asafoetida powder
Asafoetida imparts a deep aroma and a leek-like flavour to dishes. It is most often used with lentils to aid digestion and reduce flatulence,
ingredients
Information on some of the common ingredients and mixtures.
The information describes the ingredients, how you might use them, how to buy them and store them. The articles will give the common name in India, usually in Hindi, links to reference material and the botanical name of the ingredient.
Several entries point to our recipes. Making some of these ingredients at home is much better than the store-bought alternative.
bay leaves
Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in slow cooking for their distinctive bitter flavour and fragrance.
black eyed peas
Black-eyed peas are creamy white in colour and have a black mark on their inner curve. They have a subtle, nutty aroma and a rich creamy taste that is slightly earthy.
black gram
One of the more common legumes used in Indian cooking. The product sold as black lentil is usually the whole urad bean, whereas the skinned and split bean, which has a white interior, is called the white lentil.
black mustard seeds
Black mustard seeds are usually fried quickly in oil to give a hot and spicy flavour once the seeds have popped. When fried, the taste is nutty rather than fiery.
black pepper
Black pepper is probably the world’s most used spice. It’s use in Indian cooking is over 4,000 years old.
cardamom – green
Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance.
carom seeds
Carom seeds, or ajwain, belong to the cumin and parsley family. They are tiny, erect and oval-shaped with a sharp and penetrating taste. They are used to flavour oil used in dal dishes.
chickpea flour
Chickpea flour, or gram flour, is gluten-free flour used in the preparation of several sweet and savoury snacks.
chickpeas
Chickpeas are used in snacks, salads and dals. They are the basic ingredient in besan, a gluten-free flour used extensively in Indian cuisine. Some of our favourite recipes in this book feature chickpeas, or besan.
chillies
Chillies are synonymous with Indian food. You don’t necessarily have to overdo it – and have your eyes streaming and be drenched in perspiration – but, without some chilli, dishes seem incomplete.
cinnamon
The flavour of cinnamon is quite delicate and aromatic. It is a fundamental ingredient to most north Indian dishes.