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garam masala
Arrangement of the various spices (including nutmeg, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, and star anise) that can go into making the spice blend known as garam masala.
list of Indian spices
The cuisine of India is varied thanks to the country’s diverse cultures and history. The following are 10 Indian spices that are central to the flavours of the subcontinent.
- Aniseed: Seed from the Pimpinella anisum plant in the parsley family with a licorice-like flavour. Aniseed is often interchanged with fennel seed in cooking. In addition, both are eaten after a meal to freshen the breath and help with digestion.
- Cardamom: Green or brown pods that come from the Elettaria cardamomum and Amomum aromaticum plants, respectively. They have a sweetly spicy flavour. The pods are cracked open and placed whole in a dish while cooking it, and the seeds can be ground and used to prepare garam masala, a staple spice blend.
cardamomCardamom seed pods and black cardamom seeds. - Chili pepper: Any of several mild to spicy peppers in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, genus Capsicum, that are often dried and ground into powder. While the most popular chili powder is Kashmiri red, many other varieties are also used in Indian cuisine, including cayenne powder.
- Cinnamon: Rolled fragrant bark of the Cinnamomum verum (“true cinnamon”) tree. Indian cuisines use Ceylon cinnamon, grown in Sri Lanka, rather than Cassia cinnamon (C. aromaticum), grown in Southeast Asia. Ceylon cinnamon provides a warm sweet flavour, less pronounced than that of Cassia cinnamon, and the spice is used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
cinnamon tree barkBark of the cinnamon tree Cinnamomum verum, from which Ceylon cinnamon is derived.See all videos for this article - Clove: Dried unopened bud of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree, with a very pungent, aromatic character. Used whole or as a powder, cloves flavour sweet and savoury dishes, including curries, rice, meat dishes, and chai. In addition, cloves are part of the spice mix garam masala.
clovesCloves, dried flower buds of the clove tree (Syzygium aromaticum). - Coriander: Small round seed of the cilantro plant (Coriandrum sativum) that may be ground into a power or used whole. Like cumin, coriander has an earthy, floral, and slightly citrus flavour, and the two spices are often used together. Coriander is one of the most commonly used Indian spices.
coriander and cilantroBowl of coriander fruits next to cilantro leaves, both of which are from the plant Coriandrum sativum. - Cumin: Elongated ribbed seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant in the parsley family. The seeds, which can be white or black, have a flavour that is described as smoky or earthy. However, the black seeds have a more complex flavour and are used widely in Mughlai foods. Cumin seeds are used whole, roasted, or ground. They are commonly used to flavour raita, bread, dal, and drinks.
cuminDried fruits of the cumin plant (Cuminum cyminum), commonly referred to as cumin seeds. - Indian bay leaf: Dried leaf from the Cinnamomum tamala tree. Indian bay leaves resemble bay leaves from the laurel bush but have a flavour akin to cinnamon and clove. They are frequently used in Bengali and eastern Indian dishes.
- Turmeric: Rhizome (horizontal underground plant stem) of Curcuma longa, an herb related to ginger. It has a bright orange-yellow colour and an earthy, warm flavour. Turmeric can be used by itself to flavour dishes made with lentils, meat, seafood, or vegetables.
Fresh turmericRhizomes of common turmeric (Curcuma longa).