Indian food without spices is like a beach without sand, unimaginable. Every single spice that is used in Indian cuisine has a character of its own. Some spices add heat, some acidity, some sweetness and some lend a unique freshness to the food that is being cooked.
There are mainly three types of spices that are used in Indian cuisine:
Fresh spices
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Green chilli
- Bay leaf
- Curry leaves, etc
Whole Dried Spices
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Mustard seeds
- Red chilli
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom, etc.
Roasted and Ground Spices (The most popular)
- Chilli powder
- Cumin powder
- Turmeric
- Fenugreek powder, etc.
The repertoire of Indian spices consist of ones that are easily available all around the world and some that are native only to the Indian subcontinent. If you want to cook Indian food outside India, you will definitely need resources from which you can avail of these spices. While some can be found at almost any grocery store, some have to be carefully selected from a few upmarket shops. Some Indian spices can also be grown in the kitchen gardens of people who cook Indian food either on a regular basis or frequently. In a few dishes, some spices can be substituted with others that taste similar but there are many Indian spices that are absolutely irreplaceable. Therefore, if you want to cook a particular dish but do not have the right spices then you do feel a little let down or disheartened.
Not every single Indian spice is available at a grocery store near you. However, just because you can’t get hold of the right Indian food spice, does not mean that you have to give up the idea of cooking your favourite Indian dish. Indian food spices are now available online. So, if you want to make a scrumptious Indian meal but are too busy to go out and hunt for the spices required to make the dish, all you have to do is log on to online Indian grocery stores, choose the spices and other ingredients you need for the dish, pay for them and have them delivered to your doorstep. These grocery stores also sell some fabulous Indian pickles that can add a zing to any Indian meal. It also makes available various kinds of rice and flour. However, the spices that are sold at these online grocery stores are of top quality.
