Your shelf with spices.
Since it is the spices and seasonings give Indian food its originality, it makes sense to get acquainted with each spice separately, so you know what properties they possess and in what cases are used.
Asafoetida.
Aromatic resin plant roots Ferula asafoelida. Used in small quantities. It has a distinctive taste and has healing properties. The taste is somewhat reminiscent of asafoetida and garlic can be successfully replaced by a vegetable dish. Eating hing helps prevent bloating (flatulence) and facilitates the digestion of food. It is so efficient that it can help to cure indigestion, even a horse. Sold as a resin or fine powder. Resin cleaner than powder, but it must grind. Hing powder usually has a small admixture of wheat or rice flour. Flour makes the flavor hing less sharp and prevents sticking pieces of gum. Pinch of hing placed in hot ghee or vegetable oil for a second or two before you finish cooking masala. In Western cooking, this spice is not used, although it was quite popular in the Roman Empire. If you find a hing or do not want to use it, in most cases you can do without it.
Carnation. These dried flower buds of tropical allspice (Myrtus caryophyllus), shaped like nails, always at the heart of spice trade. Clove oil has antiseptic properties and a strong aroma. It is believed that the custom of "chew cloves" when referring to the emperor was born in China. In England during the reign of Elizabeth I's court also had to chew cloves in the presence of the Queen. Cloves improve digestion, purify blood, strengthen the heart, and also act as a local painkiller for toothache. Roasted in a dry pan and crushed cloves is a part of garam masala. Good cloves should be oily to the touch and have a reddish-brown color. Aging, nail dries, shrinks and largely loses its flavor. |