Joanna James
Spices are what make Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine so fragrant and flavourful. Discover some of the spices that make the food taste so good and complex as well as its healthful benefits.
Originating from South India and Sri Lanka, it is the world's third most expensive spice, after saffron and vanilla. This spice is well-known for its fragrance and warm, spicy-sweet flavour. It is a popular spice used in different dishes and even beverages. In Sri Lanka, the spice is used liberally for desserts, sweetmeats, rice and meat curries. Cardamom goes well with chicken curry, yellow rice, and desserts like sago pudding, watalappam and dodol, a jaggery-based dessert.
Perhaps one of the best-loved spices in the world! Original Ceylon Cinnamon is cultivable only in Sri Lanka and is a major export and crop and a household spice. The sweet and warm spice makes its way into a myriad of Sri Lankan cuisine. Cinnamon is an essential spice in 'thuna paha', a triple-curry powder mixture, where the spice blend used in practically all of the curries in Sinhalese cooking. It is also used in 'garam masala', the Indian version of the spice mix. Cinnamon by the stick is added to all curries from vegetables, and meat to fish. Cinnamon is also used to flavour local desserts like Sago and used extensively as a tea, for its many health benefits. Cinnamon, according to research, is one of the most healthy spices, filled with antioxidants and chemicals to help control blood sugar, and blood pressure, prevent inflammation and even inhibit cancerous growths.
This characteristic yellow spice is a powerhouse of health benefits and antibacterial properties and a spice that Sri Lankan Cuisine can't do without. Turmeric is used to flavour and add colour to many white curries and is an essential ingredient in 'thuna paha' as well. Yellow rice is another famous dish prepared with turmeric.
Cumin is a common spice in Sri Lanka and India. It is known for its nutty and fragrant flavour and is often used in curry powder along with fennel seeds and coriander. The fruit is used whole, fried, or typically dry-roasted. Roasted cumin and coriander seeds are used together in South Indian as well as Sri Lankan cuisine.
Also called karapincha amongst the local population, it is an essential herb used in Sinhalese and Indian cooking. The fragrant leaves are used for curries, to add flavour and sometimes fried in oil and added to preparations like dahl curry. You will also encounter the leaves in chutneys, dosas, tempered preparations and condiments like the potato fry, dry fish fry, and the 'seeni sambol' curry. You can check out websites like The Dine and Wine to understand what Sri Lankan cooking is all about.
The seeds and leaves are a popular addition to cooking used in Sri Lanka and India. It is commonly used in masalas across Northern and Southern India. To enhance its taste, coriander is typically roasted or fried, and added to curry powder. In Sri Lanka, only fruits are used in traditional cooking, which is usually roasted and ground to a fine powder. It is also used to make herbal tea with ginger and is a popular remedy on the island for colds and sore throats. Coriander is among the oldest spices in the world with many health benefits and a distinct nutty flavour.
Sri Lankan cloves are among the best in the world and one of the most potent spices when it comes to antioxidant levels. Cloves are used abundantly in curries as well as desserts, as well as to flavour rice dishes, sago and rice porridge. In India, cloves are widely used in beverages like masala chai.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
