Spice Up Your Dishes and Health with Indian Cuisine

Being of Indian origin, it is so difficult to stay away from spicy and hot dishes that my parents used to cook for me. Though I am far from my homeland, I brought my spices and recipes with me.

Spices, apart from giving a powerful aroma to your dishes, irresistible flavors and mouth watering taste, are attributed with health benefits. Studies show that elderly villagers in India appear to have the lowest rate of Alzheimer's disease in the world. Most spices contain far more antioxidants than fruits or vegetables.

Here are the most used spices in Indian cuisine to add colors, flavors, aroma and a new taste to your usual cuisine.

• Ginger
  Gingerol is the active ingredient in ginger. It appeases nausea, vomiting, motion sickness as well as morning sickness. Ginger contains antioxidants with cancer fighting attributes. Bacterial and fungal attacks are also parried by the good effects of ginger. Furthermore, it boosts the metabolism and the immune system.
  
  Use: Add freshly ground garlic paste to meat marinade or when cooking pulses or leafy vegetables.



• Garlic
  Usually used with ginger, garlic provides different health benefits. on regular consumption, it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also praised for its virtues to fight skin, colon and lung cancer and cardiovascular troubles. The inner root of garlic should be removed before use. Otherwise foul smell results on burping.
  
  Use: Use together with ginger paste in the same recipes.



• Cinnamon
  It is the dried bark of laurel trees. It has an agreeably sweet, delicate and intense woody aroma. The taste is fragrant and warm. An excellent antidote against diarrhea, and stomach upset. It fights colds, cough and fever and stimulates the blood circulation. Studies have shown that cinnamon lowers high blood cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels — by as much as 10 to 30 percent.
  
  Use: Suited to both savory and sweet dishes, cinnamon lends itself just as well to a roasted leg of lamb from India as it does to a sweet and delicate rice pudding. Sprinkled on tea, it is consumed by tea lovers and diabetic patients.



• Chili pepper powder
  Who doesn't like chilies? This powder brings fire to your tongue, tears to your eyes and even drains your runny nose. It helps lose weight, boost the immune system, clear congested airways, stop prostate cancer and acts as anti-inflammatory.



• Coriander
  Coriander leaves have a sweet and characteristic smell. They heal migraines, protect against the Salmonella bacteria, urinary tract infections, prevent nausea and is an anti-inflammator They also help to relieve intestinal gas, lower blood sugar and bad cholesterol (LDL) and raises good cholesterol (HDL).
  
  Use: Coriander is used in both sweet and savory dishes. Essential ingredient of the curry powder mix, it is popular in minced meat dishes, sausages and stews.

These are the most common food spices used in the Indian cuisine and which are also known to have therapeutic virtues. Here are some simple recipes to enjoy the flavours and benefits of spices. Below is a sweet dish you can serve as dessert.

Sweet rice pudding also known as Kheer

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rice (about 50-75g)


• 1 litre of milk


• Blanched almonds


• Dry raisins


• 1/4 tbs of cinnamon or cardamon powder


• 4 tbsp of sugar (depends on taste of person)

Method

1. Soak the rice in water for 2 hours and overcook it lightly.


2. Bring the milk to boil and add the rice to it.


3. Add the sugar, dry raisins and the almonds followed by the cinnamon.


4. Allow to cook till the dish become more consistent but ensuring it does not become too dry. Switch off the gas when you see that it is becoming difficult to stir.


5. Serve hot

For meat lovers, here is a mutton dish. You can use chicken or any other meat as a substitute for mutton.

Mutton Chops

Ingredients

• 500g mutton chops soaked in 1/2 cup of white vinegar for 1-2 hours


• 2 medium tomatoes chopped in cubes


• 2 pieces of ginger


• 12 flakes of ginger


• 1/2 tsp red chilly pepper powder


• 2 cloves


• 1/2 tbs cinnamon


• 2 cardammons


• 4 tbsp oil


• 1 cup of yogurt


• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Grind the garlic and the ginger into a paste.


2. Add it to mutton chops.


3. Put 1/2 cup of water in a dish.


4. Add the mutton chops and allow to cook till all the water evaporates.


5. Add the remaining ingredients with the oil.


6. Allow to fry till the mutton turms light brown and the tomatoes well mashed.


7. Serve hot.

ENJOY - From Harry