As you might’ve noticed, I like to
use spices in my cooking. A lot. And
lots. I have just counted my spices, spice blends and dried herbs and it turns
out I have almost 100. Well, in fact, at least 100, because I’m certain that I have some
more hidden in my pantry, but am reluctant to search for them right now.
Spices definitely make food more fun, giving it personality, making it brighter, bringing it depth and layers. If you never cooked with spices before, give it a try, I beg of you, and you will see how even the most boring, bland, black-n-white sort of flavor will immediately become bold, rich, colorful and full of nuances. Don’t overuse spices though – they are to accentuate the flavor of food, not to subdue it.
I prefer to buy spices in bulk sections (but not in bulk quantities), which are available in many stores these days. Buying spices in small bulk gives you several advantages: you can check on the aroma of the spices you choose, take as much as you need for the near future (spices tend to go stale quite quickly) and save some money on packaging as well.
I lightly toast whole spices like cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and others in a dry pan before grinding or putting them whole in spice jars. Toasting brings more flavor out of spices by releasing their essential oils, but again as with other spices, don’t store them for too long.
For grinding, even though a mortar and pestle look so much cuter, I prefer to use an electric coffee grinder which provides more consistent results and in shorter time. I have a designated coffee grinder for spices only. It’s not expensive and works great.
When it comes to spice blends like five spice, garam masala, old bay seasoning, khmeli-suneli and others, I prefer not to buy them, but make my own. I like to cook from scratch for many reasons. First of all, I do enjoy the process. Second of all, I’m your regular control freak who insists on knowing what goes into her mouth and stomach. And third, when cooking from scratch I make everything just the way I like it, and if I’m smart enough to write down the ratios, I can easily repeat it to a t any time I want, whereas commercial brands all offer their own recipes which may diverge greatly from each other and, most importantly, from my idea of how a certain something should taste like.
Today I’ll give you my favorite curry powder blend. It’s a wide known fact now that there is no such thing in Indian cuisine. It’s a Western invention that allows people around the world imitate Indian food. But Indians have numerous masalas, spice blends, of which garam masala is the most popular outside of India. For me, modern curry powder is basically garam masala with an addition of turmeric that gives the blend its distinctive yellowish tint. Regularly, I would take whole spices and toast them right before making curry powder, and then grind them all at once in my coffee-turned-spice grinder. But since many people don’t have spice grinders, I’ll give my recipe in terms of already ground spices.
You will need:
- 3 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ tsp ground coriander
- 1 ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground fenugreek
- ½ - ¾ tsp cayenne
Stir the spices together and let rest for at least an hour to let the flavors blend before adjusting the curry powder to your liking. As with other spices, to prolong the shelf life, store tightly closed in a cool dry place, away from the direct sun.
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