Masala dabba !!!...

Essential spices for your masala dabba

I am sure all of us are a little confused as to what spice powders need to be in our masala dabba (அஞ்சறை பெட்டி) especially when there are so many ready made masala powders available in the stores. Why do we need an armoury of pure spice powders such as turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper powder and cumin powder in our kitchens?

                                                     

           Each house hold  has their own choice of whole, ground or blended spices in their dabbas. I will however list some of the most common spices found in the maslaa dabbas across India. The variety and combination of spices in the masala dabba are essentially for functional purposes. The ergonomic of man and machine compatibility a term often discussed in flight cockpit design can be seen at play here. Just as all the flight controls need to be within arms reach for the pilot, the masala dabba is designed to keep all the essential ingredients within reach of the cook because one cannot keep scrambling and searching for the spices that need to be added at each stage of the cooking process. 

Cooking these days has been made easy with the easy availability of masala powders. There is a readymade masala powder for every dish we make at home. However, as consumers we have become increasingly disconnected to the food we prepare and consume. All our kitchens usually have a masala dabba that contain the most commonly used spice for everyday cooking. Do we know what the purpose of each spice is? What it does to the food? What it does to our digestive system? What medicinal properties do each spice have?

To most of us spice just provides just taste and colour but there is much more to them. I have listed below some of the immunity boosting properties of some of the most essential spices in the Indian kitchen

TURMERIC POWDER:

Turmeric Powder

            Turmeric powder is made by grinding whole turmeric fingers or bulbs from the rhizome curcuma longa. This is perhaps the most popular spice that is making an impact across the world for its well-known immunity boosting properties and health benefits.Turmeric contains curcumin which is the essential active ingredient and gives turmeric its colouring strength and the visually appealing colour. Yellow colour is known to promote appetite. Remember the golden arches that are now so familiar on the high streets and malls?

        Turmeric is an anti-bacterial and hence used in most dishes to kill germs that may be present in the food. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Turmeric contains curcumin which is the essential active ingredient and gives turmeric its colouring strength. Turmeric is an anti-bacterial and hence used in most dishes to kill germs that may be present in the food. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well.

A little turmeric powder with black pepper is known to increase the bio availability and can be had with palm sugar in a glass of hot milk. (Now you know why grandma gave this concoction when you had a sore throat) This is all the rage in the US and known as golden latte.( CTA masala milk)                                                                   

                                                                                         

Chillies Powder

CHILLI POWDER:   

         Chillies are the fruit of the plant genus capsicum. Capsicum annum and capsicum frutescence in dry form are what we commonly call dry red chillies or red peppers. Chillies are used in abundance in our daily cooking. Just the right the amount can perk up any dish with flavour and too much in a dish can leave you tearing up quickly. Add too little and you have bland dish.Whole chillies are also found in the masala dabbas for tempering

Chillies contain capsaicin which is the active ingredient and has a lot of properties that it now has a lot of application in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. The burning sensation you get when applying pain balms is because of the capsaicin that is used in small quantities in pain balms. It is used in pain management products and for treatment of arthritis.

The wellness industry is using it for weight loss. The capsaicin found in chillies is supposed help burn more calories. Adding more chillies to food makes you eat less (portion control) leading to weight loss.

Coriander Powder

CORIANDER POWDER:

            Coriander powder is commonly called as Dhania and is definitely a spice box essential. Coriander powder works wonders when added to meat dishes and provides an irresistible aroma to meat dishes.

Coriander has a lot of benefits like aiding digestion, lowering bad cholesterol and improving hair quality. So the next time you need to use coriander adding a little more will only help.

                                           

Cumin Powder

CUMIN POWDER:

                Cumin is classified as a seed spice and serves as another masala dabba essential. And it’s warm earthy notes can provide a great taste to a lot of Indian dishes. Cumin powder is known for its health benefits and is rich sources of iron and can help with diabetes and promote weight loss. Another reason to say cheers to the jal jeera ( jal jeera drink) 

BLACK PEPPER POWDER:

Black Pepper Powder

               Black pepper powder or kali mirch powder is known for it abundance of health benefits. Black pepper has an abundance of health properties while also adding zest to our dishes. Black pepper is stored in whole form for tempering (chounk) to dishes and also for cracking and grinding as needed.

Black pepper contains piperine which helps in blood sugar control, improves cholesterol levels and may also have cancer fighting properties. Turmeric along with black pepper improves the bio availability of the turmeric in our body.                          

                                 

Mustard

MUSTARD:

                Mustard seeds are an essential ingredient for the masala dabbas and used for tempering ( Chonk) for a whole host of dishes, particularly vegetarian cooking in dishes such as chutneys, sambar etc.

Mustard contains sculpture and phosphorous and that is the reason it pops and bursts during tempering

FENUGREEK:

Fenugreek

             Fenugreek or methi is another spice that is usually stored whole in the masala dabba and used in products like sambar etc.

Fenugreek seeds are packed with benefits and have a cooling effect on the body. Fenugreek works as an expectorant and helps to clear mucus from the body.         

The above is a guide to the most common spices that would find place in your masala dabba but there are no strict rules. You are free to add the most common spice powders or even masala powders and a garam masala.

                                               

                                             

Garam Masala

GARAM MASALA:    

          The Garammasala is an important spice mix in most kitchens as it is used to season and flavor a host of everyday dishes on our kitchens. The name Garam masala can be very misleading though as Garam means hot but the Garam masala is never hot but just very aromatic.

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