Great Spices and Herbs of the Indian Subcontinent, Part 1
The people of the Indian subcontinent are not shy about the use of spices in their recipes. More and more, people in other parts of the world are discovering the cooking techniques and flavors of far off lands on a regular basis, instead of just on an occasional visit to a restaurant. Such is true with the foods of the Indian subcontinent, and with the spices and herbs that go into providing those foods with their lively, and often fiery, flavors.
I once made my own naan bread, but I also saw it made in a real Indian tandoor oven in an Indian restaurant here in Cleveland about 1979 or 1980. The place had Indian food displayed right in the window, but it's been so long ago, I just forget everything. That got me interested in Indian food and history, which then was reinforced by the movie "Gandhi" in the early 1980s.
This is most certainly not an all inclusive list of herbs and spices used on the Indian subcontinent, but it will more than adequately cover a wide swath of recipes from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as provide good coverage of many recipes of some other countries of southern Asia. I've tried to add other names for many of the spices and herbs, but the Indian subcontinent is home to MANY languages and dialects, literally hundreds of languages and dialects,* and what is called a particular name in one area, may be called by a totally different name in another region, and by still another name a little further from that, so I'm not claiming that the forms I've listed are the definitive terms.
Asafoetida-also called "Hing"-a light yellow powder (you might also find it in chunks in some specialty stores or shops). It is from a plant related to fennel. It is known for its strong smell, and it is usually sold in jars with a small sealed opening that has to be punctured to sprinkle the contents, then another top on the jar seals off the opening to keep the smell from escaping. Used in a number of vegetarian recipes by first putting just a small amount in hot oil for just a couple of seconds, which totally mellows the smelly spice.
Black Peppercorns-also called "Kali Mirch," peppercorns are commonly used in many countries, so they are readily available. The popularity of cooking shows on American television in the last couple of decades has made the use of pepper mills to grind peppercorns much more common than they had been, although I'm sure the already ground black pepper in cans still sells very well. Grinding your own pepper makes the pepper fresh and more flavorful and you can make the grind as you want it, from coarse to fine. Peppercorns are also used whole, at times, in certain recipes in various cultures.
Black Salt-also called "Kala Namak," is a type of salt with a sulfur smell. I have black salt from Hawaii, and it is in small granules, which are truly black in color. I also have a package of black salt from India, and it is mainly powdered, but with some small pieces of the salt left in. It is sort of a light purple or pink color.
Cardamom- also called "Elaichi," can be bought in brown or light green to grayish colored pods that contain seeds that are used to flavor a variety of dishes, among which are sweet dishes and baked goods, including such outside of the Indian subcontinent. Some recipes call for whole cardamom pods to be used and the pods are cracked or smashed first, as this allows the flavor of the seeds inside the pods to season the cooking food (the pods themselves are not eaten). Cardamom is also sold in ground form, which has a gray color. The ground form is readily available in supermarkets and spice shops, while the whole pods are available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and likely some spice shops. The seeds are also sold, but I have never bought cardamom that way.
Chaat Masala is a ground spice mixture, and thus its ingredients vary. Readily available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and in some spice shops.
Chilies-both fresh and dried. You'll see a number of recipes call for "green chilies," and green jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine. Other recipes will call for red chilies, and fresh cayenne chilies are great in this role. Often too, recipes call for dried red chilies, and you want to get dried chilies that give heat and flavor. A number of months ago I bought a bag of dried red chilies, but they turned out to be useless, as the chilies had neither heat nor much flavor. The best thing is that once you find a good dried chili product, stick with it, but unless you fix food with chilies on virtually a daily basis, or unless you regularly fix food for a 10,000 person military base nearby, you're not going to be buying dried chilies every other week. If you go to an Indian/Pakistani grocery store, I suggest you buy the dried chilies there, and give Kashmiri dried chilies a try from there too. They are a deep red color, with moderate heat. Some recipes may say to soak the dried chilies in water, while others may say to put the chilies into hot oil for a minute or so, before adding other ingredients and proceeding with the recipe.
Chili powder (of the Indian subcontinent)-This is not the chili powder used to make Texas or Southwestern chili, but rather it is ground red chilies, like what we call "Cayenne pepper," or "ground red pepper." It is hot, and it's supposed to be. Cayenne pepper is, of course, readily available in just about any store, and you may well already have some on hand in your kitchen cabinet.
Cilantro-also known as "coriander" or "green coriander," or "Hara dhaniya," is an herb readily available in supermarkets or produce stores. Also common in Mexican and other Latino cooking in the U.S., where the name "cilantro" is most often used.
Cinnamon-also called "Darchini," is typically used in curled cinnamon stick form on the Indian subcontinent, although the ground form is much more common in the U.S. Further, cinnamon comes from a few variety of trees, and there are differences in how strong the taste is. What is termed "true cinnamon," or "Ceylon cinnamon" is touted as the best variety health wise, but it is also much more expensive. Typically the cheaper cinnamon, called "Cassia" is what you get in supermarkets or grocery stores, and it is no less "true cinnamon" than the Ceylon type, except by name. Readily available in any store that sells spices, but the Ceylon cinnamon will more likely be found in good spice or health food stores, or in Indian/Pakistani grocery shops.
Cloves, also known as "Laung," are another spice often used on the Indian subcontinent in whole form, although the ground form is readily available. Cloves are actually the powerfully flavorful and aromatic bud of a tropical tree flower. The taste of cloves can overwhelm a dish if you aren't careful, so use sparingly in either the whole form or the ground form. Readily available in just about any store that sells spices.
Coconut milk-This is the product of coconut flesh and water, not the coconut water from the coconut itself. It is used in sweet dishes. It is easily found in cans in many stores, including Latino shops and Indian/Pakistani shops.
Coriander-also known as "Dhaniya," is often used in the seed form on the Indian subcontinent, where it is first roasted briefly and then ground for use, but it is also commonly sold already ground, which can be roasted right before use. Many supermarkets should have at least the ground form, and spice stores and Indian/Pakistani shops will almost certainly have the seed form also.
Cumin, also known as "Zeera" or "Jeera," is a highly common spice in recipes on the Indian subcontinent, where the whole seeds are roasted and then ground, although the already ground form is also used, and it too can be roasted briefly before use. The seeds look very much like its relative, caraway seed. It is also common in some Latino cooking, especially Mexican. It is readily available in ground form in just about any store that sells spices, but the seeds are easily found in Indian/Pakistani grocers and well stocked spice shops.
Curry leaves-also known as "curry patha," are often used fresh on the Indian subcontinent, where the tree commonly grows. They may be fried briefly in oil and then ground, or chopped and added to recipes. I use leaves that are already ground, which are available in spice stores and Indian/Pakistani grocers. The fresh leaves do not keep well, and while I've never bought the frozen leaves, I've read mixed reviews about them. Finding either fresh or frozen could prove to be a challenge in many countries.
Curry powders-These are spice mixtures with a variety of ingredients (there is no ONE recipe for curry powder), often mixed together for commercial sale, as people on the Indian subcontinent generally add each of the spices to dishes according to their own recipes. It is "my understanding," that curry powder was developed for sale in Britain when much of the Indian Subcontinent was a British colony, as this made it easier to combine spices into mixtures for sale, than to try to transport and sell the individual spices in Britain 200 to 300 years ago. This mixing of spices into "curry powder" has lasted right up to the present, and you can easily find curry powder in supermarkets, spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers, often with various brand names, varied ingredients and varied "heat" levels.
* The main languages of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, respectively. They are all from Indo European and are, thus, related to English, although further down the family tree. Some other languages, primarily in India, but also to some extent from the island of Sri Lanka, are from the Dravidian family of languages. English is often used in governmental matters and in higher education; however, English is not universally spoken on the Indian subcontinent.
From top left, clockwise: Cinnamon (Cassia), cloves, black peppercorns (click to enlarge)
From top left, clockwise: fresh green and red chilies, dried red chilies, Kashmiri dried chilies
Jar of asafoetida.
WORD HISTORY:
Fetid-The ultimate origin of this word, related to the second part of "asafoetida/asafetida," is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fetere," which meant "to stink, to smell badly." This produced the adjective "fetidus," meaning, "stinking, foul smelling." This was borrowed by English circa 1400.
I once made my own naan bread, but I also saw it made in a real Indian tandoor oven in an Indian restaurant here in Cleveland about 1979 or 1980. The place had Indian food displayed right in the window, but it's been so long ago, I just forget everything. That got me interested in Indian food and history, which then was reinforced by the movie "Gandhi" in the early 1980s.
This is most certainly not an all inclusive list of herbs and spices used on the Indian subcontinent, but it will more than adequately cover a wide swath of recipes from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as provide good coverage of many recipes of some other countries of southern Asia. I've tried to add other names for many of the spices and herbs, but the Indian subcontinent is home to MANY languages and dialects, literally hundreds of languages and dialects,* and what is called a particular name in one area, may be called by a totally different name in another region, and by still another name a little further from that, so I'm not claiming that the forms I've listed are the definitive terms.
Asafoetida-also called "Hing"-a light yellow powder (you might also find it in chunks in some specialty stores or shops). It is from a plant related to fennel. It is known for its strong smell, and it is usually sold in jars with a small sealed opening that has to be punctured to sprinkle the contents, then another top on the jar seals off the opening to keep the smell from escaping. Used in a number of vegetarian recipes by first putting just a small amount in hot oil for just a couple of seconds, which totally mellows the smelly spice.
Black Peppercorns-also called "Kali Mirch," peppercorns are commonly used in many countries, so they are readily available. The popularity of cooking shows on American television in the last couple of decades has made the use of pepper mills to grind peppercorns much more common than they had been, although I'm sure the already ground black pepper in cans still sells very well. Grinding your own pepper makes the pepper fresh and more flavorful and you can make the grind as you want it, from coarse to fine. Peppercorns are also used whole, at times, in certain recipes in various cultures.
Black Salt-also called "Kala Namak," is a type of salt with a sulfur smell. I have black salt from Hawaii, and it is in small granules, which are truly black in color. I also have a package of black salt from India, and it is mainly powdered, but with some small pieces of the salt left in. It is sort of a light purple or pink color.
Cardamom- also called "Elaichi," can be bought in brown or light green to grayish colored pods that contain seeds that are used to flavor a variety of dishes, among which are sweet dishes and baked goods, including such outside of the Indian subcontinent. Some recipes call for whole cardamom pods to be used and the pods are cracked or smashed first, as this allows the flavor of the seeds inside the pods to season the cooking food (the pods themselves are not eaten). Cardamom is also sold in ground form, which has a gray color. The ground form is readily available in supermarkets and spice shops, while the whole pods are available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and likely some spice shops. The seeds are also sold, but I have never bought cardamom that way.
Chaat Masala is a ground spice mixture, and thus its ingredients vary. Readily available in Indian/Pakistani shops, and in some spice shops.
Chilies-both fresh and dried. You'll see a number of recipes call for "green chilies," and green jalapeño or serrano chilies are fine. Other recipes will call for red chilies, and fresh cayenne chilies are great in this role. Often too, recipes call for dried red chilies, and you want to get dried chilies that give heat and flavor. A number of months ago I bought a bag of dried red chilies, but they turned out to be useless, as the chilies had neither heat nor much flavor. The best thing is that once you find a good dried chili product, stick with it, but unless you fix food with chilies on virtually a daily basis, or unless you regularly fix food for a 10,000 person military base nearby, you're not going to be buying dried chilies every other week. If you go to an Indian/Pakistani grocery store, I suggest you buy the dried chilies there, and give Kashmiri dried chilies a try from there too. They are a deep red color, with moderate heat. Some recipes may say to soak the dried chilies in water, while others may say to put the chilies into hot oil for a minute or so, before adding other ingredients and proceeding with the recipe.
Chili powder (of the Indian subcontinent)-This is not the chili powder used to make Texas or Southwestern chili, but rather it is ground red chilies, like what we call "Cayenne pepper," or "ground red pepper." It is hot, and it's supposed to be. Cayenne pepper is, of course, readily available in just about any store, and you may well already have some on hand in your kitchen cabinet.
Cilantro-also known as "coriander" or "green coriander," or "Hara dhaniya," is an herb readily available in supermarkets or produce stores. Also common in Mexican and other Latino cooking in the U.S., where the name "cilantro" is most often used.
Cinnamon-also called "Darchini," is typically used in curled cinnamon stick form on the Indian subcontinent, although the ground form is much more common in the U.S. Further, cinnamon comes from a few variety of trees, and there are differences in how strong the taste is. What is termed "true cinnamon," or "Ceylon cinnamon" is touted as the best variety health wise, but it is also much more expensive. Typically the cheaper cinnamon, called "Cassia" is what you get in supermarkets or grocery stores, and it is no less "true cinnamon" than the Ceylon type, except by name. Readily available in any store that sells spices, but the Ceylon cinnamon will more likely be found in good spice or health food stores, or in Indian/Pakistani grocery shops.
Cloves, also known as "Laung," are another spice often used on the Indian subcontinent in whole form, although the ground form is readily available. Cloves are actually the powerfully flavorful and aromatic bud of a tropical tree flower. The taste of cloves can overwhelm a dish if you aren't careful, so use sparingly in either the whole form or the ground form. Readily available in just about any store that sells spices.
Coconut milk-This is the product of coconut flesh and water, not the coconut water from the coconut itself. It is used in sweet dishes. It is easily found in cans in many stores, including Latino shops and Indian/Pakistani shops.
Coriander-also known as "Dhaniya," is often used in the seed form on the Indian subcontinent, where it is first roasted briefly and then ground for use, but it is also commonly sold already ground, which can be roasted right before use. Many supermarkets should have at least the ground form, and spice stores and Indian/Pakistani shops will almost certainly have the seed form also.
Cumin, also known as "Zeera" or "Jeera," is a highly common spice in recipes on the Indian subcontinent, where the whole seeds are roasted and then ground, although the already ground form is also used, and it too can be roasted briefly before use. The seeds look very much like its relative, caraway seed. It is also common in some Latino cooking, especially Mexican. It is readily available in ground form in just about any store that sells spices, but the seeds are easily found in Indian/Pakistani grocers and well stocked spice shops.
Curry leaves-also known as "curry patha," are often used fresh on the Indian subcontinent, where the tree commonly grows. They may be fried briefly in oil and then ground, or chopped and added to recipes. I use leaves that are already ground, which are available in spice stores and Indian/Pakistani grocers. The fresh leaves do not keep well, and while I've never bought the frozen leaves, I've read mixed reviews about them. Finding either fresh or frozen could prove to be a challenge in many countries.
Curry powders-These are spice mixtures with a variety of ingredients (there is no ONE recipe for curry powder), often mixed together for commercial sale, as people on the Indian subcontinent generally add each of the spices to dishes according to their own recipes. It is "my understanding," that curry powder was developed for sale in Britain when much of the Indian Subcontinent was a British colony, as this made it easier to combine spices into mixtures for sale, than to try to transport and sell the individual spices in Britain 200 to 300 years ago. This mixing of spices into "curry powder" has lasted right up to the present, and you can easily find curry powder in supermarkets, spice shops and Indian/Pakistani grocers, often with various brand names, varied ingredients and varied "heat" levels.
* The main languages of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, respectively. They are all from Indo European and are, thus, related to English, although further down the family tree. Some other languages, primarily in India, but also to some extent from the island of Sri Lanka, are from the Dravidian family of languages. English is often used in governmental matters and in higher education; however, English is not universally spoken on the Indian subcontinent.
From top left, clockwise: Cinnamon (Cassia), cloves, black peppercorns (click to enlarge)
From top left, clockwise: fresh green and red chilies, dried red chilies, Kashmiri dried chilies
Jar of asafoetida.
Fetid-The ultimate origin of this word, related to the second part of "asafoetida/asafetida," is uncertain. It goes back to Latin "fetere," which meant "to stink, to smell badly." This produced the adjective "fetidus," meaning, "stinking, foul smelling." This was borrowed by English circa 1400.
Labels: Bangladesh, Dravidian, English, etymology, herbs, India, Indian subcontinent, Indo-European, Latin, Nepal, Pakistan, spices, Sri Lanka
posted by Randy at 7:20 PM
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