Common Indian Spices and Their Uses
India has been a land of spices, and even right now, most of the wholesale spice suppliers are from India. No wonder Indian cuisines use many spices in different forms, from whole to powdered and paste. Spices are the soul of Indian dishes, giving them that delicious flavour.
If you are a fan of Indian dishes and want to make them at home, here are some common spices you would use.
Asafoetida
Asafoetida, called hing in Hindi, is a hardened resin extracted from the root of the Ferula assafoetida plant. Hing is always used in powdered form, in a very small amount. The powder has an extremely intense, garlic-like sulphuric aroma, toned down by oil frying with oil.
Black Pepper
Black pepper was called black gold in ancient and mediaeval Europe. However, Indian dishes use this spice in abundance, as it is native to the region. Black pepper is a little round, dried berries often used as whole or powdered to give dishes a hot and peppery flavour.
Cloves
Cloves are small, dried flower buds and another common spice in Indian cuisine. These tiny flower buds are highly aromatic and make a common ingredient in an Indian spice blend called garam masala. Often used as whole or powdered, cloves impart a warm, sweet, and intense flavour to dishes.
Coriander Seeds & Leaves
Coriander seeds are small seeds with a sweet, lemony flavour. They are usually blended and mixed with other spices to make garam masala. Fresh coriander leaves, or cilantro, are a common Indian spice that gives dishes that fresh citrusy flavour.
Cumin
There are two varieties of cumin seeds: white and black. White cumin seeds, not to be confused with caraway or nigella seeds, have a distinctive aroma with a warm, strong, and earthy flavour capable of hiding any gamey flavour in the meat. Its black counterpart has a slightly milder, nutty flavour, often used in North Indian cuisines.
Star Anise
Star Anise, chakra phul in Hindi, is a star-shaped, dark pod containing seeds. It is usually drily roasted, grounded in powder, or fried in oil. It has a nice liquorice flavour and works wonderfully with meat dishes and masala chai.
Cardamom
Like cumin, cardamom also comes in two varieties: green and black. Green cardamom is more common. It has small black seeds, which impart a sweet, lemony flavour. On the other hand, black cardamom has a different flavour than green. They have a strong, smoky, camphor-like flavour and are quite warm and aromatic in nature.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a sweet rolled bard of a cinnamon tree, not to be confused with a cheaper version – cassia rolls. It is also a common Indian spice in a spice mix called garam masala. It has a strong sweet flavour that enhances the taste of various dishes, from savoury soups to sweet porridge.
Mace
Mace is a dried fruit that surrounds nutmeg seeds. It is peppery with more volatile flavours than nutmeg. Mace is more commonly used as a powder and added to a garam masala. It goes perfectly with biryani, savoury soups, and meat dishes.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a seed of the nutmeg fruit. It has a slightly bitter-sweet flavour. However, it has a strong aroma and can overpower the flavour; hence it is always used grated in sweet and savoury dishes.
Ginger
Ginger is a common Indian spice, used both dried powdered and fresh whole. It gives a strong, intense, and spicy flavour to Indian dishes. Fresh ginger is often minced or julienned to garnish on top. And dry ginger is often used in powdered form. However, the powdered form is not as prevalent as a fresh one.
Indian Bay Leaf
There are various varieties of bay leaves. Indian variety should not be confused or substituted with European laurel bay leaves. These are two different spices with different flavours. Indian bay leaves have a faint cinnamon flavour and are often fried in oil to release the aroma and flavour.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the common Indian spices ubiquitous in Indian cuisine. It is often used in a powdered form and gives dishes a beautiful golden colour and warm, earthy, peppery flavour. But be careful when using turmeric powder. Here little is more, and too much turmeric can ruin the dish.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds are small seeds having a resemblance to fennel. These seeds have a warm, aromatic, liquorice-like flavour similar to star anise but milder. Fennel seeds are used as a spice in various spice mixes and sweet dishes. Moreover, they are also used as a mouth freshener.
Red Chilli Powder
Red chilli powder is the most common spice not just in Indian cuisine but worldwide. It is the reason red chilli powder is most commonly purchased in bulk from Indian spices exporters. There are a variety of chillies in India, all differing in hotness and hence used for different purposes. For example, Kashmiri red chillies are milder than others and are often used to give colour rather than flavour.
Black Mustard Seeds
Black mustard seeds are native to the Indian region. This variety of mustard has an intensely warm and nutty flavour than its other counterparts, like brown and yellow. These seeds are often used in tempering daals.
Black Indian Salt
Black salt is an Indian volcanic rock salt with a sulphur smell. This salt is low on sodium and makes it a great substitute for people on a low-sodium diet (advised to consult a doctor before using it).
Curry Leaves
Curry leaves are also used when tempering daals and other dishes. The leaves are usually used fresh. However, dry leaves can also be used.
Fenugreek Seeds & Leaves
Fenugreek is also another common spice in Indian cuisine. Both seeds and leaves can be used in the dish. Leaves are often dried. They have a slightly sweet, intense flavour with a bitter hint. Fenugreek seeds are used in small amounts by roasting them.
Dry Mango Powder
Dry mango powder is made of raw mangoes and has the same tangy flavour. The powder is used in various dishes, but most commonly, it is used as an ingredient in chaat masala.
Saffron
It is the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron, commonly called Kesar in Hindi, is used in sweet dishes like kheer and ras malai and spicy dishes like biryani to give golden colour and nice flavour.
