For the love of SPICES

Peep into my profound nostalgia and you will find a modest household in Kerala reeking with the waft of rich cardamom, subtle cinnamon and feisty black pepper. Yes, I, like everyone of us, had a childhood remarkably scented by the fresh spices from my mother’s kitchen!!

Spices often defined as ‘strongly flavored aromatic dried seeds, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance’ are the most generously used ingredient in the sub-tropical regions like India. (Not that I would discount its character globally, because if we were to go back in the history, Spices have the most vivid evolution from the home kitchens to the mummified Pharaoh’s tomb!!)

India better known as the Land of Spices,can impart magic to any bland dish with the versatility of its Spices. I think of this sometimes when I’m reading the unconventional or modern cooking methods recommended by our pioneering gastronomists , depicting rich spices as a potential health hazard. And I think why we are propagating a bland, tasteless lifestyle which is so contrary to our natural genomes. How is it that we tolerate a lack of flavor?

I as a Chef strongly believe that Spices when used in right proportions compliment the texture of food and enhance the flavor without masking the original ingredients in the preparation. My piece of advice to fellow Chefs remains ‘choose your spices carefully and use them in right proportion to achieve desired flavor and color’.      

For any Indian meal, spices are used for its characteristic requirements, For instance it can be used as a flavor enhancer to the curries or a coloring agent in 'Dastarkhwan' (when used in checked quantity) or for the medicinal values to heal  ailments.

With the country as vast and diverse like India ,the cuisine changes in every 100 km and the major change are the spices. Every state and its cuisine have its own distinct nature of spices that also defines their food, For instance Lucknowi and Awadhi food uses lot of sweet spices making the cuisine rich on palate. But in states like Tamil Nadu spices used are sharper, giving the cuisine a distinct feisty character. However in few regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat one can observe the usage of milder spices like cumin, fennel, coriander because of less meat in local food habits and soaring climatic conditions, making the cuisine light and healthy for digestion. 

Indian spices have amazing medicinal properties, and the popular ancient Indian medicinal practice Ayurveda employs these wonder spices for various kinds of healing, with no side effects! For instance, researches have proved now that turmeric (active ingredient: curcumin) has anti-cancer, anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties. Warm turmeric-milk is extremely effective against indigestion and sore throat.

Similarly, cloves have healing properties for toothache, gum decay, asthma and acidity. Fenugreek seeds help in easing any kind of pain and are given in plenty to women after child delivery. Ginger is very effective against cough and colds. On the other hand, cumin is known for its healing properties against indigestion and other stomach problems. Other Spices like peppercorn, dry ginger, cinnamon, anise, mustard etc are the suggested ingredients in  winter food.

And if you are on a quest to find that perfect spice for your recipe, my cue to you is ‘Easily available seasonal spices are fresh and aromatic and they will enhance as well as compliment your food preparation to the desired outcome.’

 Enjoy cooking seasonal food with seasonal spices, it will keep you healthy and fit