Masala Indian Cuisine
IN THE HEART
OF INDIA
. That is the spices. One of the symbolic and essential elements for the kitchens of India. Few know its history, production, and use. A world to discover and experience, in the kitchen of course.
The concept of Masala non è praticamente mai menzionato in Occidente; si tratta di una parola quasi ignota. Il termine curry (che deriva dal tamil cari e significa salsa) è universalmente conosciuto e per molti non è altro che il nome di una spezia, ma il curry è in realtà una miscela di spezie.
In breve: il curry è il masala.
It was the British who colonized the name, renaming it masala, curry..
Perhaps at the time they heard the word curry repeatedly to refer to one dish or another, and finding them all spicy, they must have deduced or preferred to define the spice by that name. In fact, "curry" is "the dish."
It is an ornamental plant commonly called the curry tree, which produces leaves with an intense aroma. They have herbal properties but are not normally used in cooking..
WHAT IS A MASALA?
It is therefore a blend of spices. First point: there is no single formulation. It would be enough to consider the extension of the Indian territory and its profound anthropological diversities, to understand how the formulas can multiply.
Finally, as in any kitchen everywhere, the personal touch of the cook or family tradition has a great influence on the realization, making each preparation unique.
There are tales of ancient Indian nobles who competed in having their cooks compose sophisticated masala to make the dishes offered on their tables more and more refined and unique
In principle, however, it can be said that in the composition of masala, there are some basic spices, to which specific variants are added and whose main variant is the different dosage. If we can talk about a classic formulation, here it is: first, turmeric. It is always and in any case the first ingredient in quantity and importance.
And then cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon. And then, for example, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, fenugreek (or asafoetida), chili pepper, and so on, in endless combinations.
These spices sometimes natural, sometimes lightly toasted are ground in the traditional stone mortar which consists of a rectangular or circular base on which they are ground by making a sort of rolling pin, also made of stone, called mussel slide..
SPICES FOR THE BODY AND SOUL
Savoring spiced food at the right point is obviously first of all the discovery of aromas and flavors and, therefore, pleasure and joy.
Spices as a spiritual gift, therefore, which give small ecstasies and enjoyments, crossing the soul understood as an immaterial part and body understood as a biological material that processes flavors.
Well-being, we could say in a word, and we would say nothing but a banality. Ayurveda is a philosophy of life in India, not just an ancient medical art whose goal is precisely that of living well.
E le ricette alimentari dell’Ayurveda riservano un grande posto al cibo e alle spezie da 5000 anni.
Medicinal Spices -
The Example of the TURMERIC wedding
Kitra, an Indian friend from Calcutta who has lived in Italy for a few years, listened to the story that a mutual friend made of a medical error. A common tale for our ears, unfortunately.
He said of a treatment assigned, then modified, then reassigned. A cocktail of different drugs which, however, after a year, did not solve the problem of what seemed to be just trivial back pain, even if very strong. On the other hand, that patient had acquired a beginning ulcer and severe headaches, which came and went according to the change of drugs.
GINGER, HOT AND BENEFICIAL SPICE
The Spice that heats BODY and SOUL
Anche oggi ci lasciamo guidare dalle parole di Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, autrice del bellissimo romanzo La strega delle spezie (Einaudi, 2005). Parliamo dell’incontro col magico zenzero, radice, anzi rizoma, di forme ostentate e contorsioni, che ci dona calore e vicinanza. Ottima spezia per il freddo invernale, ci sta vicino e solletica il nostro corpo e la nostra anima.
The Advice of AYURVEDIC Medicine
Ginger is the rhizome of a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, native to eastern Asia. In Ayurveda , ginger is considered the best natural remedy to harmonize Agni, the digestive power, thus improving digestion. Ginger is also an excellent anti- inflammatory, useful for example in joint pain .
