FRESH GINGER. This light brown knotty root of the plant Zingiber officinalis is used in all types of Indian dishes. Try to buy fresh, smooth, not wrinkled, tight to the touch ginger. Before you cut, grate, grind or cut the ginger for cooking pasta, it should peel; scrub it with a sharp knife. To grate the ginger, use a small metal spatula. Ground dry ginger can replace the fresh, because it has a different aroma and taste. Dried ginger is sharper than fresh, so before use it is recommended to soak. (One teaspoon of dried ginger is one tablespoon of grated fresh ginger.) In medicine, ginger is used for colic and indigestion. It also helps with abdominal pain (for this it is necessary to eat in small amounts), and ginger tea - a wonderful remedy for colds. Indian chefs recommend eating a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger with lemon juice and a pinch of salt before lunch. This mixture stimulates digestion and helps eliminate toxins that have accumulated in the digestive tract.
Cayenne pepper. Powder made from dried red chili peppers, commonly called "red pepper". This spice gives the food sharpness. Use to taste.