I have been missing from Blogger for quite some time and now that I am back, I will be regular in posting some of the most delectable recipes from the incredible country called India. I would start with a list of spices which are found and used in the Kitchen across.
This list is in no way complete, and I would be updating this as regularly as possible. If there is something which I missed, do let me know by means of comments and I will update is at the earliest.
| Indian Name | English Name | Comments |
| Adrak | Ginger | Used
as fresh and also Dried Powder form, see "Sonth" |
| Aamchur/Amchoor powder | Sour mango powder | gives fish curries tartness |
| Ajmud | Celery / radhuni seed | |
| Ajwain | Carom/thyme seed | |
| Amla | Indian gooseberry | |
| Anardana | Pomegranate seed | Dried not fresh. Is ground in Middle East. |
| Bazil / Basil | Fresh basil | |
| mayur Badam | Almond | |
| Choti Elaichi | Green cardamom | Malabar variety is native to Kerala. |
| Badi Elaichi | Black cardamom | Very earthy and darkly aromatic. |
| Chakra Phool | Star anise | Exotic, Chinese influenced flavors |
| Char Magaz | Four seeds | Seeds
of Water melon, musk melon,cucumber and pumpkin, |
| Chironji | Charoli | a type of nut particularly used in making desserts |
| Camiki | Mango extract | |
| Dalchini | Cinnamon | Grown
commercially in Kerala in southern India. Two types, cassia (common) and royal. |
| Dhania/hara dhaniya | Coriander seed | |
| Garam masala/Kadha Masala | Spice mixture | Blend
of 8+ spices. Each family has their own secret recipe. |
| Gulab Jal | Rose water | Flavors desserts. Heavily used in Middle East. |
| Gur | Jaggery (unrefined sugar) | from the sap of the sugarcane or date palm |
| Haldi | Turmeric | Source of "yellow color" in many curries. |
| Hara dhaniya | Fresh coriander | Fresh green leaves. AKA Cilantro. |
| Harad / hime | Terminalia chebula | |
| Hari Mirch | Green chili pepper | |
| Dhania powder/ Pisa Dhania | Coriander powder | |
| Hing | Asafoetida | Intensely aromatic - related to Truffle and Garlic |
| Imli | Tamarind | Provides tartness in South Indian curries |
| Jaiphal | Nutmeg | Whole nuts last forever. Powder, only a month. |
| Javitri | Mace | Mace is outer covering to nutmeg nut. Similar aroma. |
| Jeera | Cumin seed | See Kali Jeera. |
| Jeera Goli | Cumin seed grounded into balls | |
| Jethimadh | Licorice powder | |
| Kachra | Capers | also known as Kabra, Karer in Hindi |
| Kadipatta | Curry tree or sweet neem leaf | Cannot retain flavor when dried. Only use fresh. |
| Kaju | Cashew nut | |
| Kala Namak / Sanchal | Black salt | Rock salt, but with very sulfury smell. |
| Kali Elaichi | Black cardamom | Earthy, much used in North Indian curries. |
| Kali Mirchi | Black pepper | Largest producer is the southern Indian state of Kerala. |
| Kalonji | Nigella seed | ?????? |
| Kasoori Methi Dried | Fenugreek leaf | |
| Katira Goond | Gum tragacanth | A thickener and coating for desserts |
| Kebab Cheeni / Kabab Chini | Cubeb | Tastes of Clove + Persistent Mild Numbing + Bitterness |
| Kesar, mayur | Saffron | World's most expensive spice. Flavoring for rice. |
| Kesar mari mari | Saffron pulp | Actually, safflower concentrate |
| Khajur | Dates | |
| Kokum | Garcinia indica | |
| Khus Khus | Poppy seed | |
| Kudampuli | Garcinia gummi-gutta | Used in fish preparations of Kerala |
| Lahsun | Garlic | |
| Lal Mirchi | Red chili pepper | |
| Lavang | Cloves | Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are largest producers in India. |
| Kali Mirch | Peppercorns | |
| Methi leaves | Fenugreek leaf | |
| Methi seeds | Fenugreek seed | |
| Naaga Keshar | Cinnamon buds | |
| Namak | Salt | |
| Nimbu | Lemon / Lime | |
| Pudina | Mint | |
| Pyaz / Kanda | Onion | |
| Panch Phoron | Panch Phoron | This
is a Bengali spice mix that combines aniseed, cumin, fenugreek, mustard and nigella. |
| Pathar Ka Phool | Kalpasi | Also known as black stone flower |
| Pippali | Long pepper | |
| Peeli Mirchi | Yellow pepper | |
| Rai | Brown mustard seed | |
| Ratan jot | Alkanet root | Natural Food Coloring agent used to produce an orange color |
| Safed Mirchi | White pepper | |
| Saji na phool | Citric acid | |
| Sarson | Mustard seed | |
| Sarson Oil | Mustard oil | |
| Saunf/Sanchal | Fennel seed | |
| Syah Jeera | Black Cumin | Smaller
in size than regular cumin. Often mistaken as Caraway seed. Though English translation is Black Cumin, the term black cumin is also used as English translation of Nigella sativa, (kalonji) |
| Sirka | Vinegar | |
| Soa sag | Dill | |
| Sonth | Dried ginger | mostly powdered |
| Suwa or Shopa | Aniseed | |
| Tej Patta | Indian bay leaf, bay leaf | Both
Indian bay leaf and bay leaf are similar and called as Tej Patta in Hindi. however, they are from two different species and have differences in taste |
| Til | Sesame seed | |
| Tulsi | Holy basil | |
| Shimla Mirch | Capsicum | |
| Kala Zeera | Black cumin | Sweet, floral and smoky cumin and anise-like flavor. |
No comments:
Post a Comment