Here is a very easy way of mixing spices to create a very Indian flavor in your cooking. Traditional Indian dishes, even vegetarian recipes – often use a wide variety of spices and often need a lot of time to prepare. Most of them also tend to be heavy on fat and therefore, not light enough for everyday meals. However, it is a little-known fact that everyday Indian food is really simple to cook.
Here is a list of spices and condiments, followed by a short overview of how to use them for simple recipes that take about half an hour to prepare.
List of spices and condiments:
Cumin: To season or temper. I’ll explain that in a bit.
Salt
Coriander powder or coarsely ground coriander seeds
Chili powder or chili flakes
Turmeric
Using the spices for any Indian vegetarian dish:
The easiest way to dish out a simple curry is to heat a little oil or ghee in a pan or non-stick cooking pot – depending upon the amount you want to cook. Once the oil is hot, you add a little less than a teaspoonful of cumin seeds and wait until they crackle. This process is called tempering and enhances the flavour of the spices and vegetables.
Now, add the cut vegetables, turmeric, salt, chili powder/flakes, coriander powder and the salt.
Mix well and cover.
Check if vegetables are done and turn off the heat.
If desired, garnish with lemon juice and coriander. Serve with bread or rice.
Depending on the vegetable(s) you’re using, you need to decide whether you’ll add water or simply let them cook in their own steam. Carrots, for example, need extra water. When I cook aubergine however, I simply swirl aubergine cubes in the pan and cover and cook them on low heat until they’re done. Same for okra or zucchini.
Tbe used for making dal (lentil soup), chickpea curry or kidney bean soup.
And check out this really cool blog post on 24 kinds of Indian spices and how to use them.