking. Many spices also have medicinal properties and are used for many home remedies. In use, ground spices do have certain well-established advantage over other forms of seasoning. We   primarily depend on spices for flavour and fragrance as well as colour, preservation and inherent medicinal qualities. Spices  have  played  a  vital  role  in  world  trade,   due  to  their varied  properties   and  applications.

Spices are consistent in flavour and have a much longer shelf- life. They are easier to store and are not affected by bacterial contamination. They can be blended and used as per individual choices. They release their flavour fully on cooking or adding to the food and retain their flavour for a long time. It is said that some spices have antioxidant potential equal to fresh produce and can further reduce the risk of developing heart disease and certain cancers. Even leading dieticians agree that spices must be included in one’s diet to enhance the flavour of food and make it more interesting and may provide long-term health benefits. They can be conveniently added to day to day cooking, are inexpensive, are readily available and always in season, and by their essence, highly palatable and easily consumed”.

The Right Ways to Use Spices in Cookery

Same recipe cooked by different people tastes different. Cooking is a skill, an art which one can learn by experimenting and using different spices and herbs. There is a whole range of spices to choose from but one has to know these spices and their correct usage.

Spices add flavor, colour and taste to a dish. One has to understand the right ways to use these spices. Always use herbs and spices discretely, more does not mean more taste, it can spoil the taste of the food.

Ways to add spices to Food for maximum flavor:

•  Use spices and herbs to improve the natural aroma of the food, do not mask the flavor.
•  Crush dry herbs just before adding these to the food. This gives a better flavor. Fresh herbs must be added at the end of the cooking for maximum aroma.
•  Do not use two strong flavoured herbs together. Always use one strong flavoured and one herb or spice with mild flavor.
•  While removing spices or herbs from the container use a dry spoon.
•  To get a blended flavor add herbs at the beginning of the cooking. But if you want a distinctive flavor then add herbs at the end of cooking.
•  Whole spices are best to use in dishes that take long to cook as these discharge the flavor slowly.
•  Ground herbs and spices give out flavor very easily and fast. In dishes that take long to cook like curries and stew, add ground spices towards the end of the cooking.
•  Foods that are not cooked or cold dishes like salads, fruits and juices, add spices and herbs many hours before the food is served to allow the flavous to blend well with the food.
•  While following a recipe, if you increase the quantity two times do not use double the amount of spices, add only 50% more.

spices used in indian cookery with names

List of Indian spices

Image	Standard English	Indian English	Hindi
	Alkanet[disambiguation needed]root	Ratin jot	रातीं जोट
	Aniseed[1]	Suwa or Shopa	सुव्वा / शोप
	Asafoetida	Hing	हींग
	Yellow pepper	Laal simala Mirchi	Red capcicum
	Black cardamom	Kali Elaichi	काली इलाइची
	White pepper	Safed Mirchi	सफ़ेद मिर्च
	Black pepper	Kali Mirchi	काली मिर्च
	Peppercorns	Kali Mirch	काली मिर्च
	Black Cumin not kala zeera/kalonji	Shah Jeera	शाही जीरा
	Capers	Kachra	कचरा, कब्र, करेर
	Capsicum	Shimla Mirch	शिमला मिर्च
	Celery / radhuni seed	Ajmud	अज्मुद,अज्मोदा
	Charoli	Chironji	चिरोंजी
	Indian bay leaf, bay leaf	Tej Patta	तेज पत्ता
	Cinnamon buds	Naaga Keshar	नाग केशर
	Cinnamon	Dalchini	दालचीनी
	Citric acid	Saji na phool	सजी न फूल
	Cloves	Laung	लवंग / लौंग
	Coriander powder	Dhania powder/ Pisa Dhania	धनिया पाउडर/पिसा धनिया
	Coriander seed	Dhania/hara dhaniya	धनिया
	Cubeb	Kebab Cheeni / Kabab Chini	कबाब चीनी
	Cumin seed grounded into balls	Jeera Goli	ज़ीरा गोली
	Cumin seed	Jeera	ज़ीरा
	Curry tree or sweet neemleaf	Kadipatta (Currypatta)	करीपत्ता / कढ़ीपत्ता
	Fennel seed	Saunf/Sanchal	सौंफ / संचल
	Fenugreek leaf	Kasoori Methi Dried	कसूरी मेथी
	Fenugreek leaf	Methi leaves	मेथी पत्ता
	Fenugreek seed	Methi seeds	मेथी दाना
	Four seeds	Char Magaj	तरबूज खरबूज ककडी पैंठे के बीज
	Garcinia gummi-gutta	Kudampuli
	Garam masala	Garam masala/Kadha Masala	गरम मसाला
	Garcinia indica	Kokum	कोकम,
	Garlic	Lahsun	लहसुन
	Ginger	Adrak	अदरक
	Dried ginger	Sonth	सोंठ
	Green cardamom	Chhoti Elaichi	छोटी इलाइची
	Indian Bedellium Tree	Gugul, Guggul	गुगल, गु्ग्गल
	Indian gooseberry	Amla	आँवला
	Black salt	Kala Namak / Sanchal	काला नमक / संचल
	Kalpasi	Pathar Ka Phool	पत्थर के फूल
	Licorice powder	Jethimadh	जेठीमध
	Long pepper	Pippali	पिप्पलि
	Mango extract	Camiki	कामिकी
	Sour dried mango powder	Aamchur/Amchoor powder	आमचूर / अमचुर
	Mint	Pudina	पुदीना
	Mustard seed	Sarson	सरसों,
	Brown mustard seed	Rai	राई
	Nigella seed	Kalonji	कलोंजी
	Nutmeg	Jaiphal	जैफल/जायफल
	Mace	Javitri	जावित्री
	Holy basil	Tulsi	तुलसी
	Panch Phoron	Panch Phoron	पञ्च फोरन
	Pomegranate seed	Anardana	अनारदाना
	Poppy seed	Khus Khus	खस-खस
	Saffron pulp	Kesar mari mari	केसर मिरी मिरी,
	Saffron	Kesar, mayur	केसर, जाफरान
	Salt	Namak	नमक
	Sesame seed	Til	तिल
	Star anise	Chakra Phool	चक्र फूल, बदल फुल
	Tamarind	Imli	इमली
	Carom/thymol seed	Ajwain	अज़वाइन
	Turmeric	Haldi	हल्दी
	Fresh basil	Tulsi	तुलसी
	Fresh coriander	Hara dhaniya	हरा धनिया
	Green chili pepper	Hari Mirch	हरी मिर्च
	Gum tragacanth	Katira Goond	कटीरा गोंद
	Inknut Terminalia chebula	Harad / Harr /Haritaki	हरद
	Red chili pepper	Lal Mirchi	लाल मिर्च