Spices

[bixaorellana]

What made you laugh, HW? I'd think you'd be sneezing, with all the loose spice dust flying around this thread.

[hwinpp]

Yours and Jack's replies to each other.

[Deleted]

I wish I were not so ignorant and could finally figure out which blank jar contains my coriander powder and which one is cumin.

[mickthecactus]

Sept 22, 2011 7:58:14 GMT kerouac2 said:

I wish I were not so ignorant and could finally figure out which blank jar contains my coriander powder and which one is cumin.

Try smelling them or are they so old they have no smell?

[Deleted]

They smell the same to me!

[auntieannie]

take a little on your fingertip and lick said fingertip. should help.

Can I go back to the beginning of the thread where HW talks about the cumin on Indian tables to nibble? I think some mixes include cumin, but fennel seeds are known to be both a help with digestion AND to provide clean/fresh smell/taste in your mouth. I nibble on fennel seeds sometimes.

[Deleted]

The Indian shops sell little packets of the mix of fennel and other stuff including betel fragments for consuming after dinner.

[auntieannie]

are they the ones with the colourful sugar coating around the fennel?

[mickthecactus]

Sept 22, 2011 9:58:51 GMT kerouac2 said:

They smell the same to me!

Then they are both coriander or both cumin!

(I assume they are ground?)

[Deleted]

Yes, that's why they look identical.

[mickthecactus]

Sept 22, 2011 10:53:56 GMT kerouac2 said:

Yes, that's why they look identical.

I have no further suggestions beyond throwing them out and buying new.

[Deleted]

I have decided that they are interchangeable anyway.

[mickthecactus]

Sept 22, 2011 12:22:49 GMT kerouac2 said:

I have decided that they are interchangeable anyway.

Put'em in one jar and shake it up then....... ;D

[cheerypeabrain]

We're curry-holics too and I make up my own curry mix...however a colleague of Indian origin made me a superb batch of marsala mix from freshly roasted spices that I have never managed to recreate....yet.

[Deleted]

I think the last batch of curry mix that I bought was too big. Even though I keep it in an old curry can from Mumbai, I am thinking that even though it smells great every time I open it, it might be too old now because my curries are tasting weaker and weaker. So since it is not very expensive, I am thinking about throwing it all away and buying some new curry powder.

Does anybody have any idea about how long you can keep curry powder before it "expires"?

[cheerypeabrain]

nope... ;D I'd.ve thought that there are too many variables....what it's kept in, where it's kept, the quality of the product etc...altho after about 18 months the more subtle flavours can break down.

I do have a recipe for Marsala mix...I make a batch every 6-12 months and keep it in a cupboard...OH adds it to everything savoury...
Whenever I use curry powder I mix it into a paste with a little water first, then add it to the pan with the ghee and onions that have been allowed to cook down (on a low heat). If you stir fry the paste it brings out the flavour better imo...I add my meat at this stage and continue stir frying so that the spices coat the meat too...I don't add the liquid until I'm satisfied that the spices are cooked in...am I stating the obvious? sorry... ;D

[cheerypeabrain]

Masala

(keeps for up to 18 months in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard)

whole spices:-
60g coriander seeds
30g white cumin seeds
20g fenugreek seeds

dry roast in a heavy based pan (they might pop so beware) then grind...I use a pestle and mortar

When cool, add to a bowl and add

25g gram flour
25g garlic powder
20g paprika
20g tumeric
20g garam marsala (I make this up myself but you can buy a mix)
5g dry curry leaves, ground
5g asafoetida
5g ginger powder
5g chili powder (I add a bit more cos I like my curry powder hot)
5g yellow mustard powder
5g black pepper

You can add salt and granulated sugar as well, but I prefer to add them to the curries as I cook them. The only ingredients that you might have trouble finding are the asafoetida and curry leaves.

Mix well, and store in an airtight container. After about 18 months the flavours change...some spices lose their flavour and the powder can become bitter.


I use the above as a base, adding other spices according to what sort of curry I'm making

[Deleted]

Lately I have decided that you can never throw too many cardamom pods into the pot -- at least when you are just cooking for yourself and don't have to deal with anybody who doesn't like cardamom!

Thanks for that recipe, Cheery. Although I have no intention of ever making my own curry powder unless my flight crashes on one of the deserted Andaman islands and the survivors designate me as the cook, I like to know the ingredients!

[Deleted]

I bought a jar of cloves today. One jar usually lasts me 2-3 years, which is a shame because I really like them. I don't know what other people do with them, but in Lorraine style cooking we often use them with cabbage and also white wine marinades for pork and veal.

[lagatta]

I adore cardamom. We also have a stretch of South Asian shops fairly close by, where the pods are fairly cheap. It is an expensive spice though..

Nobody has mentioned caraway (carvi/Kümmel) I love that, especially in wintry weather. It seems very much cumin's Northern cousin, though I don't know whether they are related.

[bixaorellana]

Kerouac, quite a few Scandinavian meat dishes call for cloves. Here are a couple:
scandinavianfood.about.com/od/porkdishessausages/r/Danishporkcrackling.htm
www.ehow.com/how_2092386_make-swedish-sylta.html

And you know that Don Cuevas frequently talks about enjoying birria: mexicanfood.about.com/od/deliciousmaindishes/r/authenticbirria.htm

I'm pretty sure Scandinavians use a good bit of cardamom in their baked goods, too.

I really wish I could get my hands on some caraway. I agree that it's similar to cumin ..... but different, too. I substitute cumin seeds, but miss that particular spicy/nutty taste of caraway.

[lagatta]

I don't know whether one of us could send you some, or if Customs would think it was a new "recreational drug".

I love both cumin and caraway; to my mind they go in different dishes.

Yes, cardamom is popular in Nordic baked goods. Wonder how that started...

[Deleted]

I was thinking the same thing lagatta (about whether or not one could send B. some).

I bought some fresh tumeric root at the farmers market and plan to plant the rhizomes real soon, before they dry out.
I had great results growing it some years ago but it bit the dust in a freeze.
It's been getting some great press as a wonderful medicinal remedy for joint muscle pain (freshly grate into a tea , add lemon and honey per taste).

[Deleted]

I didn't even know the French word for caraway and found out that it is carvi (or cumin des prés - field cumin). Carvi is one of the spices used in harissa, the Maghrebi chili paste served with couscous, and that implies that it must be readily available here.

As for turmeric, it is supposed to be the reason that Indians and Pakistanis are less subject to Alzheimer's.

[bjd]

I often ate rye bread with caraway seeds in Canada. Much harder to find here, although I did find a jar of caraway seeds by an expensive brand at the supermarket recently.

I also discovered that Hungarians add ground caraway seeds to gulash soups/stews.

To me, caraway is indeed a "northern" spice, whereas cumin is more southern.

[bixaorellana]

Ah, you ladies are too nice! What you really need to send me is some spice or herb that would make me remember to buy caraway when I'm in the States.

I wish they'd find some joint pain remedy that didn't stain as badly as turmeric. I love using it fresh, but afterward my fingers always look like those of a chain smoker.

Probably many of you here know that any decent commercial curry powder can be incorporated into all kinds of things that aren't really curry-ish. For instant, it's lovely in peach muffins. The other day I made an avocado-tuna salad that benefited from a spark of curry. It's a nice easy way to incorporate more turmeric into meals.

Re: the French word for caraway -- sometimes I suspect the translation on packages & was wondering if carvi was just a mistake, as I've only seen recipes for harissa that call for cumin, not caraway. However, I just googled harissa recipe and a hit from the BBC calls for caraway seeds.

This wonderful site, discovered by Henning, includes words in different languages for various spices: gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/index.html
note: link also to be found in the sticky thread food & cooking resources in The Galley

[Deleted]

Well, if Kerouac is right about tumeric and it's connection to Altzheimers perhaps you need more fresh tumeric in you diet Bixa.
That's a wonderful site Henning posted.

[lagatta]

Often harissa incorporates both cumin - which is ubiquitous in that part of the world - as well as caraway which I also think of as much more northern.

Caraway also goes in braised red cabbage. That can involve red onion, red wine (or not), some kind of oil or fat and even lardons.

[Deleted]

Having just returned from Switzerland, I don't think I have ever seen so many different ways to use saffron in my life. I even brought back a bottle of saffron liqueur.

[casimira]

So, this is the thread I was looking for yesterday nd then forgot because I saw the one about what we cook on.

I read somewhere recently and I don't remember where but I want to say it may have been something like Chowhound.
The gist of it was about the importance of how to get the most flavor when using spices and they kept referring to "blooming" them.
Is this a well known technique that I somehow missed while reading all the many cookbooks etc. in my lifetime or is it some new trendy word being used in the food world?
(I know I could look this up but I m curious as to whether or not anyone else has heard of it or can tell me, oh yeah, that's when you...)