Crack the Code: Cook Any Indian Meal With Confidence by Godbole Nandita

Author:Godbole, Nandita [Godbole, Nandita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Indian cuisine
Publisher: Nandita Godbole / Curry Cravings (TM)
Published: 2015-10-07T18:30:00+00:00

Making Spice Blends

Old or improperly stored powdered spices tend to lose their flavor quickly. If you want to make your own powdered spices or spice blends, invest in a dedicated coffee grinder or use a blender with a glass or steel jar to prepare small batches. The grinding jar must be sturdy enough to withstand the intensity of dried, abrasive and coarse whole spices spinning around before they become powdered. Glass or metal grinding jars designed to crush ice handle Indian spices better than acrylic grinding jars. Choose a jar that is as wide as or wider than is tall to allow the spices to move around freely. Herb mills and small food processors are not powerful enough to crush spices.

Another essential tool in Indian kitchens is a mortar and pestle, most frequently preferred for pounding down fresh spices or making a quick coarse blend of dried spices. A rustic tool, still popular in homes that have the space to store it is a ‘pata-varvanta’. This tool is used when a paste is needed, for instance, pastes of soaked pulses, fresh herbs and spices or of tender coconut flesh. Unlike like the mortar and pestle with a bowl, the pata is a flat hand-chiseled local stone and its counterpart - the varvanta is conical in shape, also hand-chiseled, made using local stone. Herbs and spices are placed on the pata and the varvanta is rolled over them with some pressure. This motion crushes the herbs and spices or pulses rather than cutting them down as would occur in a blender, retaining the freshness and flavor of the ingredients. Often times, this paste is called ‘vaatan’.

Storing spices or making your own spice blends is easier than you would expect. Use the methods most suited to your own cooking style, kitchen and space allowance.

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