How to make it 🔪
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Recipe 📖
You will find a Masala Dabba or Spice Box similar to the one in the picture above in nearly every Indian kitchen. It usually is filled with whole and/or ground spices that are used in everyday cooking. Having it in one box makes it easily accessible. These boxes are completely customizable based on your cooking needs.Â
It is very cost-effective because you can make it in bulk. Free from preservatives and artificial color. You know exactly what goes into it. Homemade spice mixes always are fresher and more aromatic. They are super easy to make and take just 15 minutes of your time.
It has a citrusy flavor with a slight sweetness and a hint of earthiness but is milder in terms of heat. Cilantro/Dhaniya powder is made by grinding roasted coriander seeds. It is one of the widely used spice mixes in Indian cuisine. We use the leaves, powder, and seeds in many of our curry blends and chutneys as it adds a pleasant fragrance. No wonder, Cilantro is considered an aromatic herb and is a favorite garnish in Asian cooking. Its flavor is best described as a pleasant mix of parsley with citrus undertones. Cilantro powder has a cooling effect on the body and is also helpful in improving poor appetite and increasing blood circulation. Coriander seeds need to be stored properly in airtight jars in a cool, dry part of the kitchen. They can stay fresh for almost a year and cilantro powder can keep for two to six months. Cumin is known as jeera in Hindi and hence ground cumin is referred to as jeera powder or bhuna (means roasted) jeera powder. We use whole and powdered seeds extensively in our Asian cooking. In fact, cumin seeds are used for tempering and are usually the first things added to oil along with mustard seeds to crackle. This is done so that the flavors infuse well in the oil. Unlike cumin seeds, roasted ground cumin can be added at any time to a recipe as its flavor doesn’t need heat to be released. The nutty flavor gives the dish a unique flavor. Apart from cooking it also has many health and medicinal benefits as well. It aids in digestion, great for weight loss, is rich in vitamin E, and has anti-aging properties.Â
I must tell you that the taste of a dish with freshly ground cumin and dhaniya powder is heavenly! Use it in any recipe that calls for coriander-cumin powder. It tastes great in curries, gravies, salads, stir-fries, rice dishes, stews, soups, raita, dips, chaat, drinks, etc. Cumin powder is also used in other cuisines. If you are making something Mexican like Enchilada Casserole, or Mexican rice, add this cumin powder. Both cumin and coriander powder are of course used extensively in Indian cuisine to make curries like Chana Palak, Mutter Paneer, Mirchi Ka Salan, etc. I also add them when making Indian curry pasta and Buttermilk Popsicles! Cumin powder can be used as a substitute for cilantro powder or vice versa. But it will not be an exact replacement. Sometimes you can also add other spices like cloves, poppy seeds, curry leaves, and bay leaf to this Indian spice mix. There is no need to roast them though. Also, ensure the blender is clean and dry (contains no moisture) before adding the roasted spices.
