Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook
Whats in your spice rack?
Hi! Just sorting out my spice racks with new labels and was wondering what other indian food lovers have in their spice rack? Heres my list:
Black/Brown/Large Cardamons
Green Cardamons
Black mustard seeds
Yellow mustard seeds
Cardamon seeds
Cloves
Asafotida powder
Garam Masala powder
Fenugreek Seeds
Cinnamon powder
Cinnamon sticks
Tumeric powder
Cumin powder
Cumin seeds
Coriander powder
Hot chilli powder
Sweet paprika powder
Chilli flakes
Mango powder
Tandoori Masala
Methi leaves
Cheers
Steve
P.S. Making Mamtas saag lamb tonight with raita, kuchumber, poppodoms, rotis, turmeric rice! Yum. With any left over saag lamb im going to make my little boys some puff pastry saag lamb samosa triangles!
These are some other things, apart from what you have, that I have got. These are off the top of my head. I am sure there are more, I have 2 shelves full plus 3 freezer drawers full!
Bay leaves
Fennel seeds and powder
Nigella seeds
Carom seeds
Panch pooran-a mix of cumin, fennel, black mustard, nigella and fenugreek seeds
Balck salt (Kala Namak)
Chaat masala
Curry powder
Roast cumin seeds
Anardana (Pomegranate seeds), whole and ground
Dry mint leaves
Safron
Rose water
Kewda (screw-pine) water
Citric acid (for making paneer for sweets
Tamarind block + tamarind paste
Various nuts and raisin etc.
I am coming for dinner, no need for me to cook tonigh!.
Well I have mostly the same as you do ....
Black Cardamons
Green Cardamons
Black mustard seeds
yellow mustard powder
Cloves
Asafotida powder
Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek Powder
Fenugreek leaves dried
Fenugreek leaves frozen (obviously not in the cupboard)
Cinnamon powder
Cinnamon sticks
Cassia bark
Tumeric powder
Cumin powder
Cumin seeds
Coriander powder
Coriander seeds Indian
Coriander seeds Cypriot
Chilli powder
Chilli flakes
Dried chillies (Indian and Italian)
Paprika powder
Smoked paprika
Black peppercorns
Mixed peppercorns
Maldon Sea Salt Flaked
Sea Salt for griding
Table salt from Cyprus
Celery Salt
Ginger poweder
Garlic poweder
All Spice
Five spice
Cloves
Star anise
Fennel Seeds
Mace flaked pieces
Nutmeg
Saffron (well it says so on the packet)
*Rosemary dried
*Marjoram dried
*Thyme dried
*Oregano dried
*Oregano dried (Cypriot, not quite the same)
*Mint dried
*they are part of my spice collection possibly not Indian cuisine though.
Steve
Think mine's similar as above - crammed along a five foot long shelf (luckily kitchen has no natural daylight) in which I maintain a constant battle to try to keep them in alphabetical order!
Basically it's Mamta's list
http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/tip_display.php?tip_id=2
plus a few things mainly for Oriental cooking - Szechuan pepper, star anise, Chinese 5 spice, sesame seeds etc.
Its surprising how much we have really ! When you think about it you remember the normal few (cumin, corriander, chilli etc) but when you think hard and possibly check (which I haven't done yet) you realise how much more there is lurking in there... I missed bayleaves off mine for a start!
Steve
Off the top of my head my collection consists of:
Black cumin seeds
White cumin seeds
Caraway seeds
Coriander seeds
Safron strands
Whole dried turmeric
Turmeric powder
Garam masala
White poppy seeds
pomegranate seeds
Paprika powder
hot chili powder
Whole dried red chilies
Grains of paradise
Black pepper corns
White pepper corns
Green pepper corns
Whole allspice
Cassia bark
Cinnamon bark
Fenugreek seeds
Dried fenugreek leaves
Dried bay leaves
Dried curry leaves
Cloves
Green cardamom pods
Brown cardmom pods
Garlic powder
Ginger powder
Dried mango powder
Panch phoran
Fennel seeds
Carom/ajwain seeds
Beetroot powder
Whole mace
Whole nutmeg
Asafoetida
Whole star anise
Nigella seeds
Rose water
In the freezer I have these frozen fresh ingredients:
Galangal
Ginger
White turmeric
Yellow turmeric
Curry leaves
Mixed chili peppers (nagas, jolokias and green finger chilies)
Oh, and I forgot to mention:
Black mustard seeds
Yellow mustard seeds
Jaggery
Black salt
Himalayan salt crystals
Thats some list !... I was waiting for humming bird tears and the finest Asafoetida scraped from the whiskers of a bengal tiger ! lol
Steve
could't possibly list all mine, but well over 150, last time I counted, including Nigella damascena seeds (like Kalonji, but tasting of roses) and gold leaf. Most recent afdditions include cubeb pepper, long pepper and a pepper pod from the West Indies, no name as yet.
Here is a pic of me in front of two of the racks, all the common spices (over twenty of them) I keep in another rack next to the cooker, for quick access, like a dabba.
http://img6.imageshack.us/i/p1010046i.jpg/
Great picture Lapis! At least I know I have all my herbs/spices/sauces mixed up like yours!
Are you making Sushi there? or is the red bowl to the right a rather tasteless Edam!
Great picture, Lapis, but I have to say that it looks as if you're doing some kind of voodoo ritual.
Winton, thanks, the spices are nearly as 'random' as they appear, there is some logic there, and after a little while, I don't even have to look at the labels.
I'm making ceviche, a dish of raw fish (shashimi rather than sushi) and citous fruit, with added herb, chilli and ginger.
Don't appreciate Edam cheese, can't really differentiate between the cheese and the rind !!! I suppose that's why one is yellow and the other red or green!
I suppose many cooking techniques are ritualistic, John, and do we not sometimes pray that it turns out OK ;?}
these are the 'raw' materials for the ceviche.
http://img197.imageshack.us/i/p1010043y.jpg/
Thanks Lapis. Next time you are making the Ceviche please can I come to supper? It looks like all my favourite ingredients!
Looking at your 'photos occurred to me how well the food shows up on a black plate/background, as in even rice would look dull on a white plate - have to look out for some black ones to buy.
Agree that if you keep things slightly haphazard you still know by instinct what jar to grab for. I keep my rolls of bin liners in a wine rack, completely illogical, but at least I always know where they are!
the black thing is actually a piece of black granite! Dark blue can work well too.
think we probably have lots of examples of putting things in odd places, as we said, we get to remember them, but working in a strange kitchen, its a nightmare.