Spices that your kitchen shelves must hold

Spices have an intriguing role in enhancing our everyday dishes. In the culinary arts, a spice is any dried component of a plant other than the leaves that are used to season and flavor a recipe. Today, India is the world’s top spice user, producer, and exporter. Every part of the plant is regarded as a spice, including dried bark, roots, berries, seeds, twigs, and everything else that isn’t the green leafy component.

Spices bring life to the ingredients and the recipe altogether, and Indian spices are the soul(s) of a good meal. There are various spices that your kitchen shelves must have, the spices of India are what your kitchen should smell like!

Ajwain Seeds

Ajwain, a spice that every Indian household is all too accustomed to and without which no Indian curry is complete, is derived from a herb plant that originated in India. Ajwain seeds offer a powerful taste to your recipes by being a powerhouse of nutrients with a pleasant aroma. It has a strong, tart flavor and a thyme-like scent. 

The “seeds,” which are fruits, are usually dry-roasted or crushed before being used in spice blends. They’re also used to cure a variety of ailments in Ayurvedic and Siddha treatment. These are healing systems based on the notion that a balance of body, mind, and spirit is necessary for overall health and wellness. Ajwain oil is a little amount of oil found in ajwain seeds. Thymol, a phenol that gives the fruit its thyme-like aroma, is present in the oil. Thymol is a herb that is widely used to alleviate stomach issues. Antifungal and antibacterial properties are also present. While it adds flavor to your food, it also offers a range of health benefits like-

• Helps to prevent infection
• Aids in digestion and good gut health
• Regulates blood pressure 
• Relieves arthritis pain 
• Has anti-inflammatory effects

Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds add zing and aroma to your dishes, making them more mouthwatering. Mustard seeds, which are high in vitamins and minerals, are a popular ingredient in Indian and American cuisine. They are high in vitamins C, A, and K, as well as minerals like calcium and copper.

Mustard seeds are one ingredient that you should include in your diet. They’ve been used in a variety of ayurvedic remedies to help with digestion. Mustard seeds are used in a lot of cuisines- Rajasthani, Gujarati, Bengali, and many more. They are most commonly known for tempering or adding tadka to dal or lentil dishes, and enhance the flavor and aroma of any dish. 

Mustard seeds have a pleasant and subtle scent that complements any curry dish. Most Indian dishes benefit from the use of toasted mustard seeds.  A few of the mustard seed benefits are:

• Helps promote better skin
• Helps reduce the early signs of aging 
• Good for heart health 
• Aids in better digestion

Cumin Seeds

Cumin seeds have a toasty, earthy flavor that lends variety and depth to savory recipes ranging from curries to beverages. These fragrant seeds add a nutritional boost to regular dishes and can be softly crushed and used as a seasoning or for tempering. 

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L) is a low-growing leafy plant native to China, India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Cumin seed is the name given to the plant’s fruit, which is used as a spice all over the world. Cumin has sparked medical interest, as anecdotal evidence suggests it has a variety of health benefits.

The majority of cumin’s purported health advantages are related to digestion, immunity, and circulation. Further, talking about black cumin seeds, it has a lot of benefits to offer. The benefits of black cumin seeds are:

• Helps in weight management
• Contains Antioxidants
• Helps improving brain functions
• Helps in fighting free radicals.

Turmeric Powder

Turmeric powder is extremely versatile; Turmeric has been shown in numerous high-quality research to provide significant health advantages for both the body and the brain. Curcumin, the principal active component, is responsible for many of these advantages. you can use it to spice up your favorite foods or add a sprinkle to your workout smoothie for added nutrition. It is a fantastic addition to any diet because of its adaptability, wholesomeness, and tempting flavor.

Turmeric Powder is a bright yellow powder made from dry turmeric rhizomes. Apart from being a great culinary ingredient, there are various benefits of turmeric powder that make it a great spice. The benefits of turmeric powder are:

• Improves heart health
• Is anti-inflammatory 
• Helps improve symptoms of depression
• Helps with arthritis 

Methi Seeds

Trigonella foenum-graecum, often known as Methi (fenugreek), is one of the Fabaceae family’s oldest traditional medicinal herbs. It’s grown throughout the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Methi comes in a variety of forms, including herb (dry leaves), fresh leaves (vegetables), and spice (seeds).

Fenugreek is a plant that is nutritional, medicinal, functional, and nutraceutical. All of these characteristics come together to make fenugreek a well-known spice being used. Methi seeds have a lot of therapeutic benefits. Some of the benefits of Methi seeds are:

• Helps in fighting stomach disorders, fever, and constipation
• Regulate Cholesterol Levels
• Improves blood pressure
• Boost breast milk production

The advantages of these spices are countless and have been verified by several researchers across the world. If you want to enhance your health while eating delicious cuisine, these spices not only provide nutritious flavor but also help you combat free radicals and strengthen overall immunity. Now that you’re equipped with all the knowledge that one needs to fill up their shelves, what stops you from ordering them away?