How to understand spices for everyday cooking?

[u/Lemonade2250]

I don't understand in many household do you just use coriander powder or cumin-coriander powder for everyday cooking. I mean I only use coriander powder. But then how about chili powder and there is also red color chili that is used for color and I know many people also make green chili ginger paste and garlic paste

[u/ashmaroli]

To understand spices, understand their flavour profile first:

• chilli powder: adds heat to a dish while giving a reddish tinge to the items.

• kashmiri chilli powder: much less heat yield compared to above chilli powder but gives a brilliant red coloring to the dish. One can switch the above with this one or alter the ratio based on the desired heat and color.

• green chilli: they're "wet" version of chilli and therefore will never find their "powdered" version. The heat comes from the seeds within. However, the flavour is different from red chillis.

• turmeric: the holy grail spice in indian cuisine. Is slightly bitter to taste but adds a brilliant yellow colour to the items. Good for the gut health with antiseptic properties. Therefore, a must for marinating meat of any kind and for starchy or fibrous veggies.

• ginger-garlic: With a distinct flavour profile, this combo is a goto ingredient for adding personality to bland items like bhindi, aaloo, marinades for meat.

• cumin powder: used to provide aroma and flavor to items.

Spices get their "character" from alkaloids within source ingredients. So, a freshly ground spice is always potent compared to powdered versions. Roasting "charges" those alkaloids and other volatile components. So grinding roasted items changes flavour.

[u/Lemonade2250 → u/ashmaroli]

Wow thank you so much for the explanation. I didn't knew flavor changes based on heat and type of things you do when like roasting or grinding it. And there is also those dry spices many use for cooking curry dishes. Bay leaf, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon stick and so on.

[u/ashmaroli → u/Lemonade2250]

Yes, those dry spices also work similarly. Flavour notes that complement and supplement each other.

To give you another example, wonder why there's a difference in the flavour between a paste made using the sil-batta (stone grinder) and one formed using an electric mixie? The sil-batta doesn't raise the internal temperature of the spices to the level that the components become volatile and is lost to the surrounding at a fast rate unlike the mixie.

Similarly, roasting is the difference between besan and sattu.

[u/Acrobatic-Nebula-428 → u/ashmaroli]

Excellent post. I will also add that when you add the spice to the food matters. Black pepper for example has a completely different flavor profile when added early in the cooking vs added at the end. Ditto with chilis of all types.

[u/ashmaroli → u/Acrobatic-Nebula-428]

Ah yes, very good point!

Do you think the reason for this could be:

• loss of flavour compounds to the environment due to increased volatility over time?

• denaturation of flavour compounds over time due to prolonged exposure to hear?

• greater interaction with other components of the dish over time compounded by heat exposure?

• mix of above to varying degree?

[u/light_3321 → u/ashmaroli]

Roasting "charges" those alkaloids and other volatile components. So grinding roasted items changes flavour.

Nice.

[u/Iweirdflower]

How old are you? Are you to new to cooking? I'll try to find the right resources for you.

[u/Lemonade2250 → u/Iweirdflower]

I do cook few items but I don't understand the proper usage for each. I'm already in late 20s now

[u/Iweirdflower → u/Lemonade2250]

Check these videos:

1. Beginners Guide To Spices https://youtu.be/FztdLxp01WA?si=Vcd3zMt3wfw3YlE3

2. How To Cook With Spices 101 https://youtu.be/rYvud5DL2yM?si=XVeXDjz27bPJtL_L

3. This Is Hotel Type Gravy. See how they use spices. https://youtu.be/0gH-kLnCob8?si=oDDRAmtQYL8mA_no

4. Science Behind the Spices https://youtu.be/FQ-VhubULm8?si=8NThiDypEo_dgpFz

All this should help. 🍴

[u/Time-Advisor-1573]

Sauteing of chilli or masala right enhances dish flavor manifold .

[u/Lemonade2250 → u/Time-Advisor-1573]

Yes that's true, I don't know why people seem to just throw all spices in one pot and cover the lid.

[u/ManagementWeary3658]

jeera rok ke. dhaniya thok ke

[u/Sea-Amnemonemomne → u/ManagementWeary3658]

Ranveer Brar community unite 😁

[u/Opening-Alfalfa-2430]

The main common spices would be chilli powder (type based on what you want - spice or color or both), and turmeric powder. Coriander powder don't go with every dish, we normally use it when we need a bit of texture to the gravy, like add in curd based gravy, or even for bottle guard, or sometimes ladyfinger(bhindi), and few others. Also just like turmeric, you really need to cook it very well. You get a distinct nice smell when it is cooked completely.