Cooking PT 1

Vol.
TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY
Cooking for the transformation of human consciousness is
‘Cooking Taoshobuddha Way for Buddha!’
TAOSHOBUDDHA
COOKING TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY VOLUME ! 2010
INTRODUCTION
TO
EAST INDIAN
COOKING
FOOD IS CONSCIOUSNESS
AND
YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT
OF THIS
CONSCIOUSNESS
COOKING TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY Page 2

MEDITATION LEADS TO ULTIMATE FLOWERING
COOKING – TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY Vol 1
Snacks and Gravies
© 2011, Taoshobuddha,
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the
original publisher TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS.
Printed and Published by TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS
Cover design and graphics: Anand Neelambar, Taoshobuddha
Photography: Taoshobuddha, Prem Sutra, and Anand Neelambar
COO

I –
Cooking Taoshobuddha way
Cooking lovingly,
Cooking meditatively!

CONTENTS
Volume 1
INTRODUCTION
1. Preface 8
2. Herbs and spices 13
3. Cooking Style 66
4. Mughlai cooking Style 71
5. Measurements 76
SECTION 1
SNACKS AND APPETIZERS

1. Samosa 79
2. Pakoras 82
3. Paneer Pakora 85
4. Gobhi Pakora 87
5. Khasta Kachori 89
SECTION 2
VEGETABLES AND GRAVIES

1. Gravies 95
2. Paneer Butter Masala 100

3. Shahi Paneer 103

4. Karahai Paneer 106
5. Shahi Paneer and Bell Peppers 108
6. Paneer Malai Makai 110
7. Methi Mutter Malai 113
8. Khoya Mutter 116
9. Aloo Ghobi in Mughlai Gravy 118
10. Palak Malai Kofta in Mughlai Gravy 120
11. Stuffed Egg Plant 125
12. Dum Aloo 130
13. Mixed Vegetable Kofta 133
14. Malai Kofta 136
15. Bhindi Do Pyaza 139
16. Stuffed Bhindi 141
17. Shahi Kaju Aloo Recipe 143
18. Navrattan Korma 145
19. Korma 149
20. Paneer Tikka Masala 153
21. Tomatoes – Peas – Potato 157
Printed and Published by TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS
Cover design and graphics:

INTRODUCTION
1. Preface 8
2. Herbs and spices 13
3. Cooking Style 66
4. Moghlai Cooking Style 71
5. Measurements 76

BY Prem Sutra
Cooking lovingly! Cooking meditatively! Cooking for Buddhas! Cooking for the
transformation of human consciousness is ‘Cooking Taoshobuddha way or Buddha Way!’
It is indeed cooking for Buddhas. A strange, yet still a meaningful title for a cook!
C
ooking lovingly! Cooking meditatively! Cooking for Buddhas!
Cooking Taoshobuddha way or Buddha way or cooking for
Buddhas means the same thing. It is indeed a strange yet
still a meaningful title for a cook book. It says a lot. And this is the
beauty of it. First let me explain something of the title. Taoshobuddha
is an enlightened master. Very rarely a master goes into cooking or
does something like this. Although each master remains particular
about eating food cooked by each and every one yet no effort was ever
made in the past in this direction. When I asked Taoshobuddha about
this, very pleasantly in his usual manner he said something that
reveals the compassion of a master. Only an enlightened one can say
such a thing. This is what he said:
“Cooking Taoshobuddha means ‘Cooking for Buddha’; ‘Cooking

lovingly’; ‘Cooking meditatively’. Only then there can be total
transformation of human consciousness. Only then we can create a
new man who is balanced both inner and outer.

Life is a journey of transcendence. It is a moment to moment journey of

awareness. As such man exists at three planes. In ordinary human being
these planes remain muddled. And because of this there is no clarity and
inward journey gets impeded.
In case of an enlightened one the planes remain the same. However these
exist in their right perspective. Also these do not overlap one another in an
enlightened one.
These three planes are:
1. The plane of silence the unheard the uncreated one. This is the plane
where the master or the enlightened one dwells. He prefers to remain there.
But from this plane the transformation cannot happen. Very unlikely you
will find aspirants who are at this plane. However when the aspirant is
within the energy field of the enlightened one he is touched by this state of
awareness at times. Still this state is not permanent. This is the plane where
I dwell. I would not like to come out of this state. But then I will be failing in
my responsibilities for the birth of a new human being. One who is beyond
dualities and conflicts? He is religious beyond the dimensions of all the
religions and narrowness.
2. The second is the plane of intellect. Many are there at this plane. Or
think that from this plane they can understand the deeper aspects of
inwards journey at least intellectually. Again they are mistaken. At this
plane people give their own meaning to the words and message. Still it is a
plane from where one can communicate to all those who are at this plane to
varying degrees. For these people I have made myself available through
scores of books, and other materials, audio and video talks internationally.
Also I have weekly meditations in Boston, Sweden, Vancouver, Florida,
Miami, and New York. These I conduct from here.
In addition there are two published books. And there are 18 E-books and
Monthly E magazine ‘MEDITATION TIMES’. Currently I am doing a book
‘TASAWWRE SHEIKH’ as reminiscences of my father of his master.
3. And last is the most common plane where you will find vast majority of
humanity even those who are on the second plane are to certain varying

degrees remain mixed up with this third plane. This is the plane that relates
to food sheath. Food is necessar for the survival of the body. We quote
‘Annm! b&hm!’ But do not understand the essence of this.
The people who are at this plane are the ones who have suppressed sex.
Also they lack the understanding of this biological energy. There is not only
misunderstanding instead lack of awareness as well. All those who have
suppressed sex get interested in food. India has suppressed sex down the
ages for various reasons and the outcome is so many spicy and pungent
dishes. Nowhere else so many dishes have developed as in India.
West has been slightly different. Sex is not suppressed. But there is no
fulfilment. One can suppress sex that India did, or what the west did still it
lacks fulfilment. Suppression and un-fulfilment are two sides of the same
coin.
This problem has to be addressed. In the past masters have taken notice of
this and abstained eating food from others. But they have done nothing to
offset this problem. Without this new man cannot take birth out of you.
Without this all rituals, worship etc. remains meaningless.
I have taken to cooking and thus bring my awareness to the vast majority
who are not interested in things at higher rungs. Whether they are
interested in meditation, or discourses they will definitely be interested in
food. How to reach these persons was on my mind. This life I have chosen to
work at all the planes.
Through my awareness I am fulfilling the missing dimension in the life of

those who are either suppressed or unfulfilled as far as the sex is concerned.
When I looked into the lives of all those who are interested in food
somewhere or the other this needs to be fulfilled. Direct involvement
method cannot be used. I have to devise system and methods that can be
utilized with effective results. I have devised certain meditations as well to
transform negativities at personal and cosmic levels. These incorporate
breathing at body level, introspection at mental level and compassion at the
level of the being. These are yet to be given the final shape through the cook
book ‘COOKING TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY’.

Masters need to do this. Mere rituals, scriptures etc. cannot transform them.
This is the reason I have gone into cooking. Maybe persons will be benefited
to varying degrees. One thing is certain though:
‘In the barren soils of thy inner sanctum

Oft do I use the manure of compassion,
Then one day seed of awakening I sow
With the rain of thy infinite bliss
The seed shall sprout one day
And then reckoning shall reap the fruits
At the dawn of new awakening!’
Taoshobuddha [Reproduced from Letter to Swami Atmananda]
It implies each act related to cooking be an act of awareness. When

you live a life full of awareness even the small happening, moments,
and events become moments of great revelation. In the absence of all
this even the moments of benedictions turn out to be meaningless. It
is therefore transform you’re cooking into an event of benediction, joy,
fulfillment, and meditation.
You can eat the most nourishing food unhappy; full of complaints,
frustration, and lack of awareness in that case you are like a common
fly that transforms the nourishment into putrefied food. And on the
contrary if you take the non – nourishing food full of happiness, joy,
celebration, awareness, and gratitude then even this non – nourishing
food becomes life giving one. It all depends on you, your awareness. In
that case you become like a fruit plant that is nourished with all that
is rotten, and irrigated with dirty water the plants transform all this
into life nourishing and healthy final result. Remember fruit juices
are considered healthy and source of nourishment.
With such an understanding we enter into cooking meditatively,

lovingly and full of awareness.
This is cooking the TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY or the BUDDHA WAY.
COOKING MEDITATIVELY…COOKING WITH AWARENESS!

I met Taoshobuddha in 1992 – 1993 upon the insistence of another

aspirant. I had met him on the bus travelling on my way to the office
in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. He kept on talking about his
master, kept talking about all that he had learnt from his master.
I was subsequently invited to one of Taoshobuddha talks and I

remember trying to judge which one of the new faces I was seeing,
faces I was seeing for the first time was that of Taoshobuddha.
Not this one, not that one…and then I saw him, a gentle man… a
beautiful man very relaxed person and I just knew that he was the
one…
It has been a life transforming experience. After this meeting I could

not remain the same. Something transformed or something new born
in me. Maybe I am resurrected. No more old habits instead a life full
of jot and benediction.
Fast forward to present day. I always had an interest in cooking,

always interested in learning more about cooking and when I was
introduced to east Indian cooking I was fascinated. I always described
East Indian food as ‘Food of the Gods’. The variety of spices, special
blends, the aesthetic look of dishes, and the taste always enchanted
and overwhelmed me.
So one day I asked Taoshobuddha to show me some techniques of

Indian cooking. This was the beginning of cooking classes at the
temple and I was given the job of coordinating various activities like
menu planning, interacting with other participants, taking care of the
taste demands of others, and finally compiling the recipes that we
created at these classes.
One thing that I have learned in the company of Taoshobuddha

through these classes that one should not cook when one is angry,
depressed. Subtly such vibrations are transferred into the food.
Cooking is never a burden. Instead it is an explosion of joy and
sharing one’s being with others. One should cook lovingly as if you are
meditating.

Preparing the vegetables, holding the knife in a loving manner,

knowing that one is cooking for the Beloved are certain guidelines
that Taoshobuddha infused into cooking. To him everything is
meditation and cooking is one of the most significant acts. Whole life
is meditation. Only then you can be transformed.
In the preparation of this work I got tremendous support and help at

each step from many quarters. The foremost support came from
Taoshobuddha who not only introduced me and all the participants
and through this book to all those who seek transformation, into a
unique
meditative way of cooking. And thus making meditation way of our
day to day life!
Swami Anand Neelambar for his expertise in formatting the entire

book into such a unique way and his usual talks! Dayani, Sandra,
Peter, Shiva, Kabir, and all other participants who day in and day out
supported and encouraged in bringing the work to this stage!
I am thankful to … of New York Institute of Cooking for their

support, review and valuable suggestions that will go a long way.
Bonne Appetite!
Love
Prem Sutra
[Note: Initially Prem Sutra was to finish this book. However because of her busy
schedules and degree on food management I have to undertake to finish this work. As a
result I have left the original preface written by Prem Sutra and I have not made any
change in the original script.]

H erbs and spices form an important ingredient of our daily life.

Each herb and spice has certain medicinal qualities as well in
addition to taste. Therefore from early part of human civilization
herbs and spices have been grown, harvested, traded and consumed
both as medicine and as part of culinary delights. Certain herbs are
lifesaving. While in general all the herbs are life enhancing and
flavoring.
Although many South Asian flavorings are familiar in Britain, there

are many aromatic and flavorsome spices that are not so recognizable.
But a wider range of ingredients is becoming easier to obtain. Here
we list a few everyday South Asian spices that may be less familiar to
shoppers. They should be found in most specialist Asian food shops.
The earliest mention of these herbs and spices we trace in Hindu

scriptures like Ramayana, and Vedas. Atharvaveda is entirely
dedicated to the sacred knowledge of these herbs and spices. Still one
can find traces in Rigaveda, Sushruta, and Chakra Samhitas. These
are replete with description and the curative properties of these herbs
and spices. Some of those mentioned in these scriptures are not found
in India. However blending of cultures and migration exposed
humanity to more than 500 different herbs. Chinese have introduced

nearly 1000 herbs whose descriptions date back to 2500 BC. And such
description is found in Yellow Emperor.
Hippocrates, a Greek Physician, who is the father of modern medicine

has also listed hundreds of herbal varieties all taken together, bear
ample testimony to the significance and importance of the use of
herbs as cure for ailments.
As man evolved his ingenuity allowed him to explore all that nature
has in treasure. In the old days herbs were collected from the forests,
hill tops, plains, and river – beds as these grew there. But there was
no organized effort to grow these. These herbs were used both for
medicinal purpose as well as to as flavors and delight to cooking.
Almost all the civilizations and culinary styles use herbs and spices to
varying degrees. However Indians have used these herbs and spices
more comprehensively than any other civilization. Each herb has
flavor, medicinal qualities and tastes. However when these are used
as combination complementing one another the value of such
combination is enhanced manifolds. Besides Indians no other culinary
styles has explored these combinations so extensively.
I admire the ingenuity in creating special combination for special

vegetables and meats. And in doing so many factors were also taken
into account so that the particular dish becomes not only tasty
instead easily digestible as well. It is all because of special blends
created for these dishes. In the subsequent pages I will speak of
certain basics about these blends. Use of these herbs and spices
individually or as combination not only provide nutrition instead
enhances the taste of the dishes thus prepared.
Herbs is the leafy part of the plant while herb is the stem and root
part of a tree. All the parts are used in cooking and medicinal
purposes. Herbs can be used fresh as well as dried. On the other hand
spices are the ripe part of the plant. Here I will discuss only those
herbs and spices that are used in East Indian Cooking. In addition
there are so many other herbs like variety of mints, basil, Chamomile,
etc.
Spices can be classified in three categories:

1. Basic spices
i) Chili peppers
ii) Coriander
iii) Turmeric
iv) Cumin seed
v) Mustard seeds
2. Aromatic spices
i) Clove
ii) Nutmeg
iii) Cinnamon
iv) Cardamom
v) Red Cardamom
vi) Bay leaves
vii) Mace
viii) Clove
ix) Asafetida
x) Curry leaves
3. Ornamental Spices
i) Poppy seeds
ii) Till Black
iii) Till White
iv) Coriander leaves
v) Mint leaves

BASIC SPICES.
Chilies dried
Chili peppers are used around the world to make a countless

variety of sauces, known as hot sauce, chili sauce, or pepper sauce. In
Turkey, chilies are known as Kırmızı Biber (Red Pepper) or Acı Biber
(Hot Pepper), and are used in the form of either red pepper paste
(Biber Salçasi) which can be hot or mild. Harissa is a hot pepper
sauce made of chili, garlic and flavored with spices, originating in
Tunisia and widely used in its cuisine, both as a condiment and as
seasoning. Harissa is also found in other North African cuisines,
though it is often treated as a table condiment to be served on the
side.
Indian cooking has multiple uses for chilies, from simple snacks
where the chilies are dipped in batter and fried, to wonderfully
complex curries. Chilies are dried, roasted ground and used in the
preparation of spice blends from mild to stronger chilly tastes.
Sambal is a versatile relish made from chili peppers as well as other

ingredients such as garlic, onion, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar,
which is popular in Indonesia and Malaysia, and also in Sri Lanka
(called ‘sambol’) and South Africa, where they were introduced by
Malay migrant workers who arrived in the 19th century. It can be
used as a dipping sauce, as an ingredient in recipes and even as a
dressing for cold dishes (or ‘salads’).
The leaves of the chili pepper plant are mildly bitter but not as hot as
the fruits that come from the same plant. These are cooked as greens

in Filipino cuisine, where they are called dahon ng sili (literally ‘chili
leaves’). They are used in the chicken soup, and tinola.
In Italian cuisine crushed red pepper flakes are a common ingredient

on pizza among other things. It is also commonly used in Turkey as a
garnish, called Biber Dövme.
Dried red Chillies

Chilies are the most common spice used and cultivated in India and it
is grown nearly in all parts of the country, hills and plains. The
variety differs in taste, color, and bitterness. Chili pepper is the fruit
of the plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade
family, Solanaceae.
These peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives

peppers their characteristic pungency, producing mild to intense spice
when eaten. The hotter the chili pepper, the more capsaicin it
contains. It is used both whole and in powder form.

Fennel seeds (sounf)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), (also known as Tamil: Sombu

or Perunjeeragam) and known as saunf in Hindi is a plant species in
the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by
most botanists). It is a member of the Blunden family Apiaceous
(formerly the Umbelliferae). It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous
herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is generally
considered indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, but has
become widely naturalized elsewhere (particularly, it seems, areas
colonized by the Romans) and may now be found growing wild in
many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea – coast
and on river – banks.
Fennel seeds
It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal

uses, and is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe a highly
alcoholic liqueur tasting of aniseed and made from wormwood and
herbs. Absinthe is now banned in many countries because of its

toxicity. Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen,

bulb – like stem base that is used as a vegetable.
Fennel is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera

species including the Mouse Moth and the Anise Swallowtail.
The word fennel developed from the Middle English fenel or fenyl,
and is pronounced finocchio in Italian. This came from the Old
English fenol or finol, which in turn came from the Latin feniculum or
foeniculum, the diminutive of fenum or faenum, meaning ‘hay’. The
Latin word for the plant was ferula, which is now used as the genus
name of a related plant. As Old English finule it is one of the nine
plants invoked in the pagan Anglo – Saxon Nine Herbs Charm,
recorded in the 10th century.
Fennel flower heads Fennel is a perennial herb. It is erect, glaucous

green, and grows to heights of up to 2.5 m, with hollow stems. The
leaves grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected, with the
ultimate segments filiform (threadlike), about 0.5 mm wide. (Its
leaves are similar to those of dill, but thinner.) The flowers are
produced in terminal compound umbels 5–15 cm wide, each umbel
section having 20–50 tiny yellow flowers on short pedicels. The fruit
is a dry seed from 4–10 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.
Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere,

for its edible, strongly – flavored leaves and seeds. Its aniseed flavor
comes from Anatole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and
star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though
usually not as strong.
Fennel has become naturalized along roadsides, in pastures, and in

other open sites in many regions, including northern Europe, the
United States, and southern Canada and in much of Asia and
Australia. It propagates well by seed, and is considered an invasive
species and a weed in Australia and the United States.

Fennel, bulb, foliage, and seeds are widely used in many of the
culinary traditions of the world. Fennel pollen is the most potent form
of fennel, but also the most expensive. Dried fennel seed is an
aromatic, anise – flavored spice, brown or green in color when fresh,
slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds
are optimal. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to
those of dill. The bulb is a crisp, hardy root vegetable and may be
sautéed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw.
Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with those of anise, which are
very similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. Fennel is also
used as a flavoring in some natural toothpaste.
Fennel features prominently in Mediterranean cuisine, where bulbs

and fronds are used, both raw and cooked, in side dishes, salads,
pastas, vegetable dishes such as artichoke dishes in Greece, and
risottos. Fennel seed is a common ingredient in Italian sausages and
meatballs and northern European rye breads.
Many cultures in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East use
fennel seed in their cookery. It is an essential ingredient of the
Bengali/Oriya spice mixture panch phoron and in Chinese five – spice
powders. It is known as saunf or mauti saunf in Hindi and Urdu,
sompu in Telugu, badesoppu in Kannada, mouri in Bengali, shombu
or peruncheeragam in Tamil and Malayalam language, variyali in
Gujarati, badeeshop or badeeshep in Marathi and barishap in the
Malay language, Razianeh or ‫اﻧ ﮫیراز‬in Persian. In many parts of
Pakistan and India roasted fennel seeds are consumed as an after –
meal digestive and breath freshener. Farming communities also chew
on fresh sprigs of green fennel seeds.
Many egg, fish, and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves.
Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some Italian and German
salads, often tossed with chicory and avocado, or it can be braised and
served as a warm side dish. It may be blanched or marinated, or
cooked in risotto.

Fennel contains Anatole, which can explain some of its medical

effects. It has many medicinal properties and therefore used in case of
many complaints.
Intestinal tract
On account of its carminative properties, Fennel is chiefly used

medicinally with purgatives to allay their side effects and for this
purpose forms one of the ingredients of the well – known compound
Liquorice Powder.
Fennel water has properties similar to those of anise and dill water:
mixed with sodium bicarbonate and syrup, these waters constitute
the domestic 'Gripe Water', used to ease flatulence in infants; it also
can be made into syrup to treat babies with colic or painful teething.
Long term ingestion of fennel preparations by babies is a known
cause of the larches. For adults, fennel seeds or tea can relax the
intestines and reduce bloating caused by digestive disorders.
Essential oil of fennel has these properties in concentration.
Fennel tea, also used as a carminative, is made by pouring boiling

water on a teaspoonful of bruised fennel seeds.
Eyes
In Indian subcontinent, Fennel seeds are also eaten raw, sometimes

with some sweetener, as it is said to improve eyesight. Fennel tea can
be used as an eye tonic, applied directly like eye drops or as a
compress, to reduce soreness and inflammation of the eye. Extracts of
fennel seed have been shown in animal studies to have a potential use
in the treatment of glaucoma.

Blood and urine
Some people use fennel as a diuretic, and it may be an effective

diuretic and a potential drug for treatment of hyper tension.
Breast milk
There are historical anecdotes that fennel is a galactogogue,

improving the milk supply of a breast feeding mother. This use,
although not supported by direct evidence, is sometimes justified by
the fact that fennel is a source of phytoestrogens, which promote
growth of breast tissue. However, normal lactation does not involve
growth of breast tissue. There is a single case report of fennel tea
ingested by a breast feeding mother resulting in neurotoxicity for the
newborn child.
Still there are other uses of fennel seeds. Syrup prepared from fennel
juice was formerly given for chronic coughs. Fennel is also largely
used for cattle condiments. It is one of the plants which is said to be
disliked by fleas, and powdered fennel has the effect of driving away
fleas from kennels and stables. Plain water drunk after chewing and
consuming fennel seeds tastes extremely sweet.
These light green oval shaped seeds have been known to possess
digestive qualities. In India, they are roasted, sometimes lightly
coated with sugar and eaten after meals as a mouth freshener and to
stimulate digestion. They are used successfully in many curries and
‘Indian pickles’.

Coriander seeds (Dhaniya)
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual herb in

the family Apiaceous. It is also known as cilantro, particularly in the
Americas. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to
southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm or 20
inches tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base
of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems.
The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink,
asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the
umbel longer (5 – 6 mm) than those pointing towards it (only 1 – 3
mm long). The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp 3 – 5 mm diameter.
Dry coriander seeds
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried
seeds are commonly used in cooking. Coriander is common in Middle
Eastern, Central Asian, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian,

Mexican, Texan, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast

Asian cuisine.
It is used in the Belgian wheat beer witbier.
The leaves have a different taste from the seeds, with citrus
overtones. Some perceive an unpleasant ‘soapy’ taste or a rank smell
and avoid the leaves. Belief that this is genetically determined may
arise from the known genetic variation in taste perception of the
synthetic chemical phenylthiocarbamide; however, no specific link has
been established between cilantro and a bitter taste perception gene.
The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many South Asian foods

(particularly chutneys), in Chinese dishes and in Mexican salsas and
guacamole. Chopped coriander leaves garnish cooked dishes such as
dal and curries. As heat diminishes their flavor quickly, coriander
leaves are often used raw or added to the dish immediately before
serving. In Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are
used in large amounts and cooked until the flavor diminishes. The
leaves spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their
aroma when dried or frozen.
Coriander leaves were formerly common in European cuisine. Today

western Europeans usually eat coriander leaves only in dishes that
originated in foreign cuisines, except in Portugal, where they are still
an ingredient in traditional dishes.
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds. The
word coriander in food preparation may refer solely to these seeds (as
a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony
citrus flavor when crushed, due to terpenes linalool and pinene. It is
described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange – flavored.
It is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form.

Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to
enhance and alter the aroma. Ground coriander seed loses flavor
quickly in storage and is best when ground fresh.

Turmeric (haldi)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous

perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to
tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20°C and 30°C,
and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are
gathered annually for their rhizomes, and re – seeded from some of
those rhizomes in the following season.
Turmeric whole and powdered
The rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens,
after which they are ground into a deep orange – yellow powder
commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian and

Middle Eastern cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard

condiments.
Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has a distinctly earthy,

slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustardy smell.
In medieval Europe, turmeric became known as Indian Saffron, since

it was widely used as an alternative to the far more expensive saffron
spice.
Erode, a city in the south Indian state of Chennai, is the world’s

largest producer and most important trading center of turmeric in
Asia. For these reasons, Erode is also known as Yellow City, Turmeric
City, or Textile City. Sangli, a town in the southern part of the Indian
state of Maharashtra, is the second largest and most important
trading center for turmeric in Asia. Turmeric is found everywhere
and grows wild in the forests of Malaysia. It has become the key
ingredient for many Malay dishes.
Turmeric is sometimes used as an agent to impart rich, custard – like

yellow color. It is used in canned beverages and baked products, dairy
products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits,
popcorn color, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces, gelatins, etc. It is a
significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders. Turmeric is
mostly used in savory dishes. There is, however, one instance where
turmeric is the primary flavoring and coloring ingredient in a
Lebanese sweet cake called Sfouf.
Although usually used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric is also

used fresh, much like ginger. It has numerous uses in Far Eastern
recipes, such as fresh turmeric pickle (which contains large chunks of
soft turmeric).
Turmeric is also used to protect food products from sunlight. The

oleoresin is used for oil-containing products. The curcumin /
polysorbate solution or curcumin powder dissolved in alcohol is used
for water – containing products. Over – coloring, such as in pickles,
relishes, and mustard, are sometimes used to compensate for fading.

In combination with annatto (E160b), turmeric has been used to color

cheeses, yogurt, dry mixes, salad dressings, winter butter and
margarine. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some
prepared mustards, canned chicken broths and other foods (often as a
much cheaper replacement for saffron).
Turmeric is widely used as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern

cooking. Momos (Nepali meat dumplings), a traditional dish in South
Asia, are spiced with turmeric.
In South Africa turmeric is traditionally used to give boiled white rice

a golden color. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is known
as an anti – inflammatory agent, helping to relieve allergy symptoms
as well as arthritis (or any condition caused by excess inflammation).
It is also a powerful anti – oxidant that can protect the body from
damage by toxins and free radicals. Curcumin also protects platelets
in the blood, improving circulation and protecting the heart.
Turmeric is one of nature’s most powerful healers. The active

ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over
2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.

Cumin seed ( Jeera )
Cumin seed is most common and widely used spice in

Indian Cuisine. It is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is
native from the east Mediterranean to East India. Cumin has a
distinctive, but slightly bitter flavor. Yet still it flavors any dish with
a sweet aroma. It has two varieties: shah Jeera and the plain jeera.
These brown aromatic small seeds release even more aroma when
roasted or added to hot oil. It is in this form these seed are used in
Indian Cuisine. Cumin seeds, whole or in powdered form, are very
commonly used in Indian cooking. They are used more in the North of
India. The English word ‘cumin’ derives from its roots from the
French ‘cumin’, which was borrowed indirectly from Arabic ‘‫’ﻛﻤﻮن‬
Kammūn via Spanish comino during the Arab rule in Spain in the
15th century. The spice is native to Arabic – speaking Syria where
cumin thrives in its hot and arid lands. Cumin seeds have been found
in some ancient Syrian archeological sites.
The word reached from Syria to neighboring Turkey and nearby

Greece most likely before it found its way to Spain. Like many other

Arabic words in the English language, cumin was acquired by

Western Europe via Spain rather than the Grecian route. Some
suggest that the word is derived from the Latin cuminum and Greek
κύμινον.
A folk etymology connects the word with the Persian city Kerman
where, the story goes; most of ancient Persia’s cumin was produced.
For the Persians the expression ‘carrying cumin to Kerman’ has the
same meaning as the English language phrase ‘carrying coals to
Newcastle’. Kerman, locally called ‘Kermun’, would have become
‘Kumun’ and finally ‘cumin’ in the European languages in the process
of time.
In Northern India and Nepal, cumin is known as jeera, while in Iran

and Pakistan it is known as zeera (Persian ‫) ﺮه‬. ‫زﯾ‬
In Southern India it
is called Jeerige or jeeragam or seeragam or jilakarra in different
regional languages. In Sri Lanka it is known as duru.
The white variety or Shah Jeera is known as suduru. Still there is

another large variety,known as maduru. In Iran and Central Asia,
cumin is known as zireh. In Turkey, cumin is known as kimyon. In
northwestern China, cumin is known as ziran (孜然). In Arabic, it is
known as al – kamuwn (‫ﻮن‬ ).‫اﻟﻜﻤ‬
Cumin is called kemun in Ethiopian,
and is one of the ingredients in the spice mix berbere.
Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of

the parsley family. The cumin plant grows to 30 – 50 cm (1 – 2 ft) tall
and is harvested by hand.
Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape,

longitudinally ridged, and yellow – brown in color. A versatile spice
which can be used by itself in many forms, dry patched and ground,
patched in hot oil, and as combination and blends of spices. It is basic,
ornamental and aromatic category of spices.

Black Onion or Nigella seeds (Kallonji Seeds)
These are very tiny black seeds which impart a peculiar

spicy peppery – onion flavor. They are often sprinkled over breads,
naans before baking and are also used in the flavoring of some
vegetarian dishes, snacks and pickles.
Kaloonji seeds enlarged
Nigella seeds come from a plant called Nigella sativa native to

southern Europe and western Asia. The little tear-shaped black
seeds, about 1 mm long, are used throughout South Asia as a spice
and flavoring. They have an earthy, peppery taste, a little like
oregano. The whole or crushed seeds are often mixed through dough
or sprinkled on bread, giving the bread a black color. The seeds are
also used to flavor a variety of dishes ranging from sauces, curries,
pickles and meat dishes to vegetables and fruit pies.
Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant. It is native to southwest

Asia. It grows to 20–30 cm (7.9–12 in) tall, with finely divided, linear
(but not thread – like) leaves. The flowers are delicate, and usually
colored pale blue and white, with 5–10 petals. The fruit is a large and

inflated capsule composed of 3–7 united follicles, each containing

numerous seeds. The seed is used as a spice.
Nigella sativa seed is also called fennel flower, nutmeg flower, Roman
coriander, black seed, black caraway, or black onion seed. Other
names used, sometimes misleadingly, are onion seed and black
sesame, both of which are similar – looking but unrelated. The seeds
are frequently referred to as black cumin (as in Bengali: kalo jira,
kalo jeera, kali jeera), but this is also used for a different spice,
Bunium persicum. The scientific name is a derivative of Latin niger
‘black’. An older English name gith is now used for the corn cockle. In
English – speaking countries with large immigrant populations, it is
also variously known as kalonji.
This potpourri of vernacular names for this plant reflects that its
widespread use as a spice is relatively new in the English speaking
world, and largely associated with immigrants from areas where it is
well known. Increasing use is likely to result in one of the names
winning out.
Nigella sativa has a pungent bitter taste and a faint smell of

strawberries. It is used primarily in confectionary and liquors. The
variety of naan bread called Peshawari naan is as a rule topped with
kalonji seeds whereas in other naans it is optional. In herbal
medicine, Nigella sativa has antihypertensive, carminative, and
anthelmintic properties. They are eaten by elephants to aid digestion.

Fenugreek or Methi
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a plant in

the family Fabaceae. Fenugreek is used both as herb (the leaves) and
as a spice (the seed). It is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop.
Fenugreek or foenum – graecum is of Latin origin ‘Greek hay’. In

different reigns it is called by different names Marathi – Methya;
Kannada – mentya; Tamil – ‘Vendayam’; Telugu – ‘Mentha’. In
Bangla, Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi it is called Methi.
Urdu ‫ ﮭیم‬, and‫ یﺗ‬in Arabic its name is Hilbeh (‫ﺔ‬ ). The
‫ ﺣﻠﺒ‬plant is
quite similar to wild clover and therefore has likely spawned its
Swedish name, ‘bockhornsklöver’, which literally means ‘ram’s horn
clover’. Charred fenugreek seeds have been recovered from Tell Halal,
Iraq, (radiocarbon dating to 4000 BC) and Bronze Age levels of
Lachish, as well as desiccated seeds from the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Enlarged Methi seeds
It is grown in India, Argentina, Egypt, France, Spain, Turkey,

Morocco and China. However India remains by far the largest

producer in the World. In India, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttaranchal,

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab
are the major fenugreek producing states. While Rajasthan has
maximum area and production of about more than 80% of India's
total production.
The rhombic yellow to amber colored fenugreek seed, is frequently

used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders, and pastes, and is
often encountered in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. The
young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens, and the
fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves
(called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic
smell. It is widely used as the finishing touches in vegetable and daal
gravies.
In India, fenugreek seeds are mixed with yogurt and used as a

conditioner for hair. It is one of the three ingredients of idli and dosai.
It is also one of the ingredients in the making of khakhra, a type of
oily paratha very crisp. It is of Gujrati origin.
It is used in injera/taita, a type of bread unique to Eritrean and

Ethiopian cuisine. The word for fenugreek in Amharic is abesh, and
the seed is reportedly also often used in Ethiopia as a natural herbal
medicine in the treatment of diabetes. It is also sometimes used as an
ingredient in the production of clarified butter (Amharic: qibé,
Ethiopian and Eritrean Tigrinya: tesme), which is similar to Indian
ghee.
In Turkey, fenugreek gives its name, çemen, to a hot paste used in

pastırma. The same paste is used in Egypt for the same purpose. The
Arabic word hulba ‫ﺔ‬ (Helba
‫ ﺣﻠﺒ‬in Egypt) for the seed resembles with
its Mandarin Chinese counterpart as hu lu ba. In Yemen it is the
main condiment and an ingredient added to the national dish called
saltah. Fenugreek, or shanbalîleh ‫ﻨﺒﻠﯿﻠﮫ‬ in Persian, is
‫ ﺷ‬also one of
four herbs used for the Iranian recipe Ghormeh Sabzi.
In Egypt, fenugreek seeds are used as tea, by boiling the seeds and
then serve it sweetened. This is a popular winter drink served in

coffee shops. In other parts of the Middle East fenugreek is used in a

variety of sweet confections. A cake dessert known as Helba in the
Islamic world is a tasty treat during Islamic holidays. This is a
semolina cake covered in sugar or maple-like syrup, and sprinkled
with fenugreek seeds on top.
Jews customarily eat fenugreek during the meal of the first and/or
second night of Rosh Hashana (The New Year) symbolizing a prayer
that their merits will increase. Yemenite Jews often prepare a foamy
substance from fenugreek seeds that they add to soups.
In Bulgaria, fenugreek seeds are used as one of the ingredients in a

traditional spice mixture called sharena.
In the United States, where maple syrup is popular but expensive,

fenugreek is widely used in low – cost syrup products as a maple
syrup flavoring such as Mapleine.
Fenugreek seeds are a galactagogue that is often used to increase

milk supply in lactating women. Because the maple syrup – like
flavor is strong and not always liked, the seeds are ground to a
powder and administered in capsules. Many lactating women who
take fenugreek in the quantities required to increase their milk
supply notice that their skin exudes a distinct ‘maple syrup’ odor.
Fenugreek extract has also been marketed as a testosterone/muscle

boosting supplement under the name of Testofen. So far only very
limited trials have been conducted with Testofen in humans, while all
of which were funded by the manufacturer.

Sesame seeds (Til )
Sesame seeds come from Sesamum indicum probably a

native plant of the Indian subcontinent. Un-hulled seeds are beige in
colour and have a stronger flavour, while hulled, washed seeds (as
shown here) are creamy-white. Sesame seeds have a nutty, earthy
flavour which is enhanced by light toasting before use. They are ready
when they start to jump in the pan. They are used in savoury and
sweet dishes and to garnish foods like breads. The pale, golden oil is
used for cooking.
Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus

Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller
number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around
the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods.
The flowers of the sesame seed plant are yellow, though they can vary
in color with some being blue or purple.
White Sesame seeds

It is an annual plant growing to 50 to 100 cm (2 – 3 feet) tall, with

opposite leaves 4 to 14 cm (5.5 in) long with an entire margin; they
are broad lanceolate, to 5 cm (2 in) broad, at the base of the plant,
narrowing to just 1 cm (half an inch) broad on the flowering stem. The
flowers are white to purple, tubular, 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long, with a
four – lobed mouth.
Despite the fact that the majority of the wild species of the genus
Sesamum are native to sub – saharan Africa, sesame was first
domesticated in India. There exist morphological and cytogenetic
affinities between domesticated sesame and the south Indian native
S. Mulayanum Nair. Further to this archeological evidence reveal
that it was cultivated at Harappa in the Indus Valley between 2250
and 1750 BC, and a more recent find of charred sesame seeds in Miri
Qalat and Shahi Tump in the Makran region of Pakistan.
The word sesame is of Latin origin sesamum, borrowed from Greek

sēsámon ‘seed or fruit of the sesame plant’, borrowed from Semitic (cf.
Aramaic shūmshĕmā, Arabic simsim), from Late Babylonian
shawash-shammu, itself from Assyrian shamash-shammū, from
shaman shammī ‘plant oil’.
In India, where sesame has been cultivated since the Harappan

period, there are two independent names for it: Sanskrit tila and
Hindi/Urdu ‘til’ is the source of all names in North India – e.g.
Gujarati and Bangali call it as ‘til’ and ‘raasi’ in Oriya . In contrast,
most of the Dravidian languages in South India feature an
independent name for sesame exemplified by Tamil, Malayalam and
Kannada ellu and Telugu as ‘Nuvvulu’.
In some languages of the Middle East, sesame is named differently

and evolved from Middle Persian kunjid. This has been imported into
a few western languages as Russian, Portuguese, Spanish ajonjolí
(sesame seeds) and Hindi gingli derive from an Arabic noun jaljala
[‫ﺔ‬ ] ‫ﺟﻠﺠﻠ‬
‘sound, echo’, referring to the rattling sound of ripe seeds
within the capsule.

In southern US and the Caribbean, where the sesame seed was

introduced by African slaves, it is known mostly by an African name,
benne. In the Caribbean Island of Trinidad and Tobago ‘benne ball’ is
common sesame delight.

Poppy seeds ( Khus Khus)
Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy, Papaver

somniferum. White varieties are used in India, rather than the dark
blue seeds more familiar in European cooking. The tiny kidney-
shaped seeds are less that 1 mm long and do not contain any narcotic
chemicals. They should be stored in an airtight container in a cool
place. In South Asia they are used in Bengali cooking to coat crusty,
dry-textured vegetables. They are ground and used to thicken sauces
or are blended with tamarind into a curry paste.
A poppy is any of a number of colorful flowers, typically with one per

stem, belonging to the poppy family. They include a number of
attractive wildflower species with colorful flowers found growing
singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens.
Those that are grown in gardens include large plants used in a mixed
herbaceous border and small plants that are grown in rock or alpine
gardens.
Poppy seeds

The flower color of poppy species include: white, pink, yellow, orange,
red, and blue; some have dark center markings. The species that have
been cultivated for many years also include many other colors ranging
from dark solid colors to soft pastel shades. The center of the flower
has a whorl of stamens surrounded by a cup – or bowl – shaped
collection of four to six petals. Prior to blooming, the petals are
crumpled in bud, and as the blossoming finishes, the petals often lie
flat before falling away.
The pollen of the Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, is of dark blue.

The pollen of the field poppy or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is dark
blue to grey. Bees will use poppies as a pollen source.
The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is grown for opium, opiates,

or poppy seed for use in cooking and baking, for example poppy seed
rolls, in addition growing for the decorative flowers.
Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death:
sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of
their (commonly) blood – red color. In Greco – Roman myths, poppies
were used as offerings to the dead. Poppies are used as emblems on
tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep.
Another meaning for the depiction and use of poppies in Greco –

Roman myths is the symbolism of the bright scarlet color as
signifying the promise of resurrection after death.
Poppy seeds come under herb and spice category in Indian cuisine. It
is widely used in preparation of rich white gravy and also in special
spice combinations.

Mustard seeds
Mustard seeds are the small seeds of the various mustard

plants. The seeds are about 2 mm in diameter, and may be colored
from yellowish white to black. They are important spices in many
regional cuisines. The seeds can come from three different plants:
black mustard (B. nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), and
white mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba).
Yellow and black mustard seeds
Mustard seeds are important spice in South Indian cooking. Mustard

seeds along with curry leaves give south Indian dishes a unique
flavor, and taste.
Indians have used mustard seeds in their food for over two thousand
years.

The French have used mustard seeds as a spice since 800 AD, and it
was amongst spices taken by the Spanish on explorations throughout
the fifteenth century.
Gautama Buddha told the story of the grieving mother and the
mustard seed. When a mother lost her only son, she takes his body to
the Buddha to find a cure. The Buddha asks her to bring a handful of
mustard seeds from a family that has never lost a child, husband,
parent or friend. When the mother is unable to find such a house in
her village, she realizes that death is common to all, and she cannot
be selfish in her grief.
In the Quran, God states that the scales of justice will be established
on the Day of Judgment, and no soul will suffer the least injustice.
Even the equivalent of a mustard seed will be accounted for because
God is the most efficient reckoned.
Jewish texts compare the knowable universe to the size of a mustard

seed to demonstrate the world's insignificance and to teach humility.
In the Christian New Testament Texts we can find mustard seed

being used as a symbol for faith.
Thus the mustard seed and precisely because of its size and its
potential, is historically been used as a suitable model in various
situations.
In spite of all this mustard seeds are used in Indian, Italian, and
worldwide relishes.

AROMATIC SPICES
These spices are highly aromatic and very strong in flavor. As a result
these are used in very small quantities both individually as well as
combination.
Asafetida powder (Hing)
Asafetida (Ferula assafoetida) is known as stinking gum,

asant, food of the gods, Kaayam (Malayalam), Hing (Marathi,
Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali), Ingua (Telugu), Ingu (Kannada),
Perungayam (Tamil), Hilteet, and giant fennel). It is a species of
Ferula native to Persia (Iran). Asafetida has a pungent, unpleasant
smell when raw. However when cooked in dishes, it delivers a smooth
flavor. It decomposes the hard to digest elements of the food into
easily digestive ones. This is available and is commonly used as dried
yellow powder. It is a crucial ingredient used in Indian cooking.
Although pungent and unpleasant smell it becomes milder and more
pleasant when heated in oil or ghee. Then it acquires the taste and
aroma reminiscent of sautéed onion and garlic.
This spice is used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment and in

pickles. It smells so strong that it must be stored in airtight
containers; otherwise the aroma will contaminate other spices stored
nearby.

Powdered ready to use Asafetida
Asafetida reduces the growth of indigenous micro flora in the gut,

reducing flatulence. It is added to lentil or aubergine dishes in small
quantities. In Thailand it is used to help in babies’ digestion and is
smeared on the child’s stomach in an alcohol tincture known as
‘mahahing.’ It is commonly used to relieve stomach problems
especially caused by gas. A pinch of asafetida is normally added to
food preparations consisting of potatoes, all pulses, peas, etc. (foods
which cause gas related problems). It is an important ingredient in
Kashmiri Cooking as no Kashmiri dish is complete without this
ingredient.

Nutmeg
Nutmeg or Myristica fragrans is an evergreen tree

indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia, or
Spice Islands. Until the mid-19th century this was the world’s only
source of nutmeg. The nutmeg tree is important for two spices derived
from the fruit, nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the oval shaped dark
brown fruit. And a light brown covering around nutmeg is called
mace. Both are highly aromatic and are used as herb and spices for
confectionery and other dishes.
Whole nutmeg with shell and ground
Nutmeg is the actual seed of the tree, roughly egg – shaped and about
20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1 in) long and 15 to 18 mm (0.6 to 0.7 in) wide,
and weighing between 5 and 10 g (0.2 and 0.4 oz.) dried, while mace is
the dried ‘lacy’ reddish covering or arillus of the seed. This is the only
tropical fruit that is the source of two different spices.

Several other commercial products are also produced from the trees,
including essential oils, extracted oleoresins, and nutmeg butter.
The pericarp (fruit/pod) is used in Grenada to make a jam called

‘Morne Delice’. In Indonesia, the fruit is also made into jam, called
selei buah pala, or sliced finely, cooked and crystallized to make a
fragrant candy called manisan pala (nutmeg sweets’).
The most important species commercially is the Common or Fragrant

Nutmeg Myristica fragrans, native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia.
It is also grown in Penang Island in Malaysia and the Caribbean,
especially in Grenada. It also grows in Kerala, a state in the south
part of India. Other species include Papuan Nutmeg M. argentea from
New Guinea, and Bombay Nutmeg M. malabarica from India, called
Jaiphal in Hindi; both are used as adulterants of M. fragrans
products.
Nutmeg and mace have similar taste qualities, nutmeg having a

slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavor. Mace is often
preferred in light dishes for the bright orange, saffron – like hue it
imparts. Nutmeg is a tasty addition to cheese sauces and is best
grated fresh. Nutmeg is a traditional ingredient in mulled cider,
mulled wine, and eggnog.
In Penang cuisine, nutmeg is made into pickles and these pickles are
even shredded as toppings on the uniquely Penang Ais Kacang.
Nutmeg is also blended (creating a fresh, green, tangy taste and
white color juice) or boiled (resulting in a much sweeter and brown
juice) to make Iced Nutmeg juice or as it is called in Penang Hokkien,
‘Lau Hau Peng’.
In Indian cuisine, nutmeg is used in many sweet as well as savory

dishes (predominantly in Mughlai cuisine). It is known as Jaiphal in
most parts of India and as Jatipatri and Jathi seed in Kerala. It may
also be used in small quantities in garam masala. Ground nutmeg is
also smoked in India.

In Middle Eastern cuisine, nutmeg grounds are often used as a spice

for savory dishes. In Arabic, nutmeg is called Jawzt at – Tiyb.
In Greece and Cyprus nutmeg is called Greek: ‘musky nut’ and is

used in cooking and savory dishes.
In European cuisine, nutmeg and mace are used especially in potato

dishes and in processed meat products; they are also used in soups,
sauces, and baked goods. In Dutch cuisine nutmeg is quite popular; it
is added to vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and string
beans.
Japanese varieties of curry powder include nutmeg as an important

ingredient.
In the Caribbean, nutmeg is often used in drinks such as the

Bushwacker, Painkiller, and Barbados rum punch. Typically it is just
a sprinkle on the top of the drink

Bay leaf ( Tej Patta )
The bay leaf that we use in cooking is actually the dried

leaf of the Bay Laurel tree (Laurus Nobililis) and it goes well with
rice dishes, peas and vegetables. They are a good source of Vitamins
A and C and also contains significant amounts of iron and manganese
in particular, as well as smaller amounts of calcium, potassium and
magnesium.
Dry and fresh bay leaf
Bay leaf is an important ingredient for Garam Masala, pulaos,

biryanism gravies etc. The North Indian cooking uses bay leaf as the
aromatic ingredient, whereas in South Indian cooking suddipatta is
used.

Cardamom pods (Eliachi)
Cardamom is known as the queen of spices. Each

cardamom pod contains several dark brown seeds which contains the
entire flavor. When used in Indian cooking the pods can be used
whole or split. The pods should be kept whole until used, as ground
cardamom quickly loses flavor. The seeds can be pounded, powdered
or added
whole to a recipe. This is a very versatile spice as it can be used in

savory as well as sweet dishes. Green Cardamom is also chewed
habitually as mouth freshener in India. It also has numerous health
benefits, such as improving digestion and stimulating the
metabolism.

Carom seed (ajwain)
It is the small seed-like fruit similar to that of the Bishop's

Weed (Ammi majus) plant, egg – shaped and grayish in color. The
plant has a similarity to parsley. Because of their seed – like
appearance the fruit pods are sometimes called ajwain seeds or
mistakenly as bishop's weed (Ammi majus) seeds (Botanical
Synonyms for Ajwain, which are no longer accepted by ITIS are,
Ammi copticum, Carum copticum, Trachyspermum ammi).
Ajwain fruits and seeds
Ajwain is often confused with lovage seed; even some dictionaries

mistakenly state that ajwain comes from the lovage plant. In Hindi it
is called as Ajwain. Ajwain is also called ‘Owa’ in Marathi, ‘vaamu’ or
Oma in Telugu, ‘omam’ in Tamil, ‘ajwana’ in Kannada, ‘ajmo’ in
Gujarati, ‘jowan’ in Bengali, ‘jwanno’ in Nepali, ‘asamodagam’ in
Singhalese and ‘xiang zhu la jiao’ (香著辣椒) in Chinese.
Raw ajwain smells almost exactly like thyme because it also contains
thymol, but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as
slightly bitter and pungent. It tastes like thyme or caraway, only

stronger. Even a small amount of raw ajwain will completely

dominate the flavor of a dish.
In Indian cuisine, ajwain is almost never used raw, but either dry –
roasted or fried in ghee or oil. This develops a much more subtle and
complex aroma, somewhat similar to caraway but ‘brighter’. Among
other things, it is used for making a type of paratha, called ‘ajwain ka
paratha’.
These very tiny brown seeds impart a strong peppery – thyme flavor.
It is very popular in North Indian cooking and it is used in preparing
many dishes that require frying. Usually fried foods take longer to
digest. These seeds not only provide flavor to the dish instead help in
easy digestion as well. It is particularly good in items like pakoras,
samosas, parathas, puris and kachauris.

Cinnamon (Dalchini)
Cassia or dalchini is the dried inner bark from

Cinnamomum cassia native to Assam and northern Burma. It is
sometimes known as false cinnamon because it has a similar, but
stronger, flavour and aroma. It is also thicker, coarser and generally
less expensive. In India cassia is mainly used as a flavouring for
curries and pilaffs. The leaves of a related species are also used as a
herb in India (tejpat) and are often given the name 'India bay leaves'.
They are used in slow-cooked dishes and are removed before serving.
Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree from the

laurel family. There are approximately 50 – 250 different species of
cinnamon. Cinnamon can be found either in quills or as a powder.
One thing is certain, the paler the color of the cinnamon the finer will
be the quality. Quills come in three classes, the best of which is
Continental followed by Mexican and Hamburg. Cinnamon can also
be found as featherings, which are purely shavings of quills that have
been broken in transit, although these are primarily used to make
ground cinnamon.
Cinnamon has a warm, sweet and amiable aroma that is delicate yet
intense. The taste is also aromatic, warm and sweet with hints of
clove and citrus. Ground bark is immediately aromatic, whereas the
quills have a tendency to hide their aromatic properties until broken
or cooked in a liquid.

Cassia or cinnamon
The best cinnamon can be found in Sri Lanka where it originated,

though it is also cultivated in Java, Sumatra, the West Indies, Brazil,
Vietnam, Madagascar and Egypt. When the Dutch established a
trading post in Sri Lanka in 1638, a Dutch captain reported, ‘The
shores of the island are full of it and it is the best in all the Orient:
when one is downwind of the island, one can still smell cinnamon
eight leagues out to sea’. In the Caribbean Grenada is known as Spice
Island and is famous for cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mexico is the main importer of cinnamon, where the spice is used to

flavor coffee and chocolate drinks. Cinnamon is also widely used in
Indian cuisine. Its bark is an essential ingredient in masala dishes,
giving them a sweet, warm and fragrant taste. Cinnamon is also used
to flavor rice, biryanis and desserts.
In Sri Lanka, cinnamon sticks are made from the aromatic brown
bark of the cinnamon tree and are rolled, pressed, and dried. Ground
cinnamon is perhaps the most common baking spice. The cinnamon
sticks are used for flavoring many rice dishes but are removed at the
time of eating. Cinnamon which has a sweet, woody fragrance is a
great source of manganese, fiber, iron and calcium and several
studies have suggested that it may have a regulatory effect on blood
sugar.

Cloves (lavang or laung)
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the

family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and India and used
as a spice in cuisine all over the world. The English name derives
from Latin clavus ‘nail’ (also origin of French clou ‘nail’) as the buds
vaguely resemble small irregular nails in shape. Cloves are harvested
primarily in Indonesia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, and Sri
Lanka; it is also grown in India under the name Lavang, called
‘lavanga’ in Telugu.
Clove
The clove tree is an evergreen which grows to a height ranging from

10 – 20 m, having large oval leaves and crimson flowers in numerous
groups of terminal clusters. The flower buds are at first of a pale color
and gradually become green, after which they develop into a bright
red, when they are ready for harvesting. Cloves are harvested when

1.5 – 2 cm long, and consist of a long calyx, terminating in four

spreading sepals, and four unopened petals which form a small ball in
the centre. Cloves are the immature unopened flower buds of the
clove tree. When fresh, they are pink, and when dried, they turn to
rust – brown color. It is used whole or in powder form. Cloves can
easily overpower a dish, particularly when ground, so only a few need
be used. Cloves can be used in cooking either whole or in a ground
form, but as they are extremely strong, they are used sparingly. The
spice is used throughout Europe and Asia and is smoked in a type of
cigarettes locally known as kretek in Indonesia. A major brand of
kreteks in the United States is Djarum, which sells Djarum Black.
Cloves are also an important incense material in Chinese and
Japanese culture.
Cloves have historically been used in Indian cuisine (both North

Indian and South Indian) as well as Mexican cuisine (best known as
‘clavos de olor’), where it is often paired together with cumin and
cinnamon. In north Indian cuisine, it is used in almost all dishes,
along with other spices. It is also a key ingredient in tea along with
green cardamom. In south Indian cuisine, it is used extensively in
Biryani along with ‘cloves dish’ (similar to pulav, but with the
addition of other spices), and it is normally added whole to enhance
the presentation and flavor of the rice. In Vietnamese cuisine, cloves
are often used to season pho broth.
Cloves have powerful medicinal properties and many Indians chew on

cloves to relieve toothaches and it is used also as a mouth freshener
after a meal. Its tea, made as decoction by boiling cloves in water and
reduced to ½ helps in bodily pain and also helps in internal bone
injuries.

Curry leaves (Kaddipatta )
These almond shaped dark green very aromatic leaves

are used fresh in many Indian dishes. They are used to flavor mainly
vegetables, lentils and breads or ground with coconut and spices to
make wonderful chutney. Curry leaves are added to hot oil for
tempering. Like bay leaves, they are added for their flavor and kept
aside while eating.
This is an important flavoring herb for South Indian Cooking. The

use of these leaves give a typical flavor to the food and makes it a
typical South Indian dish.

Saffron or Kesar
Saffron threads as they are also called are orange-red dried

stigmas of a small purple flower called the Crocus Sativus. Saffron’s
aroma is unique and there is no substitute for it. It is used in cooking
to flavor and color the dish a wonderful golden yellow color.
In Indian cooking it is highly prized item. It is added to many Indian

sweets and ‘special occasion’ savory dishes like Biryani, Pulaos and
even some curries.
Saffron strands
A little pinch of the threads goes a long way. There are two
techniques for getting every bit of flavor out of the saffron: toasting
and powdering the threads, and steeping the saffron ahead of time in
hot water or broth. Saffron should always be bought as a whole and
not in the powdered from. The threads should be crushed just before
using. You can store saffron airtight in a cool, dark place for up to 6
months or in the refrigerator.

Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species

in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion,
shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded
history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a
characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens
considerably with cooking. A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used
part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called
cloves. Single clove garlic (also called Pearl garlic or Solo garlic) also
exists – it originates in the Yunnan province of China. The cloves are
used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked), and for medicinal
purposes. The leaves, stems (scape), and flowers (bulbils) on the head
(spathe) are also edible and are most often consumed while immature
and still tender. The papery, protective layers of ‘skin’ over various
parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only
parts not considered palatable.
Garlic bulb and cloves

Sometimes whole garlic cloves are used and other times a recipe will
call for chopped or minced or for garlic paste. Whatever be the way
garlic is the most important ingredient in culinary field.

Ginger or Adrak
Ginger is a tuber which is consumed whole as a delicacy,

medicine or used as spice for cooking or tea. It is the underground
stem of the ginger plant, Zingiber officinale. Besides its genus, the
plant family to which it belongs, Zingiberaceae was also named after
ginger. Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric,
cardamom and galangal.
The ginger plant has a long history of cultivation, having originated

in Asia and is grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the
Caribbean. It is sometimes called ‘root ginger’ to distinguish it from
other things that share the name ‘ginger’. The characteristic odor and
flavor of ginger root is caused by a mixture of zingerone, shogaols and
gingerols, volatile oils that compose about one to three percent of the
weight of fresh ginger. In laboratory animals, the gingerols increase
the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and have analgesic, sedative,
antipyretic and antibacterial properties.
Ginger contains up to three percent of a fragrant essential oil whose

main constituents are sesquiterpenoids, with – zingiberene as the
main component. Smaller amounts of other sesquiterpenoids (β-
sesquiphellandrene, bisabolene and farnesene) and a small
monoterpenoid fraction (β-phelladrene, cineol, and citral) have also
been identified.

Ginger fresh
The pungent taste of ginger is due to nonvolatile phenylpropanoid –

derived compounds, particularly gingerols and shogaols, which form
from gingerols when ginger is dried or cooked. Zingerone is also
produced from gingerols during this process; this compound is less
pungent and has a spicy – sweet aroma. Ginger has a sialagogue
action, stimulating the production of saliva, which makes swallowing
easier.
Pickled ginger Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very
mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or
just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed
in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as
a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature
ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger
roots is extremely potent[citation needed] and is often used as a spice
in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine to flavor dishes such as seafood
or mutton and vegetarian recipes. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger
powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes.
Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts
fresh for 1 part ground, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger
are not exactly interchangeable.
Ginger is also made into candy, is used as a flavoring for cookies,

crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale—a
sweet[citation needed], carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage[citation

needed], as well as the similar, but spicier ginger beer which is

popular in the Caribbean[citation needed].
Fresh ginger should be peeled before being eaten. For storage, the
ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic
bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to
three months in a freezer.
Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for many ailments for
centuries. Now, science is catching up and researchers around the
world are finding that ginger works wonders in the treatment of
everything from cancer to migraines
It is a very popular spice used in Indian cooking. It has a tan skin and
a flesh that ranges in color from pale greenish yellow to ivory. The
flavor is peppery and slightly sweet, while the aroma is pungent and
spicy. If you feel a cold coming on a fresh piece of ginger in a hot cup
of Indian tea usually does the trick. Fresh unpeeled ginger root,
tightly wrapped, can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks and frozen for
up to 6 months. Please do not use dried ground ginger for dishes
specifying fresh ginger as the flavors differ greatly.

Chaat masala
This is a blend, or spice mix, used in Indian cuisine. It

typically consists of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin seed, black
salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafetida and
capsicum and a few other things. This combination adds flavors to the
dish it is added. It is good especially in appetizers, tandoori chicken,
fish, lamb, kebabs, pakoras. It is really a useful blend in kitchen.

Garam Masala
Garam masala is a wonderful aromatic blend of spices from India. It

is combination of various highly aromatic spices and herbs like
cinnamon, clove, cardamom, red cardamom, bay leaves, cumin seed,
nutmeg, mace, cassia in a certain proportion. All these spices are dry
roasted first or patched or toasted and the ground into a powder form.
Once you make this should be kept in air tight container otherwise
the aroma gets milder each time it is exposed to air.
It comes in the category of Aromatic spices that are used in a very

small quantity because of strong flavor. Garam means ‘hot’ or
‘heating’ and masala means ‘spice blend’. The ‘hot’ is not necessarily
referring to the kind of heat or pungent taste we find in hot chilies
but to the fact that the spices are first roasted before making the
powder. Another explanation we have heard is that the amalgamated
effect of the spices in garam masala increases body temperature, a
pleasant warm glow you might feel after eating a dish flavored with
it. It does however usually include some black pepper and cinnamon
or cassia which carries some heat.

T here has been no other discipline where so much ingenuity has

been employed as in the field of cooking. There are numerous
ways a food is prepared. When it comes to food, different cuisines
could be more delicious than the others, so good chefs have practically
learned the many types of cooking styles to fit to a particular meal.
There are a number of possible cooking styles applicable to any type
of meal preparations. Basically there are styles that developed in
China, and India. All other styles evolved out of permutation and
combination of these styles. For the sake of our readers I present
various methods that are employed in cooking world over.
Shallow Fry:
Shallow frying is perhaps the most common home style cooking.
There are four known methods that involves shallow frying, all of
which using a small amount of oil or fat. This cooking method is
actually cooking food in a very small part of oil into a sauté or frying
pan.
The side of the food for presentation must be the one that has to be
fried first because this particular side has a better appearance since
fat is very clean when presented then turned to the other side so that
both sides are cooked and colored.

Sauté:
Sautéing is another cooking style. This is the method where tender
portions of meat as well as poultry are cooked in a frying pan. The
ingredients are tossed into a very hot shallow pan with hot oil until
they become golden brown. Cooking tender cuts of meat and poultry
in a sauté or frying pan is called sautéing. After cooking, the oil is
discarded and the pan is deglazed with stock or wine. This forms an
important part of the finished sauce. This is the way of Chinese
cooking. Only tender foods can be used. Also this method is used
when cooking, for example, potatoes or onions when they are cut into
slices or pieces and tossed in hot shallow oil in a frying pan till golden
brown. In East Indian cooking certain times this method of cooking is
used.
Griddle:
This method is most suitable for hamburgers, sausages, sliced onions
etc. Accordingly the items are placed on a lightly oiled, pre-heated
griddle (solid metal plate), and turned frequently during cooking.
This method is very useful for frying items like Paneer, and Tofu if
you want your dishes to contain less oil.
Stir Fry:
Fast frying in a wok or frying pan in a less oil is a Chinese way of
cooking. Accordingly items like vegetables or other meat products can
be cooked. In the present day when people are becoming more
conscious of oil contents certain vegetables can be cooked this way
even in Indian style.
If any technique in Chinese cooking demands proper preparation, it is

stir-frying. Because the heat has to be high and there is little actual
cooking time, it is therefore crucial to have all your ingredients
gathered beforehand. The best advice I can give here is to keep your
stir-fry ingredients separated in bowls based on how much time they

need in your wok. So chop your onions, meat, mushrooms, carrots,

and peppers into small pieces and separate them. You want the
veggies and meat to be in bite size pieces for two reasons. First, the
stir-fry will be appealing and easy to eat if all of the components are
equal in size. Secondly, similar size pieces will insure more uniform
cooking time. It is always good to have all ingredients cut into same
size for one dish. This appeals to eyes and gives elegance to the dish.
Deep – Frying:
Deep – frying is the most common East Indian way of cooking. It is
used to produce crisp- textured food. East Indian recipes have a large
number of items used as snacks, and other food items that are cooked
this way. Often, the food is deep – fried, removed from the oil and
drained. The oil is then reheated and the food deep – fried again, so
that it is extremely crispy texture is obtained.
Papern – Wrapped Deep – Frying (zhibao zha):

Small pieces of meat or fish are seasoned, and then the food is wrapped in
sheets made of glutinous rice flour. Cellophane paper can also be used the
food is served in its paper wrapping. The paper is thrown away. This
method is not used in East Indian Cooking.
Steaming
Steaming is a cooking method traditional among the Chinese. This method

is also considered a cooking Japanese style because most Japanese, for that
matter, the ones of Chinese background, are very much conscious with
having a healthy lifestyle.
Accordingly, steaming is one of the healthiest cooking styles because they

bring out healthy and subtle taste of the ingredients used, thus making it
not necessary to add other forms of flavorings. Steaming is a traditional
Chinese cooking method that is ideal for today’s trend towards healthy
eating. The technique was developed for when a moist dish was required as

an alternative to a roasted one. It is good for vegetables, fish, meat and

dumplings.
There are 3 methods that can be used for steaming:
1. The traditional method. The Chinese use bamboo steamers that stack
on top of each other. Dishes needing the least cooking are placed on the top
level, while those requiring the most are placed on the bottom layer, near
the boiling water.
2. Food is arranged on a plate or bowl, put inside a steamer on a rack and

placed over a large pot of boiling water. Alternatively the plate or bowl can
be put inside a wok to complete the process of steaming.
3. The bowl of ingredients in partially immersed in water and the food is

cooked partly by the boiling water and partly by the steam it produces.
Compared with food cooked by other methods, steamed dishes are more
subtle in taste and bring out the taste of the ingredients. So the fresher the
ingredients, the better they are for steaming.
This is not a very common method of East Indian Cooking. Only certain
items like South Indian Idli is cooked this way.
Roasting:
The common denominator of this method is a moderate oven (325-350

degrees F) and a reasonably long cooking time with or without a flash of
high heat at the beginning or high heat at the beginning or end of the cook
cycle. This method of roasting is most common in preparing meet dishes.
In East Indian style of cooking Tandoor (a style of oven) is used to cook

vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The food cooked in Tandoor has
certain aroma that no other mode of cooking can bring. A certain
temperature is maintained at certain areas. This is somewhat like a
traditional oven used for bakeries.

In vegetarian cooking this method is also used in a slightly different way.

Many a vegetarian dishes are cook this way and certain dishes use more
than one method of cooking for extra flavor and preserving aroma.
Red cooking:
This is a process whereby meat is slowly simmered in dark soy sauce,

imparting a reddish tinge to the final product - is a popular cooking
technique in eastern China.
Stewing:
Stewing is a time-honored moist cooking technique that transforms
less tender cuts of meat unsuitable for quick-cooking methods into
melt-in-your-mouth meats Stewing allows the cook to assemble the
dish and then let it simmer, with little or no attention for an hour or
more.
Many ‘crock-pot’ dishes are essentially stewed. Vary the flavor profile of the
stew dish by experimenting with liquids (wine, broth, beer and vegetable
juices) and different herbs and spices. Ideal cuts: shoulder and pork cubes.
In China, stews are usually cooked in a clay pot over a charcoal fire. The
stew is cooked for a very long time - up to four hours - producing meat
almost jelly-like in tenderness.
This method is not used in East Indian cooking more so the vegetarian
dishes.
Baking:
This is another cooking style. This is perhaps one of the many Italian
cooking styles because Italian cuisines are mostly composed of pasta that
needs to be baked. Baking is normally done for bread, pastries, cakes, tarts,
pies, and quiches. The basic ingredients that are used for baking are
margarine, butter, shortening, flour, sugar, cocoa, egg, salt, and leavening
agents like yeast and baking powder.

M ughlai cuisine (Urdu: ‫ ) ﻮان یﻣﻐ ﻼ‬is a‫ ﭘﮑ‬South Asian cuisine,

influenced by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire. It
represents the cooking style used in Delhi and Punjab (now
partitioned between Pakistan and India). The cuisine is strongly
influenced by Persian, and Turkish cuisines of Central Asia. The
cuisine of most Indian restaurants in UK and USA can be termed
Mughlai.
India is a country with vast diversities. Many cultures, traditions,

way of worship and wide variety of cuisines found a favorable ground
for growth and healthy nourishment. As with fusion and other
influences India developed a large number of savory dishes. The
cuisine of India is as vast as its people. Each and every ethnic group
has its own distinctive food preferences along with their different
culture.
India has been subjected to several invasions from Arab, Central

Asia, the Mughal Empire and Persia in its early days because of its
wealth both material cultural, and religious. These invasions had a
great influence on Indian cooking.
The Muslims from western Asia brought the Mughlai cuisines to

India in the 12th century when Mughal rulers conquered a large
portion of India. During the Mughal dynasty, these dishes were
prepared for the Mughal Emperors for elegant and fine dining with
dry fruits and nuts. The hospitality of sharing of food with others in
Mughal courtly society helped India to absorb it as its own while
making Indian cuisine to stand apart with pride.

On one hand these Mughals brought their rich, aromatic food culture
in India and their lavish tastes and liberal attitude as far as cuisines
are concerned allowed the fusion of culinary art. Now these dishes
form an important part of the Indian culinary culture. Quite ideally
therefore, apart from giving the greatest architectural monuments,
the Mughals have also changed the country’s cooking by merging
Middle Eastern cuisine with Indian spices and ingredients to give the
most beautiful Mughlai cuisine. As a result of this Mughlai Cuisine
emerged.
The Mughal influence on Indian food is immense. Mughlai cuisine is

one of the richest, popular and lavish cuisines in the country and
world over. These are relatively spicy and have unique fragrance. The
cooking method includes lots of milk and cream with exotic spices,
nuts and dried fruits to make it rich and spicy. Biryani, Korma, Palau
and Pasendi are some of the famous Mughlai cuisine.
The Mughal influence on Indian food supported the evolution of

Indian food to a great extent. The Mughlai cuisine full of rich gravies,
Pulau and non-vegetarian foods such as kebabs, along with the fruits
like apricots, peaches, plums and melons contoured the structure of
the Indian food while offering it a distinct dimension.
Each of the Muslim rulers offered something or the other to make

Indian food the potpourri of spice, taste and flavor. When Babur
invaded India he brought his stylish food habits such as grilled meats
along with different varieties of fruits and nuts from Central Asia.
His son Humayun continued this tradition and also introduced a new
tradition of rice-based Pulaus and using of fruits and nuts in the meat
stews in India. Marriages of Mughal rulers to several Rajput
princesses added a new dimension to the Mughal cuisines.
The reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, marked the evolvement of a

large number of dishes in Indian cuisine. In the meantime, the
Nizams of Hyderabad developed Biryani as their own style of cooking,
which is now considered as one of the main dishes in India and world

over. Nizami Biryani is made in many varieties using wide variety of

herbs, spices, and vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients.
Apart from the introduction of new dishes, the influence of Mughlai

cuisine on Indian food also presented the novel idea of using aromatic
spices in cooking. Mughlai food is quite spicy. The spices used in this
preparation are easily accessible. These dishes are specially preferred
in Delhi, Lucknow in the North and Hyderabad in the South and now
world over as part of fine and elegant dining. These have the strong
influence of Muslim cooking style along with their Muslim names.
The saga of Mughlai dish is still continuing. It still remains as one of

the most important part in Indian culinary style. Although, Mughlai
cuisines are available in all parts of the country, but Delhi is the best
place for this royal cuisine. In this present scenario, the Mughlai
influence on Indian food reflects the local cooking styles in it. The
cuisines available in Delhi and Lucknow are the combination of Indo-
Persian style by the addition of typical North Indian spices like
cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and ground chilies;
whereas in Hyderabad, curry leaves, hot chilies, mustard seeds,
tamarind and coconut milk are added to these cuisines to give them a
local flavor to create distinct taste differences.
Mughlai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines, whose origin can
be traced back to the times of Mughal Empire. Mughlai cuisine
consists of the dishes that were prepared in the kitchens of the royal
Mughal Emperors. Indian cuisine is predominantly influenced by the
cooking style practiced during the Mughal era. Mughlai food is quite
spicy and has a very unique aroma. On eating Mughlai food, one can
get a feel of the ground spices. The spices used in the preparation of
Mughlai food are easily accessible.
Mughlai food is especially preferred in Northern parts of the country.

Some of the Mughlai dishes have Muslim names such as biryani,
pulao, kebabs, kofta. This is suggestive of the strong influence of
Muslim cooking style. The Mughals have truly left a long lasting
influence on India, which is also reflected in the cuisine of India.

Mughlai food occupies a commanding position in the popular cuisines

of India.
The rich preparation of Mughlai food consisting of flavored sauces

and butter based curries is so tempting that food lovers are bound to
crave for more and more food. Mughlai food offers an amazingly
delicious variety of food ranging from hot spicy shorba or soup to
ginger based roasted meats to kulfi with rose petals sprinkled on it.
Even, the names of the Mughlai food are so attractive that a person
gets tempted to try out different dishes.
Though, Mughlai food is cooked in all parts of the country, but the
best feel of this cuisine can be had only in Delhi, which specializes in
the preparation of this royal cuisine. In the 16th century, India was
invaded by Mughals, who introduced the exotic spices, nuts and fruits
to India. Also, the Indians got an opportunity to learn new techniques
of cooking. In the preparation of most of the Mughlai dishes, milk and
cream is used liberally. Mughlai Biriyanis, Pasandas, Kormas and
Pulao are so enticing that people usually end up licking their fingers.
Due to the flavored sauces and butter based curries in the Mughlai
cuisine, they are very much popular among the food lovers. Mughlai
food offers tempting and delicious variety of food such as kulfi with
rose petals sprinkled on it, hot spicy soup and ginger based roasted
meats.
People in India and all over the world are crazy about Mughlai
cuisines. Some of the popular Mughlai dishes are, Aloo Ka Raita;
Carrot and Capsicum Raita; Badaam Halwa; Chicken Korma;
Chaamp Masala or Lamb Chops Curry; Chole or Chane; Kesar
Chawal; Chicken Tikka; Jhinga Malai Curry or Creamy Prawn Curry;
Naan a type of Indian Bread; Palak Gosht; Palak Paneer; Seekh
Kebabs; Tandoori Chicken Legs or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks; and
the most favorite dish Biryani.
The taste of Mughlai cuisine vary from extremely mild to spicy and is
often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and

whole spices. A Mughlai meal course is an elaborate buffet of main

course dishes with a variety of accompaniments.
The origin of Chicken Tikka Masala has been debated, but the flavors
of these dishes confirm the tradition of Mughlai cuisine.
DISHES
The names of the various Mughlai dishes are quite often Persian, the
official language of the Mughal court. Dishes include various kebabs,
kofta (meatballs), nihari (a national dish of Pakistan), pulao, and
biryani. Paneer is used for preparing vegetarian dishes to suit Hindu
or vegetarian dietary requirements.
OTHER DISHES INCLUDE:
1. Chicken Makhni
2. Mughlai Chicken
3. Mughai paratha
4. Biryani Badshahi
5. Keema Matar
6. Meat Durbari
7. Mughlai Chicken Pulao
8. Murg Kababs Mughlai
9. Murg Noorjehani
10. Murg Kali Mirch
11. Malai Kofta
12. Navratan korma
13. Shahi mutton curry of Agra
14. Shami Kabab
15. Seekh kabab
16. Boti kabab
17. Shahjehani Murg Masala
18. Shahi Chicken Korma
19. Shahi Kaju Aloo
20. Shahi Rogan Josh

M easurement is an important aspect of any discipline. Various

units are used for measurement. For instance the metric
system is used in India. In Europe and North America we use
pound system. Whatever be the system used by an individual it is
imperative that we understand not only the system of measurement
instead we understand the conversion of measurement from one
system to another. Sometimes we come across a recipe where a
different system of measurement is used.
We have undertaken to make cooking an experience of joy and

benediction we give to various systems of measurement with possible
yet simple way of conversion.

Cooking Measurement Equivalents
TABLE 1
CONVERSION DRY INGREDIENTS CUP – SPOONS
1 tablespoon (tbsp) 3 teaspoons (tsp)

1/16 cup 1 tablespoon
1/8 cup 2 tablespoons
1/6 cup 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
1/3 cup 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
2/3 cup 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
1 cup 48 teaspoons
1 cup 16 tablespoons
TABLE 2
FLUID CONVERSION TABLE
8 fluid ounces (fl oz) 1 cup

1 pint (pt) 2 cups
1 quart (qt) 2 pints
4 cups 1 quart
1 gallon (gal) 4 quarts
16 ounces (oz) 1 pound (lb)

Cooking PT 1

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COOKING TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY Page 2

MEDITATION LEADS TO ULTIMATE FLOWERING

COOKING – TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY Vol 1

Snacks and Gravies

Printed and Published by TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS

Cover design and graphics: Anand Neelambar, Taoshobuddha

Photography: Taoshobuddha, Prem Sutra, and Anand Neelambar

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Cooking Taoshobuddha way

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SNACKS AND APPETIZERS

VEGETABLES AND GRAVIES

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3. Shahi Paneer 103

Printed and Published by TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS

Cover design and graphics:

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2. Herbs and spices 13

4. Moghlai Cooking Style 71

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“Cooking Taoshobuddha means ‘Cooking for Buddha’; ‘Cooking

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Life is a journey of transcendence. It is a moment to moment journey of

These three planes are:

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Through my awareness I am fulfilling the missing dimension in the life of

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‘In the barren soils of thy inner sanctum

Taoshobuddha [Reproduced from Letter to Swami Atmananda]

It implies each act related to cooking be an act of awareness. When

With such an understanding we enter into cooking meditatively,

This is cooking the TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY or the BUDDHA WAY.

COOKING MEDITATIVELY…COOKING WITH AWARENESS!

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I met Taoshobuddha in 1992 – 1993 upon the insistence of another

I was subsequently invited to one of Taoshobuddha talks and I

It has been a life transforming experience. After this meeting I could

Fast forward to present day. I always had an interest in cooking,

So one day I asked Taoshobuddha to show me some techniques of

One thing that I have learned in the company of Taoshobuddha

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Preparing the vegetables, holding the knife in a loving manner,

In the preparation of this work I got tremendous support and help at

Swami Anand Neelambar for his expertise in formatting the entire

I am thankful to … of New York Institute of Cooking for their

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H erbs and spices form an important ingredient of our daily life.

Although many South Asian flavorings are familiar in Britain, there

The earliest mention of these herbs and spices we trace in Hindu

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Hippocrates, a Greek Physician, who is the father of modern medicine

I admire the ingenuity in creating special combination for special

Spices can be classified in three categories:

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Chili peppers are used around the world to make a countless

Sambal is a versatile relish made from chili peppers as well as other

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In Italian cuisine crushed red pepper flakes are a common ingredient

Dried red Chillies

These peppers contain a substance called capsaicin, which gives