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Ginger
has been traditionally used to warm the body and aid digestion eg. Ginger Tea.
Garlic
is a natural antibiotic and a member of the onion family, it forms the base of marinades and most sauces in Indian cooking.
Onions
are used as a base for most curry sauces as a thickener, onions contain “Quercetin” which is a powerful antioxidant.
Turmeric
is a member of the ginger family and for hundreds of years has been used in India as an antiseptic, to treat cuts and open wounds. It is also used as a natural colour in many Indian dishes.
Cumin
is used in cooking all over the Indian sub-continent, it is often fried whole in hot oil or ground as part of a spice blend. Cumin has a great flavour and is often used in India as a digestive.
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Chillies
are used in Indian dishes in varying degrees for colour and heat. The spiciness of chili comes from a substance called capsaicin, which is mostly contained in the core (white part) of the chili and its seeds. Chilies are very high in vitamin C.
Cardamom
is one of the most aromatic and expensive spices in the world. It is used sparingly in spice blends and chewed on its own as a digestive after meals.
Coriander
seeds can be used whole or ground as part of a blend. Fresh coriander in leaf form can be used as a garnish and for flavouring but it has a totally different taste to the seed.
Asafoetida
is widely used when cooking spice, pulses and vegetable dishes. It has a very strong and unpleasant smell due to the presence of sulphur compounds, but once fried can be very pleasant. It is most commonly used in India as a digestive aid.
Cloves
It takes 8-10,000 cloves to make one kilo of ground spice. It is used in small quantities in garam masaala (widely used in North Indian cooking) as a warming spice. The most prominent use of clove oil is in dental care. The germicidal properties of the oil make it very effective for relieving dental pain, tooth ache, sore gums and mouth ulcers.