spices

Turmeric Powder
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family. Turmeric is used as a colouring agent as well as for flavour. Known for its high carcumin (colour property) content. Almost all Indian dishes contain at least a dash of turmeric. Turmeric is a very healthy spice. The spice contains unique aromatic characteristics. Turmeric also has therapeutic properties. Turmeric comes from the dried roots of a curcuma longaspices plant, grows in India and china. A dash of turmeric in hot buttered milk is very soothing for sore throats.

Black Pepper Powder
Fine ground, highly aromatic pepper is acclaimed for its superb flavour and bite. These 'bold' berried peppers are sourced from the erstwhile shipping port 'Allepey' - a Southern district of Kerala. Considered "the King of Spices", black pepper ( Piper nigrum L.) is whole dried fruit of the plant while white pepper is dried seed after removing the pericarp of berries. About 90 per cent of the produce is marketed in the form of black pepper and the rest as green pepper for pickling or processed as dehydrated pepper. Oil and oleoresin from pepper are being extracted by an increasing number of processing units. Black pepper is native to India; the evergreen forests of the Malabar Coast of Southern India are considered the centre of origin.

Ginger Powder
Ginger Powder is fine-ground, light yellow, Cochin ginger- renowned for its subtle lemon like aroma and sharp, biting flavour. It is sourced from the port of Cochin of Kerala's famed Malabar Coast. Once you find ginger creeping into your cooking, you will be surprised at the subtle way it has of incorporating itself into more and more of your culinary repertoire.

Coriander powder
A perfect blend of garden-fresh aroma and natural green colour. This variety is widely used to give Indian curries its distinct curry flavour. Coriander powder adds freshness to the many spicy dished used in India. The flavor complements many foods and never masks the presence of other ingredients. In ancient Indian texts coriander is supposed to have diuretic properties. Coriander is an annual herb native to Western Asia. Powdered coriander kept for long loses its freshness and gets a woody taste

Ginger in brine
The best fresh ginger has smooth, unblemished skin. It should be hard and break cleanly with a snap. Fresh ginger will keep for a week at room temperature and for a month in the fridge. Pickled ginger is fresh ginger that's been brined. More and more supermarkets are carrying pickled ginger, and you'll always find it at Asian markets.

Cardamom
One of the most ancient spices, Cardamom is highly valued (it is the third expensive spice after saffron and vanilla). It is a constant ingredient in Indian cooking and can enhance both sweet and savory tastes. It is used to mellow the flavour of tea/coffee and also has much medicinal value.

Cinnamon
It is the dried bark of Laureceae family tree. The heavenly oil present in the spice contains Cinnamic Aldehyde and Bugenol - has antiseptic and anti-myopic value. It is delicately fragrant, slight sweet and lose the fragnance once ground. It is used in both sweet and savory dishes, rice dishes, chocolate deserts, cakes, and drinks and to flavor ale and wine.
Like other aromatics, the effects of cinnamon are stimulating, carminative, and tonic; but it is mostly used as an addition to other remedies than as a remedy itself.

Malabar Tamarind (Garcinia combogia)
Tamarind has been reported to be native to India. It is a much-valued food ingredient in many Asian and Latin American recipes. The sour and fruity taste of Tamarind merges well with the heat of chilies and gives South Indian dishes their hot and sour character and their dark colour.