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SPICES AND HERBS

Aromatic food substances which enhance flavour are spices and herbs. Spices are
usually dried roots, barks or seeds used whole, crushed or powdered. Herbs are
usually the fresh leaves, stems or flowers of herbaceous plants. Spices are stronger
than herbs.

Role of spices in cookery

 Spices are flavouring agents. Garam masala is added to pulav to add flavour.
 Spices are colouring agents. Turmeric gives colour to lime rice, saffron adds
colour to rasmalai in addition to flavor.
 Spices give pungency. Chillies added to chutney give quality of bite.
 Spices act as preservative e.g., Mustard powder, fenugreek powder.
 Spices act as souring agents. Kokam in sherbet, mango powder in samosa.
 Spices act as thickening agent. Poppy seeds, garam masala, ginger garlic
paste act as thickening agent in curries.

Specific spices

Name Source Active component Benefits


Ajwain Dried Fruit Thymol i. Used in biscuits, namkeen,
rusks, pickels, beverages and
pan mixtures
ii. Household remedy for
indigestion
iii. Ajwain is much valued for
its antispasmodic, stimulant
and carminative effects.

Dried Fruit Anethole i. Used in cakes, breads,


cookies and candies, briyani,
kachori and pickles
ii. An infusion of fennel is
Aniseed used to counteract flatulence.
iii. It is mildly carminative
and used in treating colic
pain.

Asafoetida Resinous gum Ferulic ester and i. Used in seasonings of


sulphur containing rasam, sambar and lemon
volatile oil rice.
ii. Used in treating chronic
bronchitis, whooping cough,
counteracting intestinal
flatulence.
Dried aromatic Aromatic volatile i. Used for flavouring meat
leaves oil preparations, pulav, soups,
kadi, fish, stews and tomato
pickle.
Bay leaves

Caraway seeds Seeds D-carvone and D- i.Used to flavour cakes,


limonere biscuits, cheese, apple sauce
and cookies.
ii.Oil is used to flavor meats,
canned foods, sausages, soups
and confectionary
iii.Seeds have carminative
effect and used in carminative
compounds.

Cardamom Aromatic fruit Cineole, terpinyl i.Used for flavouring coffee


acetate, pinene, in Arabia, sweet preparations,
sabinene and cookies, breads, cake and
porneol preserves.
ii.It is an appetizer and an
effective remedy for
indigestion.

Chillies Fruit Capsanthin i.Used in making chutneys,


sauces, pickles, dehydrated
chillies.
ii.Capsaicin present in chillies
stimulates digestive system.
iii. It is carminative and
antiflatulence agent. It
stimulates blood circulation.

Cinnamon Aromatic Bark Eugenol, cineole i.Used in pulav, biryani,


and korma and most of the non-
cinnamaldehyde vegetarian dishes.
ii.It is used in ground form in
cakes, cookies, sauces and
pickles.
iii.Used as an ingredient in
pharmaceutical and dental
preparations.
Clove Dried flower bud Eugenol i.Used as flavouring and
dietary additives particularly
in meats and bakery products.
ii.Used in pan masala,betel
nuts and chewing gum.
iii.Clove and clove oil are
used to combat minor
ailments like indigestion,
flatulence, tooth ache.
iv.They are highly valued in
medicine for their
carminative, stimulant,
antiflatulent and
antihelmenthic properties.
Coriander seed Umbeliferous fruit Isomer of geraniol i.Used as an ingredient of
curry powder and as a
flavouring in pickles,
sausages, seasoning and
confectionary.
ii.Used to correct foul breath.
An infusion of coriander
seeds is used in flatulence,
vomiting and intestinal
disorders.
iii.It contain thalides which
increase the levels of
anticancer protective
enzymes

Umbeliferous fruit Aldehyde cumino i.Used in soups, cheese-


spreads, candies, lassi,
pulav,cakes.
ii.It is used as stimulant and
carminative agent.
cumin seeds iii.It contain bio-active
substances called pthalides
which increase the levels of
anticancer protective
enzymes in the body.
Fenugreek seeds Dried ripe fruit Bitter fixed oil i.Used as a seasonings in
sambhar and kadhi.
ii.Aids in maintaining the
blood glucose levels in non-
insulin dependent diabetes.
iii.It is also used with butter
milk in the treatment of
dysentery.
Garlic Bulb Allicin i.Used in rasam, pickle,
chutney, pulav, sauces, soups.
ii.Extracts of garlic can lower
serum cholesterol levels and
prevent heart disease.
iv.Used to treat various
digestive disorders.

Ginger Root Gingerol and i. Used for curries , pickles,


shogaol chutney,preserves dried fruit,
tea, lime juice and butter
milk.
ii.Ground ginger used as
masala in pulav,chutney,
pickles, salad.
iii.Ginger is reported to
reduce inflammation and pain
in joints.
iv.It helps in the
detoxification of carcinogens.
v.Ginger can kill ovarian
cancer cells.
Mango powder Fruit drop
i.Used as sour agent in
cookery and as a substitute
for tamarind and lime juice.

Mustard Seed Allyl isothiocyanate i.Dry mustard is used in meat,


sauces, gravies and
mayonnaise.
ii.Mustard oil is a good
preservative.
iii.Protect against the toxic
effects of aflatoxin.
iv.It is good for cold and act
as decongestant.

Nutmeg and mace Aromatic fruit Terpenes i.Both are used in small
amounts to flavor puddings
and fruit pie.
ii.Mace is used to flavor fish
sauces, certain meat and fish
dishes, pickles and preserves.
iii.Volatile oil is used in
dental preparation.

Onion Bulb Allyl propyl i.It is used in cookery to


disulphide improve the flavor or to mask
undesirable flavours and to
increase the thickness of
gravies.
ii.Onion can lower blood
cholesterol and lipid levels
and is also useful in
preventing heart disease.
iii.Onion has stimulative and
diuretic properties.
Poppy seeds i.Used for topping of bread,
cake, rolls or filling for buns.
ii.It is also used in
korma,non-vegetarian dishes
and sweets.

Pepper Dried fruit Alkaloid peperine, i.Used in making bonda,


chavirine,peporidin rasam, vadai and fried rice,
e and piperethine substitute for chilli powder.
ii. Antidote to cough and
chest congestion
iii. Used for the treatment of
rheumatism, muscular pain,
intestinal gas and headache.
Saffron Flower Crocerin i. It is used in soups, sauces
and sweets like sandesh,
rasmalai, thandai,kesar milk.
ii. It is used as a sedative and
also used for eye infections.

Tamarind Ripe fruit Tartaric acid and i. Used as souring agent in


potassium bitartrate. chutneys, pickle, chat, pani
puri and tamarind rice.
ii. Used as thickening agent
in gravies.

Turmeric Dried aromatic Curcumin i. Used in lemon rice, sambar,


fruit dal, kadhi, khichdi and in
marinating meat.
ii. It helps in reducing
irritation in stomach.
iii. It is also used to relieve
sore throat, cough, cold and
against flatulence

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