Spice Guide
Consistency and quality control have been a hallmark of Patak's Foods since the company was founded. The flavor of Patak's® products is heavily dependent on the quality and freshness of the herbs and spices used and as such Kirit Pathak personally supervises their selection and importation from India and around the world.
It is the grinding process that releases aromatic oils from spices and these oils create the delicious flavors of Indian cuisine. Once ground, the flavors of the volatile oils fade rapidly.
With that in mind, one of the many things that set Patak's apart from other manufacturers is that the whole spices are ground at the point of manufacture to ensure freshness of flavor is retained.
Some herbs & spices commonly used in Indian cooking:
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Black Onion Seed / Kalonji / Nigella SativaKalonji is the dried, seed-like fruit of nigella - a small herb. Despite being used since antiquity by Asian herbalists and pharmacists for medicinal purposes, nigella seeds were first used for culinary purposes by the Romans. The seeds have little odor but develop a scent similar to that of oregano when ground or chewed. The taste is nutty, earthy and peppery. It helps to toast the seeds before using them in order to bring out their flavor. Nigella seeds are widely used in Indian cuisine, particularly in mildly braised dishes such as korma. The seeds are used in the preparation of garam masala and are one of the five spices in the Indian spice mixture, panch phoron. They are added to vegetable and dhal dishes as well as in chutneys. The seeds are traditionally sprinkled on naan breads before baking. Nigella is native to Western Asia where it grows both wild and cultivated. The flower is also cultivated in India, Egypt and the Middle East. Did you know?Nigella seeds are said to repel certain insects and are sometimes used like mothballs. |
