Wholesome ingredients

The happy yogi loves to learn about all things 'cooking'. These tips were found in a favourite book, Healing Spices by Bharat B. Aggarwal, PHD. The book also has wonderful information about the healing benefits of many spices.

Coriander

• To intensify aroma, roast coriander seeds before you grind them.
• Add whole or ground seeds to stews, marinades, casseroles and vinaigrettes.
• Sprinkle coriander on sautéed mushrooms.
• Add fresh coriander leaves to salad dressings or Vegenaise.
• Coarsely grind coriander and rub it into tofu or seitan before cooking.
• Mix coriander seeds with peppercorns in the peppermill you use at the stove.
• Create a Moroccan rub for your meat substitute: mix asafoetida, butter, paprika and coriander, and rub it on before cooking.

Pairs well with:

allspice, cardamom, clove, coconut, cumin, fennel seeds, ginger, sun-dried tomato, turmeric.

Cumin

• Make a glaze for vegetables by combining ½ cup cooking oil with ½ cup orange juice and 1 tbsp of ground cumin. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Use it as a flavouring in cheese sauces.
• Add roasted seeds to marinades.
• Use cumin to help spice up creamy dips. Add toasted seeds to lentils or rice pilaf.

Pairs well with:

ajowan, allspice, basil, black pepper, caraway, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, ginger, mustard seeds, oregano, pumpkin seeds, saffron, turmeric.

Curry Leaves

• Add fresh curry leaves to salads and salad dressings.
• Try them in chilli.
• Add a few fresh leaves to vegetable soup and add a fresh leaf to each bowl of soup.
• Use instead of bay leaf for a change of pace and taste.
• The citrus-like flavour of curry leaves makes them a natural for marinades.
• Add a leaf or two for pickling recipes.

Pairs well with:

allspice, chilli, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds.

Fennel seeds

• Mix a tablespoon of seeds into your favourite dough.
• Dry and crush toasted fennel seeds and steep them in tea.
• Sprinkle fennel seeds on top of muffins or cakes before baking.
• Add ground fennel to scrambled tofu.
• Add to fruit salads.
• Fennel also works well with tomatoes, olives and olive oil.

Pairs well with:

bay leaf, black cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fenugreek seeds, galangal, ginger, mustard seeds, rosemary, sun-dried tomato, tamarind, turmeric.

Ginger

• Make a Chinese dipping sauce with ¾ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger and ½ tbsp sesame oil.
• Grate fresh ginger and dried mint into melted butter and serve as a dipping sauce.
• Rub into tofu before cooking or grate fresh ginger over cooked tofu or noodles.
• Sprinkle ground ginger in apple sauce or use it in fruit pie fillings.

Pairs well with:

allspice, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, clove, coconut, coriander, cumin, curry leaves, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, parsley, sesame seeds, star anise, tamarind, turmeric, vanilla.

Horseradish

• Add a dollop of horseradish to potato salads, coleslaws and dips.
• Use it to give apple sauce a kick.
• Mix horseradish with sour cream and whip it into mashed potatoes.
• To make a cocktail sauce, mix equal parts of ketchup and horseradish. Add a few splashes of lemon juice.

Pairs well with:

basil, black pepper, celery seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, parsley, rosemary, sesame seeds, sun-dried tomato.

Lemon grass

• Cut the stalks coarsely and add them when steaming veggies.
• Use whole stalks as stirrers to put a touch of lemon in drinks or to intensify lemonade.
• Break 2 stalks into pieces and grind them with coriander seeds. Combine the ground spices with salt and brown sugar, and rub into veggie kebabs.
• Add to stews with a base of coconut milk.

Pairs well with:

black cumin seeds, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, clove, coconut, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, galangal, ginger, tamarind, turmeric.

Mustard seeds

• Add whole seeds to marinades for grilled foods.
• Toast mustard seeds and grated coconut, and sprinkle over steamed beans.
• Mustard seeds go with all the cruciferous vegetables. Fry in oil until they pop and sprinkle them over cooked cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens or mustard greens.
• Make mustard vinaigrette by combining 2 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of olive oil.

Pairs well with:

allspice, black cumin seeds, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, galangal, ginger, star anise, tamarind and turmeric.

Turmeric

• Add a teaspoon or two to stews.
• Add to fried cabbage.
• To optimise its cancer-fighting properties, add it to cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and watercress.
• Add to scrambled tofu for extra flavour and intense yellow colour.
• Heat turmeric in a little oil before adding liquid to make basmati rice.
• Use it as flavouring for stews and dishes using coconut milk.
• Blend it into butter and drizzle over cooked vegetables.
• Use it as a spice in dishes featuring lentils.

Pairs well with:

allspice, black pepper, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coconut, coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, galangal, ginger, mustard seeds, sun-dried tomatoes.