Whole Spices: The Key to Authentic Flavor
India grows about 50% of the spices found all over the world i.e 50-60 spices recognized by the ISO are grown in india. The story doesn't end here, indian cuisine broadly uses about 60 spices.
60 SPICES !! Now that's a lot of spices. I'll admit that as an indian I never realized the amount of various spices we use in our day to day life, it was something that came to us naturally or maybe from habit. Some spices are used occasionally, while others quite frequently and more often. Now the authentic flavours of indian cuisine can only be discovered and relished when you use these spices in their whole form, which is not something easily reproduced by a quick spice mix. As we often say, good things take time.
Roasting spices to build that flavour
Most dishes need you to fry the spices in a little oil or ghee or dry roast them before adding any ingredients (read: onions, chilli, ginger, garlic, etc) the flavour that is imparted by frying these spices is unmatched - although a lot of you might not be used to have whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, bay leaf in your food, this traditional method creates a depth of flavor that is simply unmatched.
Avoiding a 'Crunchy' Surprise: Tips from Indian Kitchens
I realize that a lot of people new to indian food, might not like the fact that there is something crunchy in their final dish. To avoid this issue , I've two solutions that many indians have been using for years and is a little secret for those special dishes that I will share with you today:
The first option, is to either take these whole spices , roast them slightly, grind them using your pestle mortar or grinder and add them at a later stage , not directly on the oil ideally ( atleast not for most dishes). this method can be used for example vegetable kadhai
The second option is to use a muslin cloth. Add your whole spices to a muslin cloth, add it to your dish while it cooks and let the spices release their aroma slowly into the food. At the end of cooking, you can take out the muslin cloth, This method is used mainly for biryanis.
Usually the method depends on the dish you want to cook and some dishes like a biryani include the combination of both these methods. But for a vegetable kadhai, it is not possible to use the muslin cloth method, but more the pestle mortar method.
In the recipe that we provide you with the kit, we specifically mention which method can be used for what dish and make your life easier !
From Overwhelming to Easy: Navigating the World of Indian Spices with Our Kits
For someone, who wants to try their hand at an indian dish but doesn't know where to get started. Our kits make it easy and lot less of a challenge for you. We get the exact quantity of spice you require to prepare your dish, no more buying the entire expensive package of spice just to use it once. This lets you prepare your dish, each time without wastage. Think of it as a trial period before you actually invest your money into something bigger. Isn't it the best of both worlds. Ready to explore the authentic flavors of India? Click here to get your custom spice kit today!
