How to cook with spices
People are intimated by spices. It is not uncommon for me to hear people say things like:
I don’t know what goes with what.
I don’t want to buy so many jars.
I don’t know how much to use.
I don’t know when to use them.
I have tried and it always tastes bad.
I can’t get the balance of flavours.
It all seems really complicated.
The recipes always have so many ingredients.
I do not have time to figure it out.
Can you relate to this?
I used to be all of these until I learned the healing powers of spices. I always thought that spices were there to add flavour, and that’s it – I did not know that these little powders had so many healing benefits.
Did you know that?
And contrary to popular belief, spice is not a synonym for hot. In fact, most spices do not add fiery flavour to food. Just think vanilla ice-cream – vanilla is a spice, and it adds a sweet, aromatic touch to the popular dessert. I have never seen a hot and spicy vanilla ice cream.
Spices have been used for centuries and are a must in the kitchen, to impart their ability to turn a food to sweet, bitter, astringent, sour or spicy, to add body, texture and colour to a dish, to aid digestion, and furthermore – to heal.
This recipe solves all the problems I list above – it is quick, has few ingredients, is simple, tastes good, is easy to use, and the flavours are balanced.
Madras Curry Powder
½ cup coriander seeds
¼ cup cumin seeds
2tbs black mustard seeds
2ts peppercorns
1ts ground ginger
1ts chilli powder
In a small, quality fry pan over medium heat roast all the seeds and peppercorns until they become lightly browned and slightly fragrant. Turn the seeds frequently as they cook so they do not burn.
Remove from pan and allow to cool.
Once cooled place the seeds in a grinder / food processor / Thermomix and grind into a fine powder. Add the chilli and ginger powder. Store in a glass jar.
You can add a little to your salad dressing, to scrambled eggs, to butter and steamed veg, make a curry with coconut milk, rub on meat to add flavour and tenderize - there are so many ways you can incorporate these spices into your food.
