Last few months have been really busy and i couldn't try something new, however I took a trip to Kerela (God's own country) and had an opportunity to visit a spice plantation.
Truly to its word Kerela must be God's permanent address. the places we saw had a rustic charm to it with different landscapes from mountain to beach all within the same state.
When i was going through the pics I found some from Spice plantation and I think its a must write, I was amazed to see some of the spices being grown in the plantation which we use often in day to day cooking in their dried form
1. Cardamom
Starting with one of the most common spice Cardamom (elaichi), in Indian cuisine cardamom is used both in savory and desserts. Its often used in drinks as well, most commonly in tea and flavored milk.
Cardamom is third most expensive spice only after saffron and vanilla. what we generally get is the dried form of cardamom. in the fresh form it is 80% water and dissolves in mouth and very light on palette.
Cardamom doesn't just provide amazing fragrance but adds a different flavor to anything you add it in. It gives subtle aroma to the food.
2. Nutmeg & Mace
Nutmeg and Mace come out of the same fruit, stone is nutmeg and the skin attached to the stone is mace.
The fruit is left in sun to dry and when it shrivels the pulp and skin is peeled off. the stone is separated and further dried and there is another skin on the stone which after drying forms frill or curtain cover over the stone.
Even when both these come from the same fruit they have distinctive flavor. while nutmeg gives sweeter flavour to the food, mace is very delicate and primarily used for its smell and bright color.
I use nutmeg generally towards the end of cooking process and the easiest way is to grate it over the dish while it is still on heat. Mace is generally used as a whole spice in the initial stages of cooking.
3. Bay leaf
Bay leaf is an aromatic spice which is generally used dry form in Indian cuisine in savory dishes. Bay leaf is one of the key ingredients of the Garam Masala. The reference of bay leaf is also there in ancient Greek recipes.
The fresh leaves though safe for consumption aren't used in cooking as they don't have any flavor. the flavor enhances only after drying them for several days.
A lot of people believe this leaf to be similar to oregano and thyme herbs in the flavor.
4. Pepper Corns
Any talk about Indian spices can never be completed without having a mention of pepper corns.
This is the spice which attracted the Portuguese and English alike to India in early days and one of the most traded commodity apart from the silk.
Pepper corns come in 3 different colors Black, Green and white. the basic pepper is the same and different colors come from different ways of processing.
Black Pepper - Cooked and Dried unripe fruit
Green Pepper - Dried unripe
White Pepper - Ripe fruit
Each type has different flavor and used in different type of food. Peppers are also used as table spice to sprinkle and provide quick heat and flavor to food.
What i could click is the green form which are still on the plant and even these have a flavor of heat in them and can be used to give mild flavor to food.
5. Devils chilly
This green chilly is generally not bigger than an inch, but can make anyone sweat due to the heat. For people who are not used to it this chilly is best served pickled or in brine. which keeps the flavor intact however kills some heat which makes it consumable for people like me. This chilly is almost 8-10 times hotter than jalapeno and is used to get heat to food.
Cashew
The next one is not a spice but i should still share it as this has also become integral part of Indian cuisine, for its versatile use. Cashews it is.
Cashews are used in various shape and form in Indian cuisine, as dry fruit for instant energy, thinly sliced used as garnish over sweets or desserts. and churned into a paste to form a thickening agent for Indian curries
Even the fruit which is actually inedible by itself is processed to make country liquor out of it. Popular by the name of fenny in Goa. So while the fruit makes liquor, the spiced cashews make very good snack with this liquor. (chakhna as commonly known in Indian slang)
I will do my best to not take such long breaks from cooking and blogging. I already have next recipe in mind. its a comfort food with meat balls, noodles and soup in the same bowl. One of my favorite food. And I almost had it every second day during my visit to China some years back.
This is one of the foods apart from hot pot that i miss the most.
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