Be it any Indian dish- it’s incomplete without the essence of Indian spices. Each of these spices has a unique taste and aroma which it infuses to the dishes. The secret of any delectable Indian dish lies in the zest of these spices only. A large variety of these spices is available in the market- basic spices, blended spices, whole spices, specialty spices, powder spices and many more.
Now, each of this spice range also stands for different purposes. If you want to add an authentic aroma to your food, go for the roasted whole spices. Here are some essential whole spices you need to become a master chef of your home.
1. Whole cardamom
Green and black- two variants of cardamoms are present in the Indian spice market. Green cardamom is known to have a taste that blends well with sweets and desserts whereas the black cardamom has much stronger and spicier flavours. Black cardamom is used mostly in garam masala and not the desserts. As the pod of this cardamom is a bit spicier than its seeds, it’s advisable to remove the pods when used.
2. Cumin seeds
Cumin seeds are very easy to distinguish in your dish due to its unique taste and fragrance. More or less same in appearance to caraway and fennel, cumin seeds are of dense brown color. In most of the Indian dishes, cumin seeds are put during the tempering only, so that it easily spreads in the entire recipe. While using them, keep in mind is that they burn very quickly and get bitter in taste.(Buy Vasant cumin seeds)
3. Cloves
With a very unique taste and shape, cloves hold a very strong aroma. It has an unusual taste which is why it can’t be added to all the recipes. You need to wisely choose your dishes in which you can add it. You can add it to certain rice dishes, curries, khichdi, etc.
4. Black pepper
Black pepper is one of the most expensive of all spices as their production depends upon a lot of factors. There was an era when it was as expensive as gold and so, was called the ‘Black Gold’. Add this whole spice to your dishes to enhance its spice factor. You may also roast it, grind, store and add the black pepper powder as and when required.
So, what is going to be your next dish using these whole spices?