Authentic Indian Spices

Turmeric is a common spice that comes from the root of Curcuma longa. India produces 80% of the world's turmeric and 60% of the world's exports.Turmeric from Indian origin is known as the world's best turmeric due to its high curcumin content. It has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Consumption of turmeric alongwith black pepper enhances its absorption. People commonly use turmeric for osteoarthritis. It is also used for hay fever, depression, high cholesterol, a type of liver disease.

Chili peppers are widely used in many cuisines as a spice to add "heat" to dishes. are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum.Capsicum plants originated in modern-day Bolivia and have been a part of human diets since about 7,500 BC.The substances that give chili peppers their spicy heat are capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids.

Whole Chili pepper pods are often eaten fresh, can be dried and then crushed or ground into chili powder that is used as a spice or seasoning. Capsaicin, the pungent chemical in chili peppers, is used as an analgesic in topical ointments, nasal sprays, and dermal patches to relieve pain.Recent research indicated that regular consumption of chili peppers was associated with weak evidence for a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Coriander

Coriander is a feathery annual plant of the parsley family (Apiaceae), parts of which are used as both an herb and a spice. Coriander is native to regions spanning from Southern Europe and Northern Africa to South Asia.

Both the leaves and fruit (seeds) of coriander are used as food and medicine. compounds terpinene, quercetin, and tocopherols found in coriander may have anticancer, immune-boosting, and neuroprotective effects. Coriander also helps lower blood sugar. Its antioxidants have been shown to fight inflammation in body.

Bay Leaf

Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. Bay leaves come from the bay tree, which is indigenous to Asia. The plant spread to the Mediterranean, where it was called a laurel tree. It's leaves constituted the wreaths of laurel that crowned victorious athletes in ancient Greece and Rome. The tonewood of the California Bay Leaf plant is much sought after by the makers of stringed instruments for making violins and guitars. The bay leaf is also a very good pest and bug repellent.

Bay leaves are a fixture in the cooking of many savory dishes in Asian, Middle east, European and Americas cuisines,. They are used in Rice preperations, soups, stews, brines, meat, seafood, vegetable dishes, and sauces. Bay leaves contain polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. Some studies suggest that bay leaf may help inhibit the growth of breast and colorectal cancer cells. Bay leaf is able to reduce the amount of urease in your body thus keeping kidney stones at bay.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn.Black pepper is native to the Malabar Coast of India, and the Malabar pepper is extensively cultivated there and in other tropical regions.Black pepper is the world's most traded spice, and is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world.

Ground, dried, and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity as a spice, seasoning and as traditional Medicine. Black pepper and its active compound piperine have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, reduces cholesterol levels, have cancer fighting properties and boosts absorption of nutrients. Piperine has demonstrated potential benefits for symptoms related to degenerative brain conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. cumin has been in use as a spice for thousands of years. Seeds of wild cumin were excavated in the now-submerged settlement of Atlit-Yam, dated to the early 6th millennium BC. Today, the plant is mostly grown in the Indian subcontinent, Northern Africa, Mexico, Chile, and China.

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Cumin is a staple of Indian cooking and curries. Generally cumin seeds are best used whole, and fried in oil at the beginning of a dish (the process called taarka).Cumin is boiled in water which can be consumed to ease digestion and weight loss. The essential oils extracted from cumin are very good for health. They help in moderating blood sugar levels. In fact, it is a proven Ayurvedic solution for diabetes. Cumin seeds have anti-bacterial, anti-tumour and immunogenic (immunity boosting) properties.

Carrom Seed

Ajwain or carom is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae.This spice is indigenous to Egypt but is also grown in many parts of South & West Asia, including Iran, India, Pakistan, and other countries. Gujarat and Rajasthan are regions within India that are well known for cultivating ajwain.The fruits are commonly dry-roasted or fried in is widely used in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, often as part of tarka, a mixture of spices - sometimes with a little chopped garlic or onion - fried in oil or clarified butter.

The fruits are sprinkled over bread and biscuits before baking and used in hoy tea. An extract of bishop's weed is manufactured as a prescription drug called methoxsalen (Uvadex, 8-Mop, Oxsoralen) provided as a skin cream or oral capsule to treat psoriasis, repigmentation from vitiligo, or skin disorders of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.This is likely attributed to two of its active compounds, thymol and carvacrol, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. Carom seeds may act as a calcium-channel blocker and help lower blood pressure level, seed extract may have anti-inflammatory properties.

Cinnamon & Cassia

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Cinnamomum verum, which translates from Latin as "true cinnamon", is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs and even for a deity. In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used to embalm mummies. Cinnamomum cassia, called Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon, is an evergreen tree originating in southern China, and widely cultivated there and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia.

Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfast cereals, snack foods, teas, and traditional foods.popular spices, sprinkled on lattes, boiled with ciders and enjoyed in numerous dishes. Cinnamon contains large amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants.Cinnamon has been shown to significantly increase sensitivity to the hormone insulin, i improve some key risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides. It has Anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties.Two compounds found in cinnamon appear to inhibit the buildup of a protein called tau in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent, and have been used as a culinary ingredient since ancient times. India is a major producer of fenugreek, and over 80% of India's output is from Rajasthan. Fenugreek has been used traditionally by mothers to increase the production of breast milk and stimulate milk flow while nursing and breastfeeding.

Fenugreek is used as a herb (dried or fresh leaves), spice (seeds), and vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens). Fenugreek contains saponins that help reduce the body's absorption of cholesterol from fatty foods. An unusual amino acid (4HO-Ile), so far found only in fenugreek, has anti-diabetic properties, Maintains Healthy Testosterone Levels, Aids Digestion and has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects.

Ginger

Ginger is in the family Zingiberaceae, which also includes turmeric. Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples. It was transported with them throughout the Indo-Pacific during the Austronesian expansion.India is the largest producer of ginger in the world. ginger is among the earliest recorded spices to be cultivated and exported from southwest India.

Ginger is a common spice used worldwide, whether for meals or as a Aurvedic medicine. Functional ingredients of gnger like gingerols, shogaol, and paradols are the valuable ingredients which can prevent various cancers. Ginger is also used to help recover from a cold or the flu,preventing nausea and vomiting, for treating inflammation caused by osteoarthritis and reduce cholestrol levels.

Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia.  The first references to cardamom are found in Sumer, and in the Ayurvedic literatures of India.

Cardamom is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. It is also often used in baking in the Nordic countries, in particular in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, where it is used in traditional treats such as the Scandinavian Yule bread Julekake, the Swedish kardemummabullar sweet bun, and Finnish sweet bread pulla. In the Middle East, green cardamom powder is used as a spice for sweet dishes, as well as traditional flavouring in coffee and tea. In the ancient Indians regarded it as a cure for obesity and digestive problems.

Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. Fennel has become a common shrub in many regions, including northern Europe, the United States, southern Canada, and much of Asia and Australia. The main fennel bulb is a plant-based sourceTrusted Source of potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and calcium, essential fatty acids and magnesium.

Fennel was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans who used it as medicine, food, and insect repellent. he bulb, foliage, and fruits of the fennel plant are used in many of the culinary traditions of the world.Many cultures in India, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Middle East use fennel fruits in cooking.The vitamin and mineral content in fennel contributes to building and maintaining bone structure and strength, regulate Blood pressure, increases immunity, regulates metabolism and helps in digestion.

Saffron

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus. Its recorded history is attested in a 7th-century BC Assyrian botanical treatise. It is believed that saffron originated in Iran. Kashmiri and Chinese accounts date its arrival anywhere between 2500 and 900 years ago. Saffron is an autumn-flowering perennial plant. Saffron contains some 28 volatile and aroma-yielding compounds. Saffron will not spoil, but will lose flavour within six months. It is dvised to keep saffron an airtight, cool, dark, place, Freezer storage can maintain flavour for up to two years.

Saffron is used in dishes ranging from the jewelled rice and khoresh of Iran, the Milanese risotto of Italy, the paella of Spain, the bouillabaisse of France, in the preparation of the Golden Ham, Saffron is used alot in Indian sweet dishes, Sweet milk, Lassi and fruit shakes preprations. Saffron contains an impressive variety of plant compounds that act as antioxidants, Improve Mood and Treat Depressive Symptoms, Reduce PMS Symptoms and acts as an Aphrodisiac.

Nutmeg & Mace

Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus Myristica. The lacy membrane that surrounds the seed, once removed and dried, is mace. The earliest evidence of use of nutmeg comes in the form of 3,500 year old potsherd residues from the island of Pulau Ai, one of the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia. Nutmeg and mace have similar sensory qualities, with nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavour.

The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg is used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. In Indonesian cuisine, nutmeg is used in variants of soto, konro, oxtail soup, sup iga , bakso, and sup kambing. In Indian cuisine, nutmeg is used in many sweet, as well as savoury, dishes. In Kerala Malabar region, grated nutmeg is used in meat preparations and also sparingly added to desserts for the flavour. The pericarp is used to make jam, to make a fragrant candy. In Kerala Malabar region of India, it is used for juice, pickles and chutney.