Last week I treated myself
to a traditional Indian masala — or spice — box.
The spices I filled it with join together in a work of art,
a glorious interplay of vibrant colour, texture and shapes.
And oh, the fragrance — performance art at its best.
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Share we take a tour of my personal Spice Route?
Let’s start with Red Chili Powder, king of the spices,
followed by versatile cumin seeds for earthy warmth.
Now the exotic deep golden hue of turmeric,
next to playful mustard seeds that pop and jump in the pan.
The green pods of cardamom, queen of the spices,
and oblong coriander seeds both offer exotic flavour.
And in the centre, intensely carroty in flavour, jet black kalonji.
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Such pleasure it is to remove the lid from the box
and dip into the treasures within.
I am so happy you are enjoying your Indian spice box! It’s so beautiful to look at and very healthy too!
Bhupinder
@BhuDeo
Thank you! It makes me happy each time I open it 😊
How wonderful this is Marlene! Indian food is very popular in the UK, my hubby especially adores it 🙂
Thank you, Sherri. For spices as for dresses: the right accessories make all the difference 😊. Actually, I interviewed the owner of the spice store for an article I’m writing, and he said one of his client groups are British people who were used to eating Indian food back home. It sounds like your hubby has lots of company!
Yes, that’s so true Marlene!
How interesting! Yes, I didn’t eat Indian food when in California (had to get used to Mexican food, which I do love now btw!) so when I came back to the UK I had no idea what any of the dishes were in an Indian restaurant. Had to rely on hubby, but luckily he knows what is what!!! It is very popular with the Brits 🙂
Kalonji is actually onion seeds. I love them on hot ghee and fry potatoes in them. And it goes very well with mustard and fish. 🙂
Ah, perhaps a debate is brewing! My reference book says kalonji (or nigella) is often called onion seeds, but in fact isn’t. I’m certainly not an expert in this, so I defer to your greater experience with these spices. All I know is that they’re delicious and very pretty too. I agree, they’re great with potatoes.
I’ve been going through my spices, Mar, ditching the oldest and replacing those that I rarely use with newfound loves. Your masala box is a great idea and so convenient. I should try something similar, since I’m working on my spices anyway. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
I need to go through my spices too, John. My masala box looks so nice, but the truth is I have another big container full of Indian spices, plus a drawer full of other spices, and more in other containers. In other words, spices all over the place. Some nice and fresh and some forgotten by time, LOL. Time to clean it all up! You’ve inspired me.
Great post
Your described by spice box perfect…it does look like a work of art with its bright colors and textures. 🙂
I think the most simple things are often the most lovely to behold.
I totally agree.
Gorgeous
Thank you — such pleasure for so little effort (or expense!).
[…] is now Kalonji. If you’ve been following my Indian-inspired cooking posts (for example, here and here), you’ll know that the jet black kalonji seeds have an intense carrot flavour; […]