THE FUTURE OF INDIAN MASALAS: INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS IN SPICE BLENDING AND USE
Indian masalas have a great history of trade for many years. Black pepper was considered a commodity of exchange amongst countries. Indian spices have an important place in cooking. They are essential, from adding flavor and aroma to being used widely in medicine.
Technology has its part in the production of Indian masalas. People mainly produced spices and herbs for medicinal purposes in the past by older methods. Now, Indian spices are used for fragrances, cosmetic products, and more with modern inventions.
Advancement of technology in the masala industry led to the use of machines for dry roasting, crushing, and blending of masalas. Spice blends for particular recipes, such as aloo chana masala, palak paneer masala, aloo gobi masala, etc., are created using basic spices.
In older times, people used whole masalas such as black pepper, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, etc. Later, ground masalas were formed with these whole spices. A mortar pestle did the grinding of masalas.
Later on, electric blenders and grinders became prevalent in households for this purpose. Companies use stainless steel machines to serve this purpose. The Indian masalas created with these methods contain natural oils free from impurities and foreign particles. These Indian masalas are stored away from sunlight and moisture to preserve them longer.
Various Masalas & Their Innovative Uses
There are more than forty masala Indian kitchen cabinet is having. The use and flavors of each Indian spice are different. Some recipes require only whole spices; some need both whole and ground.
1. Cumin
Cumin seeds are the whole main spice used in almost every Indian recipe. It is used in tadka and phoran at the beginning of the spicy Indian curry. It has a ground form and is called jeera powder. It is used in salads, dahi bada, etc. Cumin is the main ingredient in the most famous spice blend, "garam masala."
2. Coriander
Coriander has a citrusy flavor, adding an intense flavor to the dishes. It has a ground form known as coriander powder. Coriander seeds are used to make panjiri for religious purposes.
Coriander seeds give flavor to curries and make the gravy thick. It is used in various spice blends such as pav bhaji masala, chaat masala, and sambar masala.
3. Dry Red chilies
Red chilies give a fiery flavor to the recipes. It has many forms- dry, powdered form or many spice blends. The dry red chilies give phoran, and red chili powder adds spice to the gravy. It is present in spice bends, such as chicken masala, and so on. Its drier form is also used to make chili flakes or paprika.
The most popular form of red chili is the Kashmiri red chili powder. This version gives a vibrant red hue to the recipes with mild heat.
4. Cardamom
Cardamom has two types: green or black. Green cardamom has a sweet flavor and is primarily used in desserts and shakes to add flavor. Black cardamom has a bitter taste and is used in curries and gravies. Both cardamoms are used in various spice blends.
5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices for trade. Since then, its use has changed so much. People were using this spice for medicines. Now it is used for making cinnamon pies, rolls, and sweets. It is added to curries and lentils to make them sweet.
6. Black Pepper
In ancient times, Black Pepper was also used as an exchange rate and treated as a luxury item. It is a common spice in various blends. It has a bitter flavor and is used in small quantities in recipes. It has multiple health benefits and is used to treat cough and cold.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is a versatile spice. It is added to dishes for golden-yellow color. Turmeric has had a great religious value from ancient times. It has many health benefits and provides the required warmth to the body. A small pinch of turmeric is enough to look for the recipes.
8. Cloves
Cloves are the main ingredient for spice blends like meat masala, chhole masala, etc.; they have a warm tendency and add warmth to the recipes. Cloves are added to make masala chai when having a cough and cold.
9. Mustard Seeds
Mustard seeds are used to give tadka to the recipes with curry leaves. These are present in small round shapes of two colors; yellow or black. They are also associated with spiritual beliefs. It's used in making pickles.
10. Bay Leaf
Bay leaves are an essential spice Indian cuisine and many cuisines. It is a part of giving the tadka. The recipes need only two or three leaves to be added. It adds a piquant taste and flavor to the recipes.
Summing Up
Indian spices have changed a lot from ancient times till now. The future is anticipated to change more because of many innovations in this field. The typical spices involved in this are cumin, black Pepper, etc.
Spices have come so far from the whole, ground to blends. Ground spices are formed by crushing those whole spices. Then spice blends are now available easily. Making homemade spice blends are also convenient.
Alcoeats is a place for every whole, ground, and spice mix. Buying authentic Indian masalas can never be more enjoyable. You will also get recipes on Alcoeats.com associated with the spice.