How to use spices
Part two of my piece on spices covers the method, madness and magic in using them to maximum effect. Spices are more than just the flavour they bring to the party. There is a logic to their use. With a few simple bits of guidance, you can deploy them more effectively.
Pictured: Version 1 of two Gunpowder or Podi recipes below
Here are some of my top pointers.
There is a difference between whole spices (seeds) and their ground counterparts. Whole spices are at their best when they hit oil. They are sizzled at the start of dishes, or in the case of dal, to complete it. Ground spices, however, need the support of ingredients to flourish. If being used lonesome, mixing with water into a paste prevents them from burning straightaway when they touch hot oil. While whole spices have higher levels of voltaile oils and maintain their potency for longer, grinding them intensifies their flavour.
The seeds, ground and dried version of the same spice can be entirely different in use. Fenugreek is a fine example. As seeds, it is tempering and a preservation aid. Kasoori / Kasuri methi or dried fenugreek, combines the best of bitter and floral and is added towards the end of Punjabi specials like butter chicken, Kali Dal and is a crucial ingredient in tandoori chicken. Fresh fenugreek leaves are also used as a bitter herb that pairs irresisibly with creamy “malai” dishes, tomatoes, potates and tender carrots.
Some are used for cooking others for garnishing. There is a difference between spices to cook and those to garnish with. Turmeric, for instance, has a bitter and astringent way about it and needs cooking. It is not seasoning, and added at the end of cooking it lingers unpleasantly on the palate. The same for nigella seeds, which have sharp, bitter bite. Fresh, floral and fruity flavours come later. Mango powder, for instance, is a seasoning at its best at the very end of a dish. Cardamom powder too can languish, especially in a curry, if added too early.
There is method in spice madness and sequence. Turmeric is used mostly to impart colour rather than flavour in recipe. It is also rarely ever pulled out as a key ingredient in a recipe name as it is ubiquitous in recipes. Turmeric dal, for example, is a non starter as it is present in most of them. Meanwhile, garam masala, a warming blend of roasted dark spices, adds woody bitterness. It concludes a dish unless it is needed to balance sour or sweet by making its move quicker.
Spices need time and space. As with most of Indian cooking, each set of spices added to a recipe needs time to release its goodness into the dish. In the early days when I was learning to cook, my mum used to say “I can smell the raw spices”. Seeds need seconds to sizzle on their own, while ground spices need longer depending on their partners in the pan. But you do need to wait for them to do their thing before you move on to the next stage of the recipe. No swapping and absolutely no improvising allowed with when they go in!
And finally, we need to talk about health benefits. I steer well away from this as medical professional I am clearly not. I do know, however, that medicines work best when they are prescribed individually and based on the state of your health. While spices do have benefits, and consuming them a certain way can elevate these and aid their absorption, the impact they have will depend on the health you’re in.
Pop your specific questions in the comments. I’ll be happy to answer them!
I will be covering spice grinders and other gadgets most useful for Indian cooking next week. Stay tuned...
Gunpowder spice blend recipe x 2
I have two recipes for you this week for gunpowder, an addictive spice blend that is used both as a garnish as well as a sauté spice blend and in my kitchen, a sparky sprinkle for breakfast poached eggs. Known as Podi, it is used as a topping for idli, dosa and more across South India. There are very many versions, but if you have the two lentils handy, Kashmiri Chillies and asafoetida you can’t go too wrong. Sprinkle it dry or mix with sesame oil to turn it into a fiery chutney.
Version 1 - inspired by my favourite South Indian restaurant in London Saravanaa Bhavan. They use Kashmiri Chilli Powder for the bold red, which you could always mix in too, of course!
1 tbsp Chana lentils
1 tbsp Urad lentils (skinless black gram)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10-12 whole Kashmiri Chillies
1 tsp sea salt
Two pinches asafoetida
Sesame Oil (optional)
Warm a frying pan to medium heat. Roast the lentils for a minute until they start taking colour. Add the coriander, cumin and chillie and toast shaking the pan gently until warm. Tip into a spice/coffee grinder and powder with the salt until fine but with some texture. You should get a slight crunch in your mouth. Mix in the asafoetida.
You can stir through the oil and enjoy immediately as a dip, or store in an airtight container for up to six months. Although something tells me it’ll be gone long before that!
Version 2 - A more elaborate peanut and coconut version of gunpowder you will without a doubt eat straight from the jar. When my family came to visit from South India, that’s what they did. They also took some back to India with them, which is quite something. You should be sold on the project by now!
1 tbsp skinless Bengal Gram lentils
1 tbsp skinless black gram lentils
10 dry red chillies, broken
2 tbsp raw skinless peanuts
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dark brown sugar
In a frying pan, dry roast the lentils, chillies and peanuts on medium heat until the mix takes on a golden colour. Tip into the spice grinder.
Next, roast the sesame seeds, coconut and asafoetida until it starts turning golden. Add to the spice grinder, along with the salt and sugar then grind until fine. As with the first gunpowder, you can mix it with oil. The dry version has a shorter shelf life of three months owing to the natural nut, seed and coconut oils in this.