Indian Spices

Vasco de Gama sailed eastward from Portugal in 1497. Christopher Columbus sailed westward from Spain in 1492. Both expeditions had the same goal - India, the land of spices. Vasco de Gama did reach the port of Calicut, India in 1498. Portuguese were followed by French and British voyages. Eventually, British prevailed and transitioned from spice and other trades to rule of the land and occupied India for more than 300 years, changing the destiny of India.

On the other hand, Columbus landed on the unchartered territory of North America, believed he had landed in India and thus gave the term American Indians. As the word of this newfound land of vast landscape, natural beauty and resources spread to Europe, many more groups sailed to US and settled in USA, the land of immigrants. America eventually got its freedom from British Empire and became the most advanced and prosperous country in the world.

Indian spices were the driving force behind the rise of British Empire and discovery of America. Indian spices are as diverse and colorful as the people of India. If you enter an Indian kitchen, the aroma of the spices will make you crave for the delicious food. In addition to the color and flavor, each Indian spice has a unique value and health benefits. Some of the popular spices are cumin seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, chilies, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander-cumin powder, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, carom seeds, fennel seeds, tamarind, jaggery, saffron. Most of these are dry spices in whole or powdered form. There are also fresh ingredients which add spice and essence to Indian cooking - garlic, onion, ginger, green chilies, cilantro, curry leaves, coconut, mint, etc. Nuts like cashews, almonds, raisins, peanuts, pistachios are used more often to make sweets and desserts, but also in curries to add richness. Curry powder and garam masala are the most popular terms for Indian spices for people not familiar with Indian cooking. Both of these are mixes of some of the spices mentioned above.

India is a diverse nation with many cultures and food styles. The staple food can be rice, wheat, or a combination of rice or wheat. People could be vegetarian or Nonvegetarian. People in coastal states eat more fish than other meat. On the economic scale, people range from the poorest in the world to the richest in the world. You have fast-food joints, small restaurants and fancy upscale places. No matter where you are, if it is Indian food, there is bound to be the aroma of spices and mouth-watering dishes. Every style of cooking will have their favorite spices. For example, south Indian cooking uses coconut, tamarind, curry-leaves, red chilies and mustard seeds. People in north do not use coconut that often.

The most common method of cooking curries or lentils is to heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies; wait till the mustard is done popping and splattering, then add curry leaves and green chilies, add onion, garlic, ginger (either chopped or pureed) and then add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander-cumin powder. Saute the mix till it is well-cooked, oil starts to separate from the mix and the flavor has filled the kitchen. Then, add your lentils or vegetables and let it simmer and cook. The proportion of the ingredients varies as per your taste and you can experiment with it as you go. Cooking is more of an art than science. You can add the delicious lentil or vegetable with chapattis (Indian bread) or with rice.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, explorers from the world were travelling to India for its spices. Now, Indians and their spices have travelled and settled all over the world. No matter where you are, you can get the ingredients and create your delicious meal to add a little spice to your life. If you don't cook at home, then remember these spices when you are savoring an Indian dish at a party or restaurant.

Indian,Spices

Bina Mehta is President of Fairoaks Toastmasters Club. She has been a toastmaster since January 2008 and has completed Competent Communicator manual. She would like to share her experience as a Toastmaster via a series of articles. She is also PMP and CBAP certified IT professional.