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Beans
Dairy
Dals
Essences
Fats
Flours & Grains
Herbs
Masala
Nuts, Seeds & Fruits
Roots
Spices
Ajwain
Taste: Sharp, peppery, and slightly bitter (more so when overused), like thyme, but stronger with slight anise-like flavors. When cooked, it gets a mellower, nutty flavor. Look: Light brown to grayish in color. Smell: Faintly of thyme (stronger aroma when crushed).
Ajwain
Taste: Sharp, peppery, and slightly bitter (more so when overused), like thyme, but stronger with slight anise-like flavors. When cooked, it gets a mellower, nutty flavor. Look: Light brown to grayish in color. Smell: Faintly of thyme (stronger aroma when crushed).
Recipes that use Ajwain
Almond Flour
Made from finely ground, blanched almonds with the skins removed, almond flour is often used in India to make burfi, a type of milk-based sweet. Try replacing 1/4 of the white flour in a cookie recipe for almond flour to get a denser texture & slightly nutty taste.
Almond Flour
Made from finely ground, blanched almonds with the skins removed, almond flour is often used in India to make burfi, a type of milk-based sweet. Try replacing 1/4 of the white flour in a cookie recipe for almond flour to get a denser texture & slightly nutty taste.
Recipes that use Almond Flour
Almonds
Badaam, also known as almonds, are used from snacking to curries & desserts to drinks. Toasting them to a dark golden brown brings out a lot of flavor.
Almonds
Badaam, also known as almonds, are used from snacking to curries & desserts to drinks. Toasting them to a dark golden brown brings out a lot of flavor.
Recipes that use Almonds
Amchur
Taste: Sour, slightly sweet. Like a powdered lime. Look: Light grayish brown powder - keep away from humidity to prevent clumps. Smell: Citrusy and fresh (made from dried green mangoes).
Amchur
Taste: Sour, slightly sweet. Like a powdered lime. Look: Light grayish brown powder - keep away from humidity to prevent clumps. Smell: Citrusy and fresh (made from dried green mangoes).
Recipes that use Amchur
Arjuna
An age-old tonic for heart rejuvenation made from the bark of a tree, arjuna strengthens the circulatory system, helps maintain blood pressure & cholesterol. promotes emotional balance & is said to mend a broken heart! We recommend adding a bit with honey to tea or sprinkling in warm morning cereal. *Consult your physician before using any Ayurvedic herbs.
Arjuna
An age-old tonic for heart rejuvenation made from the bark of a tree, arjuna strengthens the circulatory system, helps maintain blood pressure & cholesterol. promotes emotional balance & is said to mend a broken heart! We recommend adding a bit with honey to tea or sprinkling in warm morning cereal. *Consult your physician before using any Ayurvedic herbs.
Asafoetida
Taste: After cooked, like onions and garlic. Look: Off white powder, sometimes yellow when turmeric has been added. Smell: Slightly sulfurous, pungent, quite unpleasant, like pickled garlic.
Asafoetida
Taste: After cooked, like onions and garlic. Look: Off white powder, sometimes yellow when turmeric has been added. Smell: Slightly sulfurous, pungent, quite unpleasant, like pickled garlic.
Recipes that use Asafoetida
Ashwaghanda
Translating to “strength of a stallion”, ashwaghanda is powerful root that is ground for energy & vitality, known to aid in combating stress & rejuvenating the muscular & nervous system . Add 1 tsp to pancake powder or a pinch to a cup of warm milk. *Consult your physician before using any Ayurvedic herbs.
Ashwaghanda
Translating to “strength of a stallion”, ashwaghanda is powerful root that is ground for energy & vitality, known to aid in combating stress & rejuvenating the muscular & nervous system . Add 1 tsp to pancake powder or a pinch to a cup of warm milk. *Consult your physician before using any Ayurvedic herbs.
Basil
A peppery, sweet, clove-like herb that is uncommon in Indian cooking, however, the leaves of the holy basil plant are used as an offering to Lord Vishnu or Krishna.
Basil
A peppery, sweet, clove-like herb that is uncommon in Indian cooking, however, the leaves of the holy basil plant are used as an offering to Lord Vishnu or Krishna.
Recipes that use Basil
Basmati Rice
A subtly spicy, nutty and aromatic long grain white rice from the foothills of India, basmati rice develops flavor when aged. Its distinctive length can cook up to a flaky finish where each grain appears separate.
Basmati Rice
A subtly spicy, nutty and aromatic long grain white rice from the foothills of India, basmati rice develops flavor when aged. Its distinctive length can cook up to a flaky finish where each grain appears separate.
Recipes that use Basmati Rice
BBQ Masala Tin
Tangy, aromatic & earthy. Deep rich spice blend with bright notes of kalonji, royal cumin and dried mango powder.
BBQ Masala Tin
Tangy, aromatic & earthy. Deep rich spice blend with bright notes of kalonji, royal cumin and dried mango powder.
Black Cardamom
The black cardamom pods are larger than the green pods. Taste: Slightly harsh, rich and strong flavor with smoky overtones. Look: About an inch long dark brown pods with visible seeds. Smell: Smoky and savory. Reminiscent barbecue sauce.
Black Cardamom
The black cardamom pods are larger than the green pods. Taste: Slightly harsh, rich and strong flavor with smoky overtones. Look: About an inch long dark brown pods with visible seeds. Smell: Smoky and savory. Reminiscent barbecue sauce.
Recipes that use Black Cardamom
Black Cumin
Taste: Nutty, peppery, slightly bitter, warm and pungent with a smokey flavor. Look: Dark grey blackish seeds. Smell: A bit mellower than regular cumin, slightly floral, and sweeter.
Black Cumin
Taste: Nutty, peppery, slightly bitter, warm and pungent with a smokey flavor. Look: Dark grey blackish seeds. Smell: A bit mellower than regular cumin, slightly floral, and sweeter.
Recipes that use Black Cumin
Black Eyed Peas
Also called lobia or chowli, black eyes peas are treated like any other beans like garbanzo or black beans. They are delicious tossed into a salad or in a stew with tomatoes and caramelized onions.
Black Eyed Peas
Also called lobia or chowli, black eyes peas are treated like any other beans like garbanzo or black beans. They are delicious tossed into a salad or in a stew with tomatoes and caramelized onions.
Recipes that use Black Eyed Peas
Black Mustard
Quoted in biblical writings from the Bible to the Koran, the tiny mustard seed, sourced from a brassica family with no connection to supermarket mustard greens, is packed with a pungent flavor. There are three kinds of mustard seeds, yellow, brown and black and the flavor is only released when the seed comes in contact with cold water, setting off an enzyme myrosinase that unleashes the flavor. Best purchased whole, mustard seeds will keep for years. Black mustard seeds are the ones most commonly used in India and my favorite way to cook them is to pop them in hot oil at the beginning of cooking curries, stews or pilaf. The two kinds of mustard seeds I keep at the home pictured above are whole black mustard seed and ‘rai kuria’, crushed black mustard seeds with the skin removed. Mustard oil, cold-pressed from brown or black mustard seeds is very common in India, particularly in Bengali cooking. It has some of the properties of wasabi with nose and head warming hotness. While medical studies are inconclusive, due to a high percentage of irritants like erucic acid and isothiocyanates, for years sale of edible mustard oil was banned in Western markets and was sold under the guide of ‘massage oil’. These days, however, it is freely available at Indian grocers. When I bring a bottle home, I usually heat it to smoking point, cool and store it in a glass jar. I can drizzle it on salads or curries and use it to make salad dressings. In India, where mustard oil has been used for millennia, heating the oil to a smoking point is believed to eliminate the irritant chemicals. Mustard seeds are believed to be a diuretic, a stimulant, help improving digestion, increasing circulation and easing muscular aches and pains.
Black Mustard
Quoted in biblical writings from the Bible to the Koran, the tiny mustard seed, sourced from a brassica family with no connection to supermarket mustard greens, is packed with a pungent flavor. There are three kinds of mustard seeds, yellow, brown and black and the flavor is only released when the seed comes in contact with cold water, setting off an enzyme myrosinase that unleashes the flavor. Best purchased whole, mustard seeds will keep for years. Black mustard seeds are the ones most commonly used in India and my favorite way to cook them is to pop them in hot oil at the beginning of cooking curries, stews or pilaf. The two kinds of mustard seeds I keep at the home pictured above are whole black mustard seed and ‘rai kuria’, crushed black mustard seeds with the skin removed. Mustard oil, cold-pressed from brown or black mustard seeds is very common in India, particularly in Bengali cooking. It has some of the properties of wasabi with nose and head warming hotness. While medical studies are inconclusive, due to a high percentage of irritants like erucic acid and isothiocyanates, for years sale of edible mustard oil was banned in Western markets and was sold under the guide of ‘massage oil’. These days, however, it is freely available at Indian grocers. When I bring a bottle home, I usually heat it to smoking point, cool and store it in a glass jar. I can drizzle it on salads or curries and use it to make salad dressings. In India, where mustard oil has been used for millennia, heating the oil to a smoking point is believed to eliminate the irritant chemicals. Mustard seeds are believed to be a diuretic, a stimulant, help improving digestion, increasing circulation and easing muscular aches and pains.
Recipes that use Black Mustard
Black Pepper
AKA, the “King of Spices”. There are many different types of pepper (black, green, pink, and white). Peppercorns are fruits that all come from the same vine, but are grown in different regions, allowed to ripen to different maturity, dried, brined, or processed in a unique way. All of these things give the pepper it’s unique flavor. Black pepper is actually green peppercorns cooked it hot water and dried in the sun. Taste: Hot, robust, with a bite. Look: Dark brown, black with a wrinkled skin. Smell: Warm, woody smell that is fresh and pungent.
Black Pepper
AKA, the “King of Spices”. There are many different types of pepper (black, green, pink, and white). Peppercorns are fruits that all come from the same vine, but are grown in different regions, allowed to ripen to different maturity, dried, brined, or processed in a unique way. All of these things give the pepper it’s unique flavor. Black pepper is actually green peppercorns cooked it hot water and dried in the sun. Taste: Hot, robust, with a bite. Look: Dark brown, black with a wrinkled skin. Smell: Warm, woody smell that is fresh and pungent.