5 Versatile Spices that are used by Chefs to Cook Mouth-Watering Indian Cuisine

Indian food is known worldwide for its richness and amongst the tastiest cuisines. With the gravies and spices at the core of its ingredients, Indian food is thought to be really spicy. It is true to some extent but spices are what makes it a truly irresistible cuisine. From a high-end restaurant in New Delhi, India to an Indian restaurant in Saint Kitts in the Caribbean region, you will love to set your hand on a traditional Indian dish with a dose of spice.

Without wasting further time, let me offer you a quick insight about how spices are used by top restaurants and eateries intelligently to create mouth-watering Indian cuisine and what you can learn from those practices.

1. Chili Powder

Chili powder and chili flakes are used in a variety of Indian food. Red chilies and green chilies are used worldwide but in Indian recipes, it may be used in a variety of ways. If you want to cook Indian food but are always short of time for some reason or the other, instead of chopping chilies each time, keep chili powder and flakes on hand for an instant spicy kick.

2. Chinese Five-Spice Powder

Not many people are aware of what an Indian restaurant can offer by using different spices. The use of Chinese five-spice powder is just one of them. It’s a mixture of star anise, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan pepper, nutmeg and ginger and there are virtually endless ways to include it in your daily dishes. Good chefs know how to make a strong and unique taste with it by using a little bit of sauce to make it a good dish.

3. Chipotle Chilies

Don’t get surprised by the sheer names of the spices as they are unique. As not many people in the US and Caribbean islands know about spices in their daily food intake, you are bound to be shocked by the names. Chipotle chilies are nothing but wood-smoked jalapenos to give a distinct and woody flavor to any dish. It includes marinades, spice rubs, stews, and salsas. This can be made to create an Indian dish with Mexican touch to it and is tasty to the core.

4. Cocoa Beans

Another surprise coming your way. I am sure that most of you just know that cocoa powder is used to make chocolates. What the heck is its relationship with a spice? Let me tell you in simplest of words. The Mayans of Central America has been using them for centuries as a spice. The cocoa beans are roasted and mixed with cocoa butter and sugar to give it a spicy and nutty flavor. You can also use it in sweet and savory dishes as it is used extensively by cooks in making Indian cuisine which is distinctive in nature.

5. Cinnamon

Cinnamon needs no introduction as it is used virtually all over the world to cook food. Top chefs in the Caribbean region and anywhere else too use it to create just about any recipe with it and use it to create a dish made from mutton or use it to give a unique flavor to an ice-cream. The use of Cinnamon in ground and stick form is what can make it work wonders as well as save your time too. I also urge you to give it a try and use it a way you haven’t tried before. And believe me, you will really like the result.

Final Word

There are other spices like Cumin and Coriander too which are used in a variety of ways by chefs to offer their customers a unique experience every time. If you want to know more about what spices can do to your food, please use the comments section below and offer your valuable feedback on this blog.

My name is Imogen Arnold and I am a fresh graduate of Windsor university. The school of medicine here is one of the top rated caribbean medical school of its kind in the region.