In the culinary world, Indian cuisine reigns supreme. The country is a land of rich diversity, which is very well reflected in its food culture. Travelling from one city to another is nothing less than taking our taste buds on a flavourful ride. While we are blessed to be surrounded by such delicious and aromatic flavours, UK-based chef Jake Dryan has decided to explain to his Instagram family “how to cook Indian food.” In the video shared on Instagram, Jake introduces everyone to the spices available in a desi kitchen. The side note read, “How to cook Indian food properly. Understanding all the spices in Indian cuisine can be overwhelming. Before diving deeper, have the most used spices on hand to cook a wide variety of dishes.”
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Jake Dryan stated that the spices section in Indian cuisine is so vast that it “varies from region to region”. But the best place to begin with is the “masala dabba” – a box full of basic/regular spices.
In the masala dabba, we can spot mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, red chilly powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and garam masala. He said, “Having these spices in hand will prepare you very well no matter what region you are cooking from.”
He concluded the clip by pointing at “dried red chillies, bay leaves and hing.” In his detailed note, Jake Dryan explained the amazing health benefits of all these spices.
Several Indians, in the comments section, praised Jake Dryan for explaining the health benefits of all the spices. A user said, “Nice explanation of spices. Most of the combinations of spices used in Indian cooking are based on Ayurvedic principles and are to aid digestion.”
Another commented, “Very nice, yes these are basic masala Indians always have.”
Some said that Jake Dryan has missed a few spices that are regularly used in the kitchen. A comment read, “You forgot amchur.”
Another read, “I usually keep two, one for whole spices, one with haldi, chilli powder, dhaniya powder, jeera, mustard, ajwain and kasoori methi.”
Pointing out how the usage of spices varies in different Indian regions, a person wrote, “Tamil Nadu -we keep mustard, jeera, broken urad dal, pepper, fenugreek and turmeric powder. Also red chillies.”
What are your go-to spices?
