Spices
Mustard Seed
Mustard seeds are from the mustard plant. There are many different varieties of mustard plants but only three primary types used for its seeds: black mustard (Brassica nigra), white mustard (Brassica alba) and brown mustard (Brassica juncea). Black mustard seeds have the most pungent taste, white mustard seeds (which are actually yellow in colour) are the mildest and are the ones used to…
Read MoreCumin (Cummin)
Cumin is a flowering plant whose seeds are used in many different types of cooking around the world. Cumin is used in many curries, including rogan josh, as well as being used as one of the ingredients to make garam masala.
Read MoreBlack Pepper
Black Pepper can come in whole, ground or crushed form. Grown in India, black pepper is used to give a kick to a bland dish and is also used to make garam masala. Although most people associate the heat of a curry with its chilli content, the amount of pepper you have in your dish…
Read MoreColombo Powder
Colombo Powder is a blend of various spices and is a regional version of a traditional curry powder spice mix. It typically contains cumin, coriander, brown mustard, cloves, fenugreek, turmeric and roasted rice as a thickener. Even if it looks like typical yellow curry powder and even smells slightly like it, it is not the…
Read MoreGreen Cardamom
Green cardamom, like the black variety, is part of the ginger family. The green cardamom plant, elettaria, is also known as true cardamom and is the most popular variety of cardamom. It is used to flavour food and drink, as a spice and in medicine.
Read MoreFenugreek or Methi
Fenugreek is cultivated worldwide and its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes all across the Indian Subcontinent where it is known as ‘methi’. Using Fenugreek or Methi Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed, also known as methi). It is a common ingredient in hot curries…
Read MoreBlack Cardamom
The cardamom plant which produces both the black and green cardamom seeds used in cooking is closely related to the ginger family. The largest producer of black cardamom is Nepal, followed by Indian and Pakistan. There are two main species of black cardamom. The pods of amomum subulatum cardamom are used primarily in the cuisines…
Read MoreCurry Powder
Curry powder is a mixture of spices based on South Asian cuisine. A similar spice blend exists in the north, called garam masala. Although you can buy readymade curry powder, it’s easy to make your own using everyday spices you will find at your local supermarket. Hundreds of varieties of curry powder Everyone has their…
Read MoreMustard oil
There are two different oils that the term ‘mustard oil’ refers to. Both are made from mustard seed and each has its own uses: Culinary mustard oil is a fatty vegetable oil, made from pressed seeds. The essential oil, made by grinding seeds with water and extracting the oil by distillation, is used therapeutically for…
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