Spice Science

Indian ingredients are as varied as the Indian people and the available foods of each region. Masala means spice blend. Certain foods use certain spice blends.The common thread throughout the centuries remains the distinct mixing of spices that invariably give Indian cuisine its flavor and aroma.

For instance, birlyani masala—cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and fennel—is used for birlyani, an oven-cooked dish of rice and a vegetable, seafood or meat. Chilies, mustard seeds, gram flour, coconut and yogurt are popular ingredients in all types of Indian cuisine. Ghee, a type of clarified butter, is used for cooking, and has a toasty taste. Saffron is used to flavor and color rice dishes. Over 5,000 years you learn to use what you have and be creative with it.

Indian cuisine makes best use of what is available, which is why each region has its own popular dishes. Dal, a lentil dish, is popular in the North. Meen Moli, a white fish curry, is loved in the South. Western Indians can’t get along without Vindaloo, a pork dish. East Indians love their sweets—one of the most popular being Chhenagaja—chhena, flour and sugar syrup. Halwa, a popular breakfast dish, consists of wheat, butter, sugar and almonds or pistachios. Indian snacks include samosas, a spicy turnover stuffed with potatoes and peas and a puffy rice, yogurt, tamarind and potato blend snack called bhel puri. Kabobs, meatballs, tandoori (clay-baked) chicken, rasam soup, and rice cakes, called idli, are popular dishes.

Ref : culinaryschools