Medical benefits of Garam Masala- a combination of Indian spices



So, I am back after a gap of three days. Well, my computer is to be blamed which decided to have a mind of its own and refused to follow my command. But now I am in charge and I will talk to you on a regular basis that is to say thrice a week. Not because I don’t want to write daily but my friends suggested that I should give them time to grasp all the information.
I also wondered if anybody was actually reading my blog. But many of friends read it on the Facebook and sent in their comments. Many of them have not read it even now but that’s okay. One day they will. Thanks to those who have.
Meanwhile I made this wonderful, aromatic powder called garam masala which is actually a combination of many spices in a ratio. It consists of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace. Some chefs also mix peppercorns but I find it gives the masala a strong peppery taste. You can get the powder ready made from the market but the aroma that you get from the home made version is worth all the effort. Actually there is hardly any effort. The recipe is
Caraway seeds 2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
Cardamom green 1 ½ tbsp
Cardamom brown 1 tsp
Cloves 2 tsp
Cinnamon Pieces ½ tbsp
Nutmeg powdered 1 tsp
Mace crushed 1 tsp
Grind all the ingredients together and store.
Each of these ingredients has its own qualities both medicinal and aromatic.
Cumin seeds are rich in iron and magnesium. Iron is responsible to transport oxygen from the lungs to all body cells and to keep our immune system running healthy. Cumin seeds are highly beneficial in digestive disorders like biliousness, morning sickness and indigestion. They are also helpful for menstruation, pregnant or lactating women and for growing children.
Cinnamon is useful in many ways. Taken regularly it helps in nervous tension, improves complexion and memory. A pinch of cinnamon powder mixed with honey does the trick if taken regularly every night for these purposes. It is beneficial for appetite loss, bronchitis, cough, cold and fever. Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder before bath and keep it for approx. 15 min. and then wash the hair. To top it all it helps in indigestion.
Cardamom is beneficial in stomach disorders, bad breath, oral disorders and depression
Clove is a wonderful spice. They help in cough, asthma, teeth disorders and earache. They also help in digestion.
Nutmeg is considered to be best calming drug for brain. Nutmeg used in small quantity can reduce flatulence, aid digestion, improve the appetite and treat diarrhea and nausea. It also helps in reducing swellings.
Mace is useful for mouth sores, insomnia and rheumatism.
These are some of the many uses of all these spices. More information can be found in articles about ayurveda. I talked about garam masala today because it is an important ingredient of Indian cooking. Most North Indian recipes call for garam masala.
So what are you waiting for? Read the list of all the ingredients and get on with it
Oh you are waiting for a recipe which uses garam masala? Let’s start with the easiest one. Masaledaar aloo - Spicy Potatoes. It is an easy dish which can be served both as a side and main dish. Preparation time is 20 minutes. Cooking time is 5-7 minutes. You will need:
4 large potatoes boiled, peeled and cut in 1” pieces
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp curry leaves (optional) (available in Indian stores)
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp turmeric
Lime juice 1 tsp (optional)
Few cilantro (coriander) leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat.. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and then cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add paprika, turmeric and potatoes. Stir and add salt. Stir again so that all pieces are well coated. Add salt and cook for 5 minutes stirring twice. Add garam masala and lime juice. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve with roti , parantha or naan.
Bon Appétit!!!

Why the Corner Kitchen

On the surface it all started with my watching Julie and Julia. The movie was tailor made for me as I am a very enthusistic cook and if I may take the liberty of sounding a little concieted ,an excellent one. Julie starts with julia and tries one of her recipes everyday.

For me however, it goes long back when I made my first vegetable dish when I was 9 years. It was perfect or so my dad said and gave me a princely amount of 5 rupees as a prize.But I knew then that I loved to cook. As I grew and started going to the university, our trips to different eateries also grew. I was in my graduation program when I had my first pizza, till then little known to Delhites barring a few "westernized" ones.I came home and told my mom what it was and she said " it sound easy to make" and believe me next day she and I made the pizza at home.So you know where the genes are coming from.
The cooking continued but it was largely to prepare me to be good wife. Like any other middle class girl I was expected to get a good education, get married and be a good wife. Well I did all that but I also did other things.Over the years I changed quite a few hats. I forayed into media both audio visual and print apart from being a wife and a mother to two sons.But the love affair with the culinary continued and this was one affair my husband supported grudingly at first but later accepted and now supports it to the hilt. My sons are a different story. It is largely due to them that the affair continued. They wanted to have the burgers,noodles, sandwiches and icecreams along with aloo tikkis, chane bhature and kathi kababs. To top it all my husband was in the Indian Army where you are expected to give perfect parties . So started the baking and came in the Black Forest and caramel pudding and french onion soup.

We came to Canada in 200 0January. Why and how sometime later but to my sheer delight I had access to so many ingredients so far scarcely available in India. So I was like a bull in a china shop or a kid in a candy shop to be more precise but the first constraint that I faced here was time. I had not worked back home but here I had to. And being a south asian woman I could not thinlk of not making fresh food everyday. I still do.All my freinds do . Then why The Corner Kitchen?

Because as I started researching more and more recipes I also discovered some great articles about the medicinal values of Indian spices. Great chefs like Inderjit Kalra and Ranjit Rai wrote extensively about Ayurvedic "Gunas". But is it the spices which make Indian cooking so different? Or is it the method of slow cooking? Or the yogurts and the cream? Well all of these and much more.I often hear my Canadian friends say" I love Indian cooking" " I love the flavours". Many of them started asking me for recipes and when I told them the antiseptic qualities of turmeric they were amazed. So I thought why not write about it. To be honest I did not exactly think in these terms but there was something I wanted to do about Indian cooking in Toronto. I had been taking cooking classes back in India but I wanted something more. And watching Julie and Julia cleraed my ideas. I decided on Friday night, the 7th of May that I am going to write a blog about Indian cooking. Why The tiltle? I want to write for people like you and me. People who actually love to cook and who really want to get together around a kitchen table and share not just the food but the joy and the sorrows, the highs and the lows of each other. Just around the corner.

So stay tuned and we will gather round the corner tomorrow and share some history and qualities of Indian cooking and of course some recipes.

Meanwhile if you have any comments or suggestions leave a comment on the blog.Its your corner kitchen and your comments are valuable.