What are the rules of Indian Spices?

According to this article ( http://www.slate.com/id/3529/ ) a lot of chefs are influenced by Indian cuisine, but because they aren't trained in it, sometimes they use the spices wrong. As an example it mentions that you should never use turmeric raw. Personally, I didn't know that about turmeric. I wonder what else I have to learn.





Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_food ) lists some of the important spices in Indian cuisine:





chilli pepper


black mustard seed


cumin


turmeric


fenugreek


ginger


coriander (leaves as well as 'seeds' which are actually fruits)


asafoetida


cardamom


cinnamon


clove


nutmeg


bay leaf


mint leaf


curry leaf


saffron


rose petal essence





What rules or tips can you think of for using these spices? I would guess that some need heat to release their flavor, while others should be added near the end of cooking to retain their freshness? Perhaps some need to be taken out of the food after cooking, while others can stay in?

What are the rules of Indian Spices?
Basically Indian foods have two bases.


1) your base is Onions


2) Your base is mustard seeds





You never mix Onions and Mustard seeds togather.





Since Indian foods are spicy there is no Perfact wine for it however, to soften the curry taste many have "spiced butter milk" or watered down yougart.


Bon Apatite!!
Reply:The article you mentioned basically speaks about how Indian spices are being introduced into mainstream American cooking but mostly for the novelty factor. Traditional Indian cooking is structured and the technique is mostly what has passed down from generations. Experimentation is a recent phenomenon in Indian cuisine partly because younger generations of Indians are exposed to more of different cuisines than their parents because of restaurants, cookbooks and TV cooking shows. Madhur Jaffrey is right when she says that mustard is not used as a garnish. Mostly, it's popped in hot oil to release the aroma. Also, turmeric is not used raw as a coloring agent. Curry leaves and bay leaves are added for the flavor only and should be removed just before eating (not after cooking). To learn the rules of Indian cooking, you can read Madhur Jaffrey's books or you can try Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain.


I watch Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals sometimes and she uses powdered cumin and coriander in her meals and seems to blend it quite well.
Reply:you can visit this website www.bawarchi.com,it will help you.
Reply:I tried to make a Pork curry with Indian Spices and it just does not meld together.


But a Malay Pork Curry with Indian Spices worked and so did a Sri Lankian Devilled Pork Curry but and Indian Pork Curry nope.
Reply:I don't know the rules of India spices but I can tell you NOT to mix milk that you've heated in a pan like a sauce with a lot of sage. You'll get diarrhea.

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