Fenugreek In My Spice Cupboard

Fenugreek Seeds (methi seeds) have a bitter taste and distinct sweet aroma. This little but mighty flavorful spice is largely associated with Indian cooking.  The seeds tempered in hot oil, release a pungent yet sweet maple syrupy fragrance. They are hard little angular nuggets of mustard yellow with a little indentation in them. 

Often, fenugreek is dry roasted and ground to a powder. It is then added to pickles to balance out the tart and spicy flavors. Alternatively, it can be added to curries during the cooking process. The hard seeds are sometimes soaked over night and made into a dry curry seasoned with spices.

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Introducing Shamim’s Pantry Pasture Grazed Ghee

Shamim_logo_comp_Mast

Hi my dear friends and fellow bloggers!

Again… it has been a tad bit too long since I wrote to you last.  As I mentioned in my previous post I was working on “Project Ghee”, well I don’t think I called it that exactly … but it sure does sound good right now 🙂

Anyway, let me tell you what I’ve been up too.  I’ve been preoccupied with ‘GHEE’, now I’m sure you shaking your head and thinking, “Really Shamim, like you had to tell us that!” (sarcasm intended)  Well, of course it’s ghee.  Ghee all the way baby!

Since the beginning of this year, Continue reading

Achaari Chicken – Chicken with Spicy Mango Pickle

Achaari Chicken

“Nah!  It’s not really cold yet!”  I’ve been repeating this to myself every day.  Well… the weather hasn’t dipped that low yet.   Come on, don’t frown – it’s Minnesota for goodness sake!  If I complain of the cold, I might as well pack my bags and leave.

Walking to the bus stop yesterday morning was bitterly cold.  I felts little streams of tears running down my face and no, I was not crying,  my eyes were watering from the bitter wind blowing into them. Continue reading

Cloves in My Spice Cupboard

cloves

Cloves (lavang or laung) are the dried flower buds of an evergreen tree.  It’s heady aroma immediately wafts out of my spice box when it’s opened.  It has a strong distinct woodsy smell, and a bite into the bud will immediately release a warm sweet heat in your mouth.

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Coriander in My Spice Cupboard

As promised, I am sticking to my plan of introducing one spice at a time to My Spice Cupboard and heres one more – Coriander.

Coriander seeds

Coriander (dhaania) Seeds  are the seeds of a mature cilantro plant. The tannish yellow globes are very light in weight and have a subtle citrus flavor. They are grown in Europe and in India too. The coriander seeds grown in India tend to have a more of a citrusy flavor. When selecting them at the store, they Continue reading