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Indian cuisine is known to be one of the most diverse and delicious
cuisines in the world. Indian meals are known for having intense
spices rich in aroma and taste. It is easy to know if a meal originated
from India with its unique Indian spicy aroma and flavor. Do you
know that Indians have thousands of spice blends to choose from
to blend in their meals? Spices are simply the essence of every
Indian meal. Indian cooks are judged and rated based on their
skills in blending seeds, powders and pastes to achieve familiar
or exotic warmth, and pungency that is distinctly Indian.
The most important spices in Indian cooking are said to be chili
pepper, black mustard seed, ginger, coriander, fenugreek and asafetida
or hing. The most common main portions of Indian cooking are rice,
bean dishes, and atta, which is a special type of whole-wheat
flour. Indian meals can be so elaborate that they take a day to
prepare or can be very simple and cooked in minutes. Most of the
Indian home-style dishes, however, require the least effort and
use very little oil.
Indian spices are best used within three months of purchase;
after that time, it loses its pungency and bite. It is advisable
to buy whole spices rather than powders, for whole spices maintain
the freshness longer and ensure better flavor. Every region in
India has its own signature spices and food ingredients as well.
For instance, dishes in North India are often cooked in dry spice,
while dishes in South India tend to incorporate rice, coconut
and curry leaves in all of their dishes and use more wet spice
pastes.
A reminder to chilly lovers who cannot tolerate maximum heat:
remove the seeds and white pit before you use the chilies in the
dishes. This lessens the chili’s pungency and heat.
For more about Indian ingredients please click on one of the
links below.
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