More Spices The Better?

Masala, a ground spice mixture is perhaps the most common way of using Indian spices outside of India. Even the small supermarket close to our home sells garam masala and curry powder. It takes a little effort to combine spices at home, but there is a huge difference in aroma.

BLACK SALT (Kala namak)

Kala namak is a type of natural volcanic halite. It is a purplish/pink, salty and pungent smelling condiment mainly composed of sodium chloride. The odour is due to the sulphur content. Please, don’t get alarmed but the smell is sometimes described as similar to rotten eggs! As a matter of fact, kala namak is a necessary ingredient when making mock scrambled eggs with fresh paneer (cheese) and turmeric. In India, it is sprinkled over just about anything from fruits to savouries.

Kala Namak is considered a cooling spice in ayurvedic medicine and used as a laxative and digestive aid. It is also believed to relieve intestinal gas and heartburn.

In spite of this unflattering introduction, it is worth trying. It is such an interesting mineral, always found in my spice cabin. It does make a difference in salads, yogurt, fresh cheese and on the top of a watermelon slice!

CURRY LEAVES

Fresh curry leaves are something I would crawl to get if they were available anywhere in this God forsaken country. So far I’ve had to be grateful for and satisfied with the inferior, dry ones.

Curry leaves are used especially in South Indian cuisine. They are generally tempered with mustard seeds and hing, and added to dals, fresh coconut chutney or vegetable dishes. Tearing or crushing the leaves will enforce the release of essential oils.

The leaves are small, pointed and in clusters, giving out a strong, delightful aroma, faintly reminding that of citrus and anise.

Contrary to popular belief, the curry leaf is not the origin of curry powder. It is mainly a seasoning leaf, used in specific curries to provide tanginess. If I’m not mistaken, curry powder is an invention of Englishmen.

KALONJI

Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant, native to south and southwest Asia. The flowers are delicate, usually pale blue and white. The fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of three to seven united follicles, each containing numerous seeds. The seed is used as a spice.

Because there is so much confusion about the English name of this spice, let’s refer to it by the Hindi name kalonji. The seeds have hardly an odour, but when ground or sautéed they develop a smoky scent vaguely reminiscent of oregano. The taste is unique and slightly bitter.

Kalonji is well used in Bengali cuisine and known as kalo jeera (black cumin). It is not to be mixed up with caraway, jeera or a seed called black sesame. It is a part of a five-spice combination called panch phoron.

Although you may not be familiar with kalonji, you might have tasted it on the top of naan-bread without knowing. Also fritters, like pakora, and salty crackers are sometimes spiced with it.

Fennel, Fenugreek & Mustard

There is more to spices than pleasing the tongue. Each of them carries a role in a food consuming process. Some kick the appetite and some aid the digestion.

Spicing is a delicate skill. We can sense only a couple of tastes at a time. It takes practice to know which spices to combine. They support the main ingredients and create a mood, like a background music.

FENNEL (Saunf)

All parts of fennel are edible: root, stalk, leaves and fruits (seeds). Fennel seeds have a light green colour and a fresh, sweetly ethereal taste similar to anise and liquorice. Many Indian languages, including Bengali (mouri), contract the name for fennel from the Sanskrit origin, madhurika, which describes the sweet nature.

Fennel is noticeably sattvic spice. Sattivic means the mode of goodness. It supports qualities like peacefulness, equilibrium and sustainability; whereas passion infused seasonings, like chilli, promote action, change and greed.

Seeds are used whole or ground. Toasting them on a dry pan before grinding enhances the character. 

Mouri is an important part of Bengali cuisine, being an ingredient of panch phoron. It is a distinctive combination of five tastes: mustard seeds (or alternately radhuni), cumin, fenugreek, kalonji and fennel.

Fennel is a natural mouth freshener. It has many medicinal attributes. To boost digestion and to help disperse flatulence or relieve gastrointestinal cramps, seeds are chewed after meal.

FENUGREEK (Methi)

Fenugreek is an interesting spice. The seeds are a bit tricky to use because of their bitter nature that can overwhelm. However, bitter flavours are important in prompting bile, which aids digestion.

Green leaves (kasuri methi) are fresh and delicious, and used as herbs. Their fragrance slightly resembles lovage.

Technically fenugreek is a legume and belongs to the bean family (Trigonella foenumgracum). The seeds are easily sprouted and make a quick window garden around the year.

Dry-toasted fenugreek seeds have an altered, nutty flavour and reduced bitterness, provided care is taken not to overheat them. Generally they are toasted in a low heat or quickly tempered before being ground or added to food. If they turn reddish brown, the result is extremely bitter!

MUSTARD SEEDS (Rai)

Unlike the yellow mustard seeds used in French/European cuisine, I prefer the tiny ones with a dark brown colour. They have a faint spicy smell and a peppery, rustic taste. Their fiery temperament increases the body heat and passion. Besides the dark brown seeds, there is also a black variety that is most pungent.

The seeds are from the mustard plant, which is a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. The plant greens are delicious and used like spinach.

Mustard seeds are entertaining fellows! When tempered in a hot ghee or oil, they crack, pop and create mini-fireworks in the kitchen! As fun as it is to see, it can be hazardous, too. There has been a time or two that a piping hot seed has hopped right into my face. Please, be warned!

Mustard seeds are also used as garnishing. They are dry roasted or sautéed with chillies and fresh coconut and sprinkled on steamed vegetables, dal or savouries like dhokla or khandvi. They go well together with potatoes, cabbage and beans.

Coriander, Cumin & Turmeric

Before posting recipes, I would like to introduce some of the spices that are crucial to my kitchen craft. I’m used to mixing spices and extracting flavours, and forget they may not be common in European or Western cuisine. Is there such a thing as a Western kitchen? It is a fusion of various traditions. I guess I’m a child of that porridge!

CORIANDER (Dhania)

Having given cooking-courses for several years, I’ve noticed people either love or hate coriander. If there was a perfume made of it, I would be the first one to use. I love the fragrance, weather fresh (cilantro), dry-roasted or tempered in ghee. It is domestic, earthly, warm, nutty and vaguely citrus-like. The taste is mild and supportive, unless used in a larger quantity. South Indian rasam is an example of coriander taking a distinctive leading role in spicing.

In India, coriander is called dhania. The seeds are fruits of an annual herb. They have a golden or light brown colour. Sometimes you can get them so fresh that there is still a greenish hue. They have a crunchy texture and are easily ground into powder. Ground coriander loses flavour quickly in storage. Commercially packaged powder is worthless.

CUMIN (Jeera)

Cumin or jeera is a wonderful, versatile spice. I’m not alone with the opinion. Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world after black pepper. In India, jeera is common regardless the region. It has a unique, rather unrefined, resin-like, aroma. Pan roasted jeera tastes different from sautéed. Due to its medicinal properties, it is used as an ingredient in many home remedies and ayurvedic preparations. It is a digestive aid.

Cumin is the dried seed of the herb (Cuminum cyminum) that is a member of the parsley family. The seeds resemble, and are sometimes confused with, darker caraway (Carum carvi). Indian jeera has an oblong shape, a yellow-brown colour and is longitudinally ridged. In Bengal kalonji (nigella sativa) is called kalo jeera (black cumin) but it is a spice from a different plant family and has nothing to do with jeera.

TURMERIC (Haldi)

Turmeric is of an ancient origin, a native of South East Asia. It is used in religious rituals and cooking, and, being unsynthetic and cheap, as a dye for holy robes. It is, in fact, one of the cheapest spices. Although, as a dye, it is used similarly to saffron (kesari), the culinary uses of the two are not to be confused. Saffron cannot be replaced by turmeric in food recipes. They have different aromatic qualities.

Fresh turmeric is a dark orange root with a brownish skin. It is dynamite! If you have an important meeting ahead of you, don’t handle it with bare hands, unless you want to give an impression you’ve been chain-smoking non-stop for the past 25 years. In an instant it dyes whatever it comes in contact with, no questions asked. Until this day, I haven’t found a soap that would remove the stains. They will wear out naturally. Sunlight is a powerful remover. Therefore, always store turmeric out of sunlight (like the rest of your spices).

Fresh turmeric has a lovely taste. It is milder and softer than the dry powder. Too much powdered turmeric can ruin the dish. It gives out a stale and bitter taste if overdone. Always use turmeric in moderation. Even a small amount gives a dish a bright yellow hue.

Ginger & Indian Bay

Besides black pepper and hing, ginger and bay are spices I probably use the most in daily cooking. They constitute a base for many pulse, lentil and vegetable preparations.

I used to avoid bay leaves. They reminded me of the meat dishes I was served in childhood. A couple of years ago I attended a cooking class by a wonderful Bengali cook. Her expertise in spicing impressed me. Indian bay leaves found their rightful place in my kitchen vocabulary. They are here to stay!

GINGER

Ginger belongs to the plant family of turmeric and cardamom. It is a rhizome (rootstalk) with a yellowish hue. The strong flavour is caused by volatile oils that have antibacterial propensities. It is stimulating the production of saliva. A small pinch of fresh ginger is recommended before meal to enforce the digestive process. Ginger is used for medical and culinary purposes throughout the world.

Young roots are succulent and fleshy with a mild taste. The juice from the mature ones is potent. Dry ginger powder has a slightly different flavour. I can’t think of any other use for it right now than baking cakes and cookies, or boiling tea with lemon and honey. I prefer fresh ginger.

Fresh ginger is scraped or peeled before usage. There are two ways to temper ginger. The first one is to squeeze out the juice of finely grated root and place it in hot ghee or oil before adding other spices. The juice is preserved and mixed with a cooked, ready dish. It gives a subtle alternate aroma. Ginger juice is said to add lust when boiled. Those who wish to remain on a simple or less agitated side of life, benefit from this method. Also, moist ginger tends to stick to the bottom of a pan. Pressing out the juice prevents it.

The second method is to sauté other spices first. Grated ginger is added when they have popped and browned.

INDIAN BAY (Tejpata)

European bay leaves refer to the aromatic greens of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Indian bay leaves, tejpata or tamalapattra, are of different genus than the Mediterranean. They are bigger in size, olive green in colour, and impart a pleasant cassia- or cinnamon-like taste. The English translation would include Malabar cinnamon and Rose sandalwood.

Malabathrum is mentioned in the 1st century Greek texts as one of the major exports of Malabar area which is the present day Kerala coast. The leaves were used to prepare fragrant oil, oleum malabathri, and were valuable in ancient Greece and Rome.

Tejpata works wonders when sautéed together with ginger. It adds sweetness and richness to dishes.

My Stinky Love, Hing

Someone asked me recently if I were stranded on a desolate island, what I would take with me, food-wise. Without hesitation I answered: hing. It’s a spice I refuse to live without. Our relationship is a love-story of a lifetime. It is almost too good to be true. Even with my husband we’ve had our ups and downs, but never with hing! It has been a smooth ride for over 20 years.

It is a great compliment considering that hing does stink! I mean, really strongly. Although not a common spice in Finland, it has been known in folk medicine for centuries and gone by the name “pirunpaska”. A polished, less derogatory translation would be “devil’s dung”. Whatever that is, it gives a clear idea of the pungent, fetid odour. Fortunately, the smell fades away when hing is sautéed. It has a delicate, unique taste. Although it is lightly stimulating, it is not a fiery spice.

The ferula asafoetida plant hing is derived from is a native of Persia and India. Alexander the Great brought it to Europe, but it never became popular on the continent. However, it is one of the most widely used spices in India.

Because of the yoga-lifestyle, we omit onions, leeks and garlic from the diet. When consumed, they increase passion and ignorance on the subtle levels of awareness. They stir the mind and agitate the senses. Although hing has a similar taste with onions and contributes to the richness of palate, it lacks the unwanted effects. On the contrary, it is considered a balancing condiment. Among other qualities, it is known to decrease flatulence and constipation.

Dry hing has a dark amber color. Because it is a resin, it is hard. It has to be ground with a hammer, rock or mortar. When added to a drop of hot ghee, it evaporates a wonderful aroma. To find pure hing outside of India is difficult. It is often powdered and mixed with wheat or rice flour, and sold in boxes. The processing makes it yellow in color. Best known brands, at least of those available in Finland, are Indian Vandevi and British Natcho.

Because it is a powerful seasoning, it has to be used with care. Only a tiny quantity is added at a stretch. In excess, it has a bitter aftertaste and can ruin the dish. Raw hing is not preferred, but I’m often adding a pinch to a salad dressing anyway. It is just one of those things I cannot resist!

Because I’m using it daily, I want to dedicate a post-entry to it. If you don’t find it in your spice-cabin, don’t worry. I suppose there is life without hing. I just don’t know about it.

An update (2012): Recently I bought hing from a new brand and it smelled so bad that I couldn't use it. In all the recipes on this blog, I'm using Vandevi hing.