Notes From The Spice Route

Remember reading about the middle ages? About India’s peak of glory and after? The things that made many an explorer take to the seas in search of ways to get to India? Remember the Silk Route and the rice trade? And of course the Spice Route!

It has been since those times that India has figured prominently on the map of the world when it comes to spices. India seems to have taken the saying ‘Variety is the spice of life’ and turned it on its head by offering the world such a variety of spices to savour. Not just that, Indians take it one step further by grinding a few spices together to create Masalas – an explosive combination that can bring any recipe to life!

Image Credit: indianetzone.com

At the very basic level, most India recipes have two or three spices as the key component, things that go into the recipe before anything else does. It is when mustard seeds splutter in oil or Cumin Seeds turn brown that one starts to add other ingredients. Many curry-based preparations also need powdered forms of spices like coriander powder and cumin powder. There is of course turmeric powder with its antiseptic properties that goes into almost all recipes uniformly!

Image Credit: saurabhflexipack.com

Then there are recipes that need spices like Cinnamon Bark, Anise Flower, Curry Leaves to give them flavour and aroma that will leave any connoisseurs heady with delight. Be it the everyday Pulavs, the delicious Biryanis or the Mughal or Awadhi cuisines by themselves, these spices are what makes them a gourmet’s delight.

Image Credit: crumbstash.org

And there are Masalas that bring the combined strength of a few spices to recipes and give each recipe a signature flavour. It could be the Garam Masala or Goda Masala used primarily upwards of the Deccan Plateau and it could be the Rasam Powder or Sambar Powder used primarily in the South, but without these Masalas certain recipes are incomplete.

ProNature has tried to incorporate as much of this culinary legacy into its portfolio as possible by trying to offer a range of Organic Spices in various categories. At present, the portfolio includes:

Seed Spices:

• Cumin (Jeera)
• Coriander Whole (Khada Dhaniya)
• Fenugreek (Methi)
• Mustard Seeds (Rai)
• Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
• Sesame (Rai, White, Natural)

Powder Spices:

• Black Pepper Powder
• Cinnamon Powder
• Coriander Powder
• Cumin Powder
• Red Chilli Powder
• Turmeric Powder

Miscellaneous Spices:

• Black Pepper (Whole)
• Cardamom
• Cinnamon Bark
• Clove
• Tamarind  

Masalas:

• Rasam Powder
• Sambar Powder

Make your recipes come to life with organic spices and rest assured that your daily culinary experience would be only about taste, not toxins. We leave you with that thought as we sign off from the Spice Route.