A European, with a sensitive stomach, once braved through the spiciest of Indian food. Needless to say he had a rough crapping time the next day.
“Now I know why Indians use water instead of tissues-rolls!” was all he could mutter!!
Indians are famed for their fiery culinary recipes. Add chicken or meat to the menu and all hell break loose. However, every chef knows that spice is not just about the hot sauces or few bay leaves but much more. Today let’s look into some basic spices that are used to whip up meat delicacies and the actual role that the spices play in it. It is a well known fact that Indian recipes and menu hide onto themselves wisdom of centuries. For eg it is common to have curd as an accompaniment to heavy meals like lunch all over India. The probiotics of the curd actually helps the digestive system. Let us explore what other pearls of wisdom does the Indian spices carry with them from the age old times.
Ginger and garlic
Ginger and Garlic are to the kitchen what Tom and Jerry are to any cartoon network– the most classic ingredient. Now to the “why” of it.
Ginger and Garlic help in tenderizing the meat thus making it easy on our digestive system. It also aids in the digestion process in itself. Apart from the tantalizing flavour that it imparts especially when added to onion it also gives the Asian touch to the dish.
So varied and potent are the benefits of ginger that it just hovers outside the medicine cabinet. While ginger is a rich antioxidant garlic brings with it an array of benefits. Garlic possesses anti-inflammatory properties and so is also considered a good cancer-fighting agent. It is rich in minerals and helps reduce blood sugar. Both supposedly contribute to the loss of weight and reduce cholesterol in the blood.
Cardamom :
If you feel that this simple pod is puffing up its chest a bit too much then think again.
Cardamom brings with it an array of health benefits as does most of the Indian spices. This tiny pod possess antioxidant and diuretic properties which help in reducing the lower blood pressure. The diuretic properties help in the removal of excess water retained in the water through urination. If that was not enough certain enzymes that help fight cancer can be stimulated by cardamom powder. This also helps in reducing the tumours by boosting the killer cells. This humble-looking pod which is often discarded after cooking is one of the power packs that nature has bestowed upon us.
Fennel seeds and Khus Khus:
Fennel seed romping around with a swagger outdoing its simple looking cousin, cumin is not strutting without reason.
One of the most unique contributions of Fennel seeds is as a potassium source. It is not a coincidence that we eat fennel seeds after food. It helps us to maintain our acid-base balance. Having been a proven contributor to regulating heart rate Fennel seeds are popular in the Indian kitchen. Chewing them stimulates the release of nitrate which in turn helps in stabilizing the blood pressure. To enhance the skin glow and lose weight look no further than your kitchen!
Khus-Khus used usually used along with fennel seed. Due to lack of strong flavour it is often overlooked and passed off as innocent. These little off white balls are packed with as much naughtiness as with health benefits. Being rich in fibre, there is no doubt it is very healthy and even helps in reducing cholesterol. However, the dried Khus- Khus does contain a minimal amount of opium alkaloids that include morphine and codeine but the benefits outweigh its naughtiness always!
Coriander
Coriander seeds function as a spice while the luscious leaves garnish Indian curries. The seeds are often powdered but the inherent health benefits are almost the same. It helps in reducing blood sugar and is rich in immune-boosting antioxidants. Want to add that glow to your skin or help you with digestion then reach out to this simple seed rather than rushing out to medics.
Pepper
The most popular “medicine” which our mom reaches out to whenever we sneeze are India’s famed black pepper. These black little balls have been rolling up their sleeves and cleansing our palate for centuries. It is one of the best antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory characteristics too. It is known to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
These are but few of the spices, tip of the iceberg, so to say from Indian kitchen. This country has many more such treasures, which we will be exploring in our future blogs.
