Nature Spices

o known as sweet cumin and has the flavour of liquorice. It is chewed after meals and used as mouth freshener. It is used in cakes, breads, cookies and candles; vadacurry, kurma, non-vegetarian dishes, biriyani, thandai, kachori and in pickles. Asafoetida
It is an oleo gum resin exuded from the rhizome or root of Ferula asafoetida. The odour component consists of a ferulic ester and sulphur containing volatile oil. Bay leaves (Birinj Leaves)
They are the dried aromatic leaves of laurel tree. They contain 1-3% of highly aromatic volatile oil. Oil of bay leaves is used in the preparation of pickling spice and in the flavouring of vinegar. Caraway seeds
It contains about 5% volatile oil. The chief flavouring principle of which is D-carvone and D-limonere. The seeds are used to flavour cakes, biscuits, cheese, apple sauce and cookies. The oil from caraway seed is used to flavour meats, canned foods, sausages, soups, in cakes, certain bread rolls, cheese, confectionery and also flavouring liquor. Cardamom
The fruit contains brownish black seeds, which have about 2-10% volatile oil with the characteristic pleasant odour. The active principles present in the oil cineole, terpinyl acetate, pinene, sabinene and porneol. Chillies
The red colouring matter of chillies is due to a carotenoid pigment. Ground chilli is used in most of the Indian gravies and vegetable dishes. It is used in making chutneys, pickles, dehydrated chillies, vattal and in day to day preparations. Dry chillies are used for seasoning. Chillies contain a substance called capsaicin, which increases the gastric secretion, and it causes the destruction of the mucosal cells. Cinnamon
It is a thin inner bark of a cinnamon tree. The bark contains about 1% essential oil. The active principles are eugenol, cineole and cinnamaldehyde. It is used in stick form in fruit preserves. It is used ground for cakes, cookies and puddings. Used in spicing sauces,pickles,in pulav,biryani. Clove
It is the dried flower bud of the clove tree. It contains about 15% essential oil. The chief active principle is eugenol. Cloves are used whole in meats, pickling and fish. It is used ground in cakes, cookies and puddings. Used as flavouring agent in pulav, rice puttu and fruit cake. Coriander seed
It is unmatched for its fresh delicate spring like aroma. The seeds contain 0.5-1% essential oil which has an active principle coriander an isomer of geraniol. The roasted powdered seed are used as an ingredient of curry powders. It is used as flavouring and thickening agent in cookery. In the form of powder it is used in rasam, all curries and vegetables and chutney powders. It is also used as whole in kamandhokla, samosas and kachori. It is used for sprinkling on prepared food, flavouring sambar and rasam, pounded or minced as a base for sauces or chutneys. Cumin seeds
It is pungent, sharp and astringent. It contains 2-4% essential oil. The active principle is an aldehyde cumino. Fenugreek seeds
It is a hard lentil seed. Its colour is dark fawn and has astringent aroma Fenugreek seeds contain 5% bitter fixed oil. The oil has a strong celery like odour. Garlic
Garlic contains an antibiotic principle "allin" (inactive form) which is converted to allicin (active form) by the enzyme allinase. Allicin further breaks down to allyl disulphide, which is responsible for characteristic flavour. It is used in reciepes like rasam, pickle, chutney, pulav ,sauces. Ginger
It is the root of the plant Zingiber officinale. The volatile oil present is "gingerol". The flavouring compound has sharp burning sensory stimulation. Kokam
It is a fruit dried and used as sour agent in cookery. Since anthocyanin is present, it is also used in making sherbet. Mango powder
During the early stages of growth, the tree may have a heavy "fruit drop". Mint leaves
It is essentially an aromatic culinary herb. These are the leave of spear-mint plant. The leaves yield an essential oil (pepper mint oil) which is used for flavouring gum, confectionery, tooth paste, perfumes and pharmaceutical preparations. The principle components of the peppermint oil are menthol, menthyl acetate, menthyl iso valerate and menthone. It is used fresh for beverages, salad dressing and for garnishing. It is also used in making many dishes like raitha pulav, chutney, vada and pani puri water. Dry powder is also used for different. Mustard
These are the small reddish black seeds of annual herbs. The leaves of this plant are consumed as vegetable. Mustard seeds have a pungent flavour. The characteristic flavour of mustard seed is due to an allyl iso thiocyanate. The mustard paste is used to flavour hotdogs, sandwiches, cheese, eggs, meat and salad dressings. Dry mustard is used in meat, sauces, gravies and mayonnaise. It is used in the powdered form in pickles. It is used in the vegetable preparations and raitha. It is used mainly for the seasoning. Mustard is used without the skin for pickling (chilli pickles). Mustard oil is also used in cookery. Nutmeg
Nutmeg is the dry hard wrinkled seed or pit of the nutmeg fruit. Mace is the orange red fleshy covering of the nutmeg kernel. They contain 7-14% essential oil. This essential oil contains highly toxic compound known as myristicin, used in small amounts to flavour puddings and fruit Myristicin present in nutmeg seeds could lead to delirium and deep stupor. Smaller amounts of nutmeg may cause vomiting and colic. Mace
Mace is more delicate and used for flavouring fish sauces, certain meat and fish dishes, pickles and preserves. It is used ground in cakes, cookies, pies and chocolate dishes. It is used in garam masala. Onion
It is used as a flavouring agent in food preparations. It contains an essential oil the active principle of which is responsible for the characteristic cooked flavour is allyl propyl disulphide. Dehydrated onion is used in European countries and U.S.A. for flavouring food preparations. It is used in cookery to improve the flavour or to mask undesirable flavours and to increase the thickness of the gravies. Omum
It is allied to the liquorice family and a powerful spice. It is used in ompodi, rusks, namkin and biscuits. Poppy seeds
They are the tiny dark cream colour seed of poppy plant, which are used for topping of bread, cake, rolls or fillings for buns. Oil extract is used for salads. Poppy seeds ae used as thickening agent in the preparation of gravies. It is also used in kurma, non-vegetarian dishes and sweets. Pepper
They are the dried small round berry of a tropical vine with small white flower. White pepper is mature berry with the black coat removed. Pepper corns are used whole or crushed. Ground pepper is used for seasoning many dishes and is also used as a condiment at the table. Pepper corns are generally used whole in pickling meats and stews. It is used ground for general seasoning of meat fish, poultry, vegetables and salads. White pepper is used in dishes that require a less pungent flavour. It is used in making bounder, pongal, rasam, kolambu, vadai and fried rice. And also used as substitute for chilli powder. It is also used in marinating the non vegetarian foods. Flavour can be improved by the addition of pepper powder to omelets, sandwich, salads, papads, soups and chips. Saffron
This is the name given to the fragrant stigmata found in the Crocus flower. It is a regal spice of matchless aroma and the most costly in the world. 75,000 flowers are needed to make one ounce of pure saffron. Each filament can colour 700 times its own weight in water. It is used mainly for its yellow colour. Saffron has a pleasant aroma and an essential oil croncin and the colouring principle crocerin. It is used in soups, sauces especially rice dishes to give them bright yellow colour and distinctive flavour. It is used in sweets, like sandesh, rasmalai, thandai, kesar milk, ice cream, halwa and srikand. It may be adulterated with styles, anthers and parts of corolla of saffron and various materials coloured with coal tar dyes. Tamarind
This spice is the pulp of the tamarind fruit after the outer shell and seeds are removed. The extract is used in making rasam and sambar. It is used as souring agent in chutneys, chat, pickle, pani puri and in tamarind rice. It is also used as thickening agent in gravies. Tamarind puree is available in the market. Turmeric
It is the ground dried aromatic root. It contains 5% essential oil. The colouring substance present is known as curcumin. Its natural aroma is most apetising and on its own without the use of other spices, can produce delicious food. Vanilla
Vanilla beans are being cultivated in Kerala. The active principle is "vanilla". Synthetic vanilla is much cheaper than that of the natural product. It imparts the flavour and it is used in preparing ice creams, custards, puddings and cakes.