Indian condiments and spices

Indian culinary experts put in food a variety of condiments and spices, for example, coriander, badon, cardamom, nutmeg, various kinds of peppers, cloves, caraway, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, garlic, fenugreek, ginger, mustard, cayenne pepper, fennel ...

You can, of course, add seasonings and spices insuch combinations and in such quantity, as fantasy will tell. But in Indian cuisine there are already "well-established" mixtures of seasonings with a taste and aroma that has been tested for years. These include curry and garam masala.

ABOUT curry season, probably, everyone heard. Many curry is associated with something sharp, but there are also many inconsistent versions of the mixture. A distinctive feature of curry is not an acute taste, but an intense characteristic aroma.

The precise composition of the curry seasoning is not, unchanged in all versions is only one component - turmeric, used because of its intense color and magnificent flavor. But the taste of turmeric is slightly pronounced and even slightly unpleasant, so in curry and add other seasonings and spices.

Typically in India, curry is prepared from fresh ingredients right before being put into a dish, and select ingredients to taste. And outside of India, curry seasoning is sold in the form of a powder, and its composition depends on the manufacturer.

What seasonings and spices can be a part of curry? The most commonly used spices (except turmeric, which enters curry "by default") is coriander, red and black pepper, cardamom and zira (cumin). Besides these spices, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek, mustard, sweet-scented pepper, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, paprika, azhon, fennel are sometimes put in curry.

In addition, some manufacturers in curry composition include salt (so that the dish does not need to be salted additionally) and Sodium glutamate. Glutamate sodium is a nutritional supplement that does not have its own taste, but it increases the sensitivity of the receptors of the tongue, thereby enhancing the taste sensations.

Another famous Indian spice mix is garam masala. Literally this phrase is translated as an "acute mixture," but by the word "sharp" it does not mean the actual sharpness, but rather the richness of the taste.

As in the case of curry, There is no single recipe here: in different regions, the composition of the masala gurus includes different spices and spices in different proportions, and no recipe is more correct than the other.

If we try to derive a certain "average" typical composition of the ghara masala, it will include such spices: pepper (white and black), cumin seeds (white and black) and coriander, cardamom pods (green, black and brown), nutmeg (walnut and leaves), carnation, cinnamon, baden.

Usually the components fry in a dry cast-iron frying pan (each separately) for about 15 minutes, and then mix and grind (you can use, for example, a coffee grinder). In some recipes the mixture is dry, and in some cases it is a paste, for which the spices are mixed with water, vinegar, coconut milk or other liquids. In garam masala can add onions, garlic, nuts and other ingredients.

Note that if you are preparing Indian spice mixtures yourself, for their preparation you need to use only quality spices and condiments. Keep the spicy mixture in a hermetically sealed container, preferably glass (not porous), then they will retain their taste and aroma for a long time.

Indian spices and spices can be added to almost any dish: meat, fish, vegetables, soups and dishes from legumes. Curry and garam masala will add to the familiar dishes new shades of taste, and you can mentally transfer to the hot mysterious India.