Indian spices form the foundation for Indian cooking as they are flavourful, have a distinct aroma, and add a unique taste to the dishes they are added to. Yes, the secret to mastering Indian-style cooking lies in the spice box that’s found in the kitchen of every Indian household. The greatest chefs from the Indian restaurant in Vancouver also agree that adding spices to any dish enhances the taste and gives life to dishes that are made using simple ingredients. Here we’ve listed the essential spices that enhance the taste of Indian food in Vancouver.
Table of Contents
Asafoetida
Asafoetida is one of the essential spices in Indian cooking and is specially used in Indian cuisine to bring out the flavours of other spices. This dried and powdered tree resin has a pungent smell, which settles into a musky aroma when added to hot ghee or oil. It adds a unique flavour to curries made using lentils, beans, or other vegetables.
Mustard
From curries to pickles, these pungent, nutty seeds are added to many dishes to enhance the flavour. They are dropped in hot oil and allowed to crackle to release their flavour. This popular Indian spice is an essential part of the tempering in Indian cooking.
Cumin
Cumin is not only widely used in Indian cooking, it’s also popular in the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. Though there are several varieties of cumin, the one that’s commonly used in the Indian restaurant in Vancouver are yellowish-brown in colour. These seeds add an earthy flavour to your dishes and are used in soups, dals, curries, yogurt, and more.
Turmeric Powder
Turmeric powder is the most trending spice for its role as an anti-inflammatory agent. This healing spice has also got anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties and goes into everything from drinks to stir-fried vegetables.
Coriander Seeds
Coriander seeds add an earthy flavour to various dishes and are added to almost all non-vegetarian options to enhance the flavour and taste. The coriander seeds are lightly roasted, ground, and then added to the dishes. It gives a good texture to the curries.
Garam Masala
Garam Masala is a mandatory spice blend in Indian cooking that is used predominantly in non-vegetarian dishes. This powder blends well with red or green chilli and gives out a hearty, aromatic flavour.
Cardamom
This sweet and aromatic spice is critical for pulaos, curries, and some of the Indian desserts. You can add the pods as a whole or in powdered form to the dishes.
In addition to these spices, other spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, fenugreek, saffron, nutmeg, cloves, bay leaves, fennel, and more are used in Indian cuisine.
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