If you love food and are passionate about it, you will understand that spices in food are like the heartbeat of life. They are crucial in defining a region’s delicacy. They add depth and a level of complexity to each dish.
Spices impart to a dish its flavours, aromas, colour, and depth. Food without spices would probably be as tasteless as an inanimate object. Spices give life to a dish.
Every country has its signature traditional dishes prepared using locally grown spices. These spices give the dishes an identity and a mirror of the traditions and culture of the region.
Thousands of years ago, the world became more connected because of the exchange of spices that lent a regional dish a new angle and flavour profile. We can do that even now and have some delicious fusions that will help recreate regular dishes into upscaled ones. A few international spices and ingredients that can be used in Indian cooking are as follows.
Gochujang from Korea
This is a spice paste that is native to the Korean cuisine. It is one of the most commonly used spice mixes in Korean cuisine. This is prepared using fermented soybean and Chile pepper paste.
It appears like a red hot sauce that may be very spicy, but in fact, it has a slightly umami taste, more like a mix of salty, and spicy with a hint of sweetness.
Using gochujang in Indian cuisine is rather easy as it uplifts any dish and adds complexity to the dish.
You can make use of gochujang paste if you wish to prepare a fancy egg omelette. You can also add a new layer of flavours to finger foods like French fries and chips or prepare noodles or sevaiyyan using this sauce.
Looking for inspiration? Try it in our Indian-style Tteokbokki recipe.
Sumac from the Middle East
This is a red spice predominantly used in Middle Eastern cuisines. It is prepared by pulverizing dried sumac berries. These berries when ripe are dried and dehydrated and then prepared into a red dry spice.
Taste-wise, it has a citrusy tart flavour. You can call it a lemony or fruity taste with a touch of earthy flavours. Despite its prominent red colour, the spice does not have a spicy taste.
It is used to prepare a popular ‘pink lemonade’ other than that, it is used to add some fruity flavour to Fattoush salad, to season meats and vegetables and is also added to hummus or any foods where you would want a hint of lemony tartness.
If you wish to incorporate sumac in Indian cooking you can also add it to lemonades, to sprinkle over fruit chats, fruit juices or as a topping for Indian-style salads or anywhere a tart texture is needed.
Za’atar from Lebanon
This is a very popular spice mix from Lebanon that has a light zesty, lemony flavour with a hint of nutty taste. The flavour profile will vary depending on the variations in the spices and their quantities.
Typically, Za’atar is prepared using main ingredients like thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt.
It is available in powdered or grainy form. Lebanese usually use Za’atar as a component in spreads like hummus, it is also sprinkled over flatbreads. People also add this to salad dressings, as a part of dips or even to season meats and vegetables.
If you would like to use Za’atar in your Indian cooking, it would be a great addition to dishes like various parathas, or even as a component in your curd-based raitas. You can even add this spice mix over some mildly flavoured tikka or kebabs as well.
Looking for inspiration? Try it in our Soya Zaatar Popcorn recipe.
5 Spice from China
This spice mix originates from Southern China, where this spice mix made of 5 spices was prepared to give a nod to 5 elements of nature, fire, wood, earth, metal and water.
The 5 ingredients are star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppers, peppercorns and cloves. The taste of this spice mix is mainly sweet, slightly spicy, and highly fragrant. It also has a peppery punch to it. This spice mix is not just delicious and adds new dimensions to the dish, it is also packed with antioxidants and has a great amount of minerals like copper, iron and manganese.
Traditionally this spice mix is used to rub on meats, especially the ones that are fatty, like pork, duck etc. It is also used as a sprinkle over deep-fried snacks.
To use the 5-spice powder in Indian cooking, you can use it as a sprinkle over pakoras, to sprinkle over tandoori chicken or tandoori paneer etc.
You can add it to your sandwiches or kathi rolls and give it a fusion twist. It also serves as a great marinade spice and can be used even while marinating meats or paneer. You can even prepare a unique dip using yoghurt and 5-spice mix, enjoy this dip with French fries, potato wedges etc.
Looking for inspiration? Try it in our Katsu Sando recipe.
Allspice from Southern & Central America
This name makes one assume it is a spice mix, but in reality, it is a single component, that includes a flavour profile that feels like a blend of many spices.
These are Indigenous to Southern and Central America, Allspice is prepared using dried berries and tastes like a blend of flavours as well as aromas of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. So this spice can easily be used as a replacement for the mentioned spices.
It has a warm sweet and peppery flavour. This spice is typically used to prepare marinades, and pickles.
To use this spice in Indian cooking one can even experiment with using this spice in desserts like using a pinch of this in halwas, gulab jamun etc. You can also use them while preparing simple fragrant basmati rice like peas pulao or jeera rice.
Peri Peri from Africa
This spice mix has become exceptionally popular in India and has already become a part of Indian fusion cooking. However, this spice originates from Africa, in fact, “Peri peri” in Swahili means, “Pepper Pepper” because of the combination of particular types of chillies, paprika, garlic, salt and a smoky spicy taste.
This was originally used to season meats of different kinds.
Peri Peri spice mix has already made a place for itself in Indian fusion cooking. You can use them to sprinkle over fries, and chips or even use them as a spice to use in burgers, pizzas, pasta or any other fusion recipe that has been adapted in India. It works very well in India, as Indians love high spice and high salty foods, and so adding a bit of Peri Peri spice mix to any dull dish can make it more palatable to Indian food habits.
Looking for inspiration? Try it in our Chicken Blossom Delight recipe.
Mexican Spice Mix from Mexico
This spice mix is prepared using a blend of commonly used Mexican spices, like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried oregano etc. The combinations may vary, but essentially the spice mix is used to season foods like tacos, burritos, quesadilla etc.
The best part of Mexican cuisine is that its flavours are on similar lines to Indian cuisine. And so Mexican spice mix can be used in many Indian cooking like the preparation of rolls, or even Indian Chaat, Sandwiches etc. You can even prepare delicious fried rice using various vegetables, rice and Mexican spice mix.