A
Acidulated water
This is water to which lemon or lime juice has been added - it is used to prevent fruit oxidising or browning (apples, bananas, pears etc) after they have been prepared.
Agar (Agar Agar)
Agar Agar is a gelatin like substance obtained from seaweed and is used as a gelling agent to make jellies without the need to refrigerate. Thus it is suitable for hot, tropical climates. Once it sets it does not melt nor loose its shape or stick to the mold. However, it becomes tougher the longer it is left after being made - it is at its best for about 12 hours. It is suitable for vegetarians as a substitute for gelatine.
“It is sold in sheets and strands as well as in a powdered form. Most believe the sheets or strands are better as they have a greater capacity to set. Soak these in water to soften, before adding to boiling liquid. The powder is simply whisked into simmering liquid in the proportions specified. Whatever type is used, it must be simmered for at least 10 minutes to activate the setting agents, otherwise the jelly will not be firm enough.” (from David Thompson, Thai Food)
Ajwain
Ajwain is often confused with lovage, parsley seed and oregano. Ajwain is, in fact, the small caraway like fruits of a plant of the parsley family.
In taste, it is similar to thyme, but stronger and less subtle. It originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, probably Egypt, and is mainly grown today in Indian and Persia. Use is generally confined to Central Asia and Northern India (e.g. in the Panch Phoran spice mixture from Bengal). It also appears in the Ethiopian berebere spice mixture (which shows both Indian and Arabian heritage!).
The aroma is enhanced by roasting , and ajwain goes well with potatoes, lentils and beans. Vegetables can be flavoured with a perfumed butter containing ajwain, made by frying the seeds in melted butter. It easily releases its flavour into oils, ghee and butter.
Allspice (Pimento, West Indian Bay Leaf)
Allspice is the unripe and dried highly aromatic berry of the allspice large, evergreen tree, although the aromatic leaves are often also used in cooking. It is strongly aromatic with a distinct and fascinating flavour, like cloves with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the taste is similar but more peppery.
Allspice comes from Jamaica and Mexico, and became known in Europe only long after it was discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean. In Caribbean cuisine, allspice is an important spice. It is also used in the Ethiopian spice mixture berebere.
In India, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are producers of allspice.
The English and the US also have a love of allspice, for stews, soups and sauces, for flavouring pickled vegetables. It is used in the quatre espices (four spices mix) of the French. It is used a lot in puddings and custards.Allspice has not been integrated into the Asian or Middle Eastern cuisines, although it is sometimes claimed to be used in some curry mixes.
Allspice is well known for its preservative qualities. It was used as an embalming agent in early days. Pimento oil is used extensively in the processed food industry and in the production of pharmaceuticals and in perfumery.
Almond
Sweet almond has a faint, nutty fragrance and taste. The origin of almonds is variously given as West or Central Asia. The almonds have been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for more than 2000 years, and it is mentioned often in the old manuscripts. Today, the main producers for the market are Spain and Italy.
Almonds are much used in Near and Middle Eastern cuisines. In North Indian cooking (which is heavily influenced by Persia) they are used as a sauce thickener (note that India never uses flour to thicken). Typically, almonds are fried together with several spices such as mace, cinnamon, cumin and garlic or ginger, and then quenched with yoghurt.
Almond pieces browned in ghee (butter fat) are a popular aromatic decoration for fragrant biriyanis with dried fruits. Some Indian desserts also contain almonds, such as dadaami kheer - an almond pudding flavoured with saffron.
The most common product of Western cuisine containing almonds is marzipan, a confection of an intensely kneaded mixture of almonds, sugar and aromatic essences such as rosewater.
Almonds, Bitter
Bitter almonds taste strongly bitter and develop an intensive characteristic aroma with moisture e.g. by chewing. However, bitter almonds contain hydrocyanic acid, which can be lethal especially in children, so care must be taken.
It should be noted also that sweet and bitter almonds are completely different products and can never substitute each other.
Since bitter almonds are toxic, they are hard to locate in western countries, but bitter almond essence is usually available. Kernels of peach or apricot will impart similar flavours.
Bitter almonds are used primarily in sweets, and is suited to flavouring cookies, cakes and marzipan, but is very strong, so care must be taken. It can be used to flavour spicy dishes thus giving a very exotic taste. Careful dosage is essential.
Anise
Anise is sweet and very aromatic with a strong flavour. It is the dried seeds of an annual herb, which are oval in shape. The origin is Eastern Mediterranean, perhaps Egypt, or West Asia. Turkey is an important producer today, but better product comes from Spain. It is also grown in India.
In far Eastern cuisines (Indian, Iranian, Indonesian) often little distinction is made between anise and fennel, and the same name is usually given to both. In the Philippines, star anise is called anise as well. This can lead to some confusion.
The seeds of the anise plant are used most often in cooked dishes, but the leaves can also be used in salads and soups (as well as teas). The seeds have been used for centuries to flavour breads, cakes, curries and liqueurs (for example Greek ouzo, French pernod, and raki). In the West, use is mainly restricted to bread and cakes and occasionally, breadfruit! It is added in very small quantities to some western spice mixtures.
In the East, it is less well known, with fennel and star anise being favoured. Anise may substitute fennel in Northern Indian recipes, but it is a less suitable substitute for star anise.
Anise appears occasionally in Mexican recipes, but their native anise flavoured herbs of Mexican tarragon and Mexican pepper-leaf are more widely used.
Chewing anise seeds aids digestion, and the Romans ate anise flavoured cakes after gastronomic orgies! It is also a mild expectorant and so is often added to cough mixtures.
See also The Spice Pages
Anise, Star.
See Star Anise
Asaphoetida or Asafoetida (pronounced “assa foh teeda”)
Asafoetida is a VERY VERY pungent Indian spice that is used to replace onions and garlic in recipes. The reason for this is that, for spiritual reasons, some people prefer not to eat onions and garlic.
If you do not have asaphoetida on hand, slice an onion and a clove of garlic and cook with the zucchini.If you are using asaphoetida for the first time, it does need to “cook off” a little, so rather than stirring it it into a liquid mix, add it to the end of sautéing ingredients and give it 30 secs or so to cook.
Asafoetida is a VERY unusual spice, being unique in origin, smell and blend. The sap, milk juice or latex from the living rhizome, root stock or taproot of a giant fennel-like plant that dries into a pungent brown hard resin with a very strong, rather repugnant smell. Indeed, the Latin Foetidus means “smelling, fetid”. It has the common name of Devil’s Dung in some areas, showing the lack of enthusiasm that this spice has outside the areas of common usage.
It is sold in both lump and ground form. The powdered form is the resin mixed with rice flour, and therefore much less strong in taste, but more easy in application. The strong fetid aroma when uncooked belies the gentle garlic-like aroma it leaves behind after cooking. It is used in very small quantities in Indian cooking for its digestive properties as well as for its flavour, and is excellent with dried beans, pulses and vegetables. Store in a tightly closed container. In ancient Rome, it was stored in jars with pine nuts.
The use of the powdered form and the pure resin differs. The resin is VERY very strongly scented (?) and must be used with care. It is also necessary to fry the resin in hot oil briefly to better disperse it in the food (it dissolves in the fat) and the heat changes the taste to something more pleasant. A pea-sized amount is considered a large amount sufficient to flavour a very large pot of food. The resin also seems to last a very long time without degrading in flavour or aroma.
Powdered asafoetida is less intense and may be added without frying although the aroma develops less deeply. The powdered form loses its aroma after some years.
Asafoetida is grown in India (Kashmir), Afghanistan and Iran. Various species grow wild from the Eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia. It is a available in three forms - tears, mass and paste. Compound asafoetida is often graded as special and extra special.
It is used to flavour curries in India, especially those that contain no garlic or onions (Brahmins in India refuse to eat garlic), and with beans and lentils to reduce the flatulent effect of eating those products. In sauces and pickles it acts as a preservative. In Tamil Nadu, the spice mix sambaar podi frequently contains asafoetida.
In Europe, it has been popular since Roman times and was used in the Middle Ages, but has largely fallen into disuse. In Persia it is still used.
It is used medicinally to stimulate the intestinal and respiratory tracts and the nervous system. It is useful in preventative medicine for infectious diseases. It helps digestion, prevents flatulence and releases spasms and colic. Asafoetida oil has antibiotic properties.
See also The Spice Pages
B
Beetroot
Beetroot in Australia are also known as Red Beet. It is such a healthy food - it cleanses the blood and kidneys, reduces inflammation, cleanses toxic wastes to help liver and spleen function, and encourages healthy blood cell formation. Fresh beetroot juice with apple or orange juice is very delicious. Be careful though - if you eat sufficient beetroot, your, em, uhm, excreta, erm, might turn bright red. Don’t be alarmed.
Another way to eat beetroot is raw. You just need to peel it and it’s ready to use. Beetroot can add a refreshing touch to a salad, in a sandwich (yummy with cheese) or as an accompaniment to other veges. Try grating it finely to add to other vegetables, mixing grated beetroot with raspberry vinegar, mixing grated beetroot, grated orange rind and orange juice or just plain grated beetroot on lentil burgers - great!
Beetroot leaves are also very nutritious, but that is a whole other post! (In the mean time, just add the smaller, fresher ones to your salads.)
Black Salt
Also known as Kala Namak (which is black salt in Hindi), Nirav Black Salt or Sanchal. It is not actually black but a whitish-redish-grey, due to the presence of trace minerals such as magnesium and volcanic iron. The salt has a strong, sulfuric flavor and aroma.
Kala Namak is a special unrefined mineral salt from Darjeeling, India and is a volcanic rock salt mined in central India.
It is used in Indian cuisine as a condiment, most commonly with snack foods. It is used in chaats, chutneys, raitas, fruit salads, and savory deep-fried snacks. Its main use is in the spice blend called Chat Masala which is usually sprinkled on snack foods from cut fruit to fried nuts, to chatpatta dishes.
As mentioned, the finishing salt has a strong sulfur taste and smell. While this unique quality is often diffused when cooked, some people say that it nonetheless adds a special taste of eggs.
It is available in lump form or powder form. Store it in a well sealed container in a cool dry place. It is not used interchangeably with sea or table salt because it has a very distinctive flavour and aroma.
Broad Beans
- Broad Beans - Has Beens?
>Black mustard seeds
Available in Indian food shops and spice shops. If you can’t find them, don’t substitute yellow. Better to leave them out - but do try to find them. You will be glad that you did.
Borlotti Beans, Fresh
Fresh Borlotti Beans are enclosed in pods with the most amazing crimson coloured flecks. The striking colours of the actual beans inside echo their brightly marbled shell. Once shelled and cooked, however, they lose their magical markings and attain a heartyness and flavour seldom found in the world of vegetables.
Freshly shelled borlotti need no soaking, as they do when dry. Instead, care must be taken to cook them until they are tender and no more.
Choose beans that are fully mature. They should be coloured on both shell and bean - not green - and the beans inside should make the pods look lumpy, indicating they are ready to pop. Avoid pods that are mouldy, withered or decayed.
Once shelled, borlotti beans should be cooked within a day or two. Once cooked, they will keep refrigerated in a dressing or in their cooking liquid for two to three days.
Borlotti beans go with: Extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, butter, vinegar, tomato, celery, onion, carrot, shallots, garlic, chilli, cayenne, coriander, parsley, red beet (beetroot), thyme, sage, oregano, bay leaf, cheese, mustard.
C
Chat
The word chat or chaat means to lick and the word masala, as we have seen before, actually means spice mix in Hindi. So generally, the word chat is used for a collection of savoury and highly spicy snacks that would make you lick /smack your lips - if that was acceptable in Indian etiquette.
Chat is traditionally sold by street hawkers in India and comes under a group of foods known as ‘Indian Street Foods’. But be careful of the food hygiene of street food - it is often suspect, frequently leading to “Delhi Belly“, most people prefer to make chat at home. There is some debate about whether chat is Northern or Southern Indian - I think it is wide spread.
Chat dishes are distinguished by the Chat Masala powder that is used to impart the spicy flavour to the main ingredient. You can buy this, but it is better to make your own.
Chat Masala
Usage Notes
Chat Masala is a mix of hot and tangy spice that is used to spice up many snacks, salads, fruit salads, fruit juices, and some curries.
Add it to fried nuts, yoghurt and yoghurt dishes.
You can use it in Indian chat recipes. Or sprinkle 1-2 tspn on your fruit or vegetable salad, squeeze a little lemon juice over the salad, mix it thoroughly and enjoy!
Especially nice is fresh fruit sprinkled with lime juice and chat masala.
Storage
You can make this masala well in advance and store it in a jar. It will keep a number of months to years, but all masalas (curry mixes) are best made often for maximum flavour.
Chickpeas
Other Names
garbanzo
bengal gram
kabuli
chana
Amazing random facts
Most popular in the Middle Eastern dish hummus, chickpeas are a roundish, beige to light green members of the legume family. They are grown primarily in Asia, India, and in the Mediterranean.
Chickpeas also can be ground up and used as a flour called gram flour. Gram flour is used widely in India, and elsewhere to make falafel, or in Burma to make a variety of tofu, known as Burmese tofu.
If you are out of gram flour it is easy to make. Lightly toast chickpeas by heating them in a frying pan until they colour slightly, shaking the pan to prevent burning. Place them in a blender and blend until they reach the consistency of flour.
Chickpeas are used a lot in Italian cooking, being used to make pasta and bean dishes. They are added to marinated vegetables and in antipasto.
Nutrition
Chickpeas are great for vegetarians. A half a cup has about 17 grams of dietary fibre and 19 grams of protein. They are also considered more digestible than most other beans - ie less gas!
I found this on the net. I don’t understand the purines, but it sounds impressive. See what you think:
From a nutritional standpoint, chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, proteins that are devoid of purines, and are therefore ideally suited to those who suffer from gout. With respect to other legumes they have a higher fat content, which makes them more caloric; they are therefore not what one wants during a diet. However, they are quite rich in calcium, making them a good choice for combating osteoporosis, are also rich in iron, and are an excellent source of fiber. They’re instead sodium-poor, which makes them a good bet for those on reduced sodium diets.
Soaking and Cooking Chickpeas
You can buy chickpeas in a can, but they taste so much better if you cook them yourself. If you buy raw chickpeas, in fact any dried bean or pea, check the production date on the package, because if they are too old they simply won’t soften no matter how long they soak or cook.
Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 24 hours if you can.
Cook them for around 1 - 2 hours until nicely soft but not falling apart. I add a pinch of turmeric to the water as they cook. Don’t use salt - it toughens the skin. When cooked, they will have a rather creamy texture.
Because they take so long to cook, they are good to cook in the colder weather to warm the kitchen. But they can be eaten at all times of the year.
Chickpeas can be cooked and then frozen for later use in hummus or curries.
Serving Chickpeas
The easiest way to serve them is still hot, drizzled with a extra virgin olive oil and seasoned to taste with celtic sea salt and pepper. Serve with bread and a salad for a light lunch or as part of a larger meal.
Hummus is a must.
Use in salads and snacks as well as curries and bakes.
Chickpea curry is wonderful.
Chickpeas can also be fried for a wonderlicious snack.
In antipasto. In tomato paella. With beans. In pasta dishes.
Roasted chickpeas
You can obtain these from Indian or Middle Eastern grocery shops.
Spiritual Significance
In our local temple, we make garlands from soaked chickpeas for Siva. I am not sure why this is significant, and can’t find any information on it. Does anyone know the relationship between Siva and chickpeas?
I am going to guess that, as chickpeas come in two halves, cojoined to make 1 chickpea, they represent the Siva Shakti bond - Siva and Parvarti. Or even more, the Saivite monistic dualism - 2 yet 1. Anyway, would love to hear your experiences and thoughts.
See also
Cumquats / Kumquats
Little orange balls of sour citrusness. Cute. Inedible. Except. If you make Brandied Cumquats or Cumquat Marmalade.
Curry leaves
Available in Indian food shops and spice shops. Fresh is best, but dried will also work. If you can’t find curry leaves, leave them out. Bay leaves are not a substitute. Bay leaves ground a dish - giving it an earthy flavour. Curry leaves lift a dish, giving it a zing.
D
Dal, Masoor
Red lentils
See also Red Lentils
Dukkah
-
See Zahtar
E
Eggplant
-
Smoky Eggplant - How to char over a flame
G
Garam Masala
- Hot Masala! - Making Garam Masala
H
Hua Tiao Chiew
Hua Tiao Chiew is a well-known traditional speciality and one of the oldest brewed wines in China. It is brewed from pure wheat and rice grains and contains low alcohol content. In Chinese medicine it used for “improving blood circulation, complexion and appetite”.
J
Jaggery
Jaggery is a palm sugar commonly used in India and SE Asia. You can substitute brown sugar.
L
Lentils, Red (Masoor Dal)
In some dishes, the lentils serve as a thickener for the liquid, forming a yummy sauce base, and they also serve as a flavour addition. They are not really noticeable in the final dish, as they disintegrate into the sauce itself.
M
Masoor Dal
Red lentils
See also Red Lentils
Mustard seeds, Black
Available in Indian food shops and spice shops. If you can’t find them, don’t substitute yellow. Better to leave them out - but do try to find them. You will be glad that you did.
P
Pasta
Cooking Pasta al Dente
Poha
-
Poha or rava (depending where you come from in India) is a fav type of rice for me. It is not cooked the same as rice, but is quickly turned into the most scrumptious of amazing dishes. Cooking for all Seasons has a great description of poha and two recipes in her post called One Poha - Two Ways
Pumpkin, Butternut
Roasting Butternut Pumpkin
R
Rava
-
See Poha
Red Beet
-
See Beetroot
Rice Rolls
Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)
See also Red Lentils
Risotto
Risotto a creamy, moist, flavoursome rice dish, Italian in origin, that is very, very easy to make. It does take around 20 minutes at the stove (stirring). The basis of all risotto dishes is the same.
Cooking Risotto
S
Sumac
Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice - quite tart and quite yummy. It is black in colour. Fresh and tangy, it comes from the berries of a wild bush that grows wild in all Mediterranean areas, especially in Sicily and southern Italy, and parts of the Middle East, especially Iran. It is an essential ingredient in Arabic cooking, being preferred to lemon for sourness and astringency.
You only need a little and it is fabulous with tomatoes and avocados. It can also be mixed with yoghurt and fresh herbs and served as a dipping sauce or side dish. It is good dusted over feta cheese or added to a salad. Stir it through olive oil and serve with crusty bread.
You can read more about sumac here.
T
Tea, White
Tamarind
Tamarind is the seed pod of a tree in India. It adds a spicy, sour zest to food, and is ubiquitous in Tamil and other South Indian food. I have written before about the Indian method of balancing the flavours in food, and tamarind is one of the most popularly used “sour” tastes. (But do not despair, it does not make the food taste sour - it just adds a zip to it.)
Tamarind is available from Indian food stores in pod form or as a paste or concentrate. I use a mash of the seed pods that I buy locally; it is complete with the seeds. The technique for using it is to soak a knob of the tamarind pulp in boiling water for 10 minutes, and then strain it, forcing as much of the pulp through the sieve or strainer into the liquid. Keep the liquid and discard the seeds. Add to the dish at the required time.
If you do not have tamarind at hand, use lemon juice. It won’t be the same flavour, but it will be Ok.
Tadka, or Tarka
A Tadka is a ghee or oil based spice mix added to a curry at the end of the cooking. It adds a wondrous taste to the dish, so do not avoid this step. Also, the spices used in a taka are those that release their flavours into oil rather than liquid, like black mustard seed and curry leaves. Finally, black mustard seeds taste best when popped, a bit like mini popcorn, and the taka provides a mechanism for this.
Turmeric
W
White Tea
U
Urad Dal
Urad Dal is a black gram or lentil commonly used in India for dishes, but also for flavouring. In the West we don’t think of beans or lentils being used for flavour instead of the main component of a dish. However, when you get your head around it, your cooking will benefit. To use for flavourings, pan roast or fry the lentils and add to the dish.
Also see Tadka
V
Vanilla Beans
Vanilla beans have a sweet perfumed aroma that is almost woody or smoky. It pairs wonderfully with cumquats, indeed any citrus, as well as many other things (e.g. use in vanilla icecream).
Vanilla essence is made from vanilla beans, but once you have used the beans you will never return to the essence.
Vanilla beans are the fruit of the Vanilla orchid, a tropical plant that produces long green-yellow seed pods. The pods are picked while unripe and are cured until they are dark brown.
To use an Vanilla pod, split it in two lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Use the seeds in your recipe, but do not discard the pod. It can be used to add more flavour, or indeed seeped in alcohol to make a very flavoursome (and alcoholic) drink.
The seeds of the vanilla pod are very very small and black. You will see them in your dish, and I hope you don’t mind this. I think it adds a real visual appeal. I just LOVE vanilla icecream made with vanilla bean. Dotted with the tiny seeds.
For more information on Vanilla see the Vanilla Company. And here to see how to make vanilla sugar, and also vanilla essence with vodka! Personally, I like The Traveler’s Lunchbox’s approach which uses any alcohol over 40% proof. A great post.
Zahtar
A beautiful mix of nuts, lentils and seeds, ground to a course mix, Middle Eastern in origin.
Serving Notes
- Eat for breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea. If you need a spreadable mix, stir through some really good olive oil.
- Spread on pita or flatbread, and bake or put under the griller until hot through.
- Work some into the top of fresh bread dough before baking.
- Strew over salads.
- Sprinkled over roast or steamed vegetables.
- Cover bread dipped in very very good virgin cold pressed olive oil. The quality of the olive oil is the key to the success here.
- Dredge oil-coated chunks of feta in it.
- Add a little to a vinaigrette - 3 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, salt and pepper and zahtar.
- Excellent on crostini.
- Substitute zahtar for garlic in garlic bread.
- Add to yoghurt-based mayonnaise for delicious vegetable dips.
- Sprinkle on to hummus.
- Blend with a little natural yoghurt, sea salt and pepper and used with pan fried tofu or as an accompaniment to a hot curry.
- Rattling the Kettle in a comment suggests using it on labneh (thick Lebanese yogurt), with a little bit of potent olive oil.
