Sri Lankan Spices by Curry Mad

Sri Lankan Spices by Curry Mad

Allspice

Allspice also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, pimento, English pepper, newspice, is a spice that is the dried unripe fruitberries of Pimenta dioica, a mid-canopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. The name allspice was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of cinnamon, and cloves

Allspice

Cardamoms – Enasaal

have a strong fragrance and should not be used excessively. It is one of the finest, also one of the most expensive spices, It is a pod as a whole containing clusters of seeds. The Black cardamom is Large cardamom, Amomum subulatum; The colour of matured fresh large cardamom is pink and this colour can be retained as such (pink) if the fresh cardamom is cured by flue pipe curing system; but the local farmers cure it by smoking in Bhatti curing system and the pink colour of fresh capsule turns to black and hence black cardamom (kala vala in Hindi).


CardamomsBlack and green cardamom seed pods

Chili Pepper

The chili pepper (also chile pepper or chilli pepper, from Nahuatl is the fruit of plants from the genusCapsicum members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without Chili peppers originated in the Americas. After the many cultivars of chili pepper spread across the world, used in both food and medicine. These chili peppers arrived in Asia by the hand of the Portuguese navigators during the 16th century. India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of chili peppers. Among which Guntur Andhra Pradesh produces 30% of all the chilies produced in India, and the state of Andhra Pradesh contributes to 75% of all the chilli exports from India.Chili-Pepper

 

Variety of chili grown in India

Kurundu/Cinnamon

The outer bark of the cinnamon tree has a sweet taste. Cinnamon is used in most curries broken up into small pieces, or even ground. Cinnamon (disambiguation) Cinnamon sticks or quills and ground cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods. While Cinnamomum verum is sometimes considered to be true cinnamon, most cinnamon in international commerce is derived from related species, which are also referred to as “cassia” to distinguish them from true cinnamon. Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees and the commercial spice products that some of them produce. All are members of the genus Cinnamomum in the family Lauraceae. Only a few of them are grown commercially for spice.

Kurundu

Karabunattie/Cloves

Karabunattie

The unopened flower buds of the clove tree. Once again is to be used discreetly. Cloves are also used as a cure for toothaches. This article is about the spice. Binomial name Syzygium aromaticum Cloves are the aromatic dried of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world. Cloves are harvested primarily in Indonesia India Madagascar,
Zanzibar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They have a numbing effect on mouth tissues. The clove tree is an evergreen that grows to a height ranging from 8;12 m, having large leaves and sanguine flowers in numerous groups of terminal clusters. The flower buds are at first of a pale color and gradually become green, after which they develop into a bright red, when they are ready for collecting. Cloves are harvested when 1.5;2;cm long, and consist of a long calyx terminating in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals which form a small ball in the center.

Kotthamalli/ Coriander

Kotthamalli

The ripe seeds are quite extensively used in Lankan cooking, and is the basis of a good ‘curry powder’. The seeds are usually freshly ground before use. Boiled in water it is also quite popular, and an effective cure, for the common cold, flu and coughs. For other uses, see Coriander (disambiguation). redirects here. It is not to be confused with the related herb also known as Mexican coriander & Chinese parsley&; redirects here. Chinese parsley may also refer to the unrelated herb Heliotropium curassavicum. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley or dhania, is an herb in the family Apiaceae

Suduru/ Cumin

Suduru

A powerful spice in dried seed form is best stored whole and ground as required. It is one of the components of a Curry Powder Cumin “Geerah”; redirects here. For a unit of measurement, Not to be confused with curcumin. For Irish saints of this name, see Cumméne. Cumin or UK US sometimes spelled cummin; Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds (each one contained within a fruit, which is dried) are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form. Cumin seeds

Karapincha Curry Leaves

Karapincha
The small flowers are white and fragrant. Ripe and unripe fruits Produces a distinct flavour in curries and most Lankan dishes. Can be bought either fresh or dried, and if not readily available, a good substitute is Bay Leaves. This article is about Murraya koenigii, a tree which produces an aromatic leaf often used in Indian cuisine. For the European plant sometimes referred to as Curry Plant, Species:
M. koenigii
Murraya koenigii
The curry tree Murraya koenigii is a tropical to tree Rutaceae, which is native to India and Sri Lanka. Its leaves are used in many dishes in India and neighbouring countries. Often used in curries, the leaves generally called by the name “curry leaves”, though they are also translated as “;sweet neem leaves” in most Indian languages (as opposed to ordinary leaves which are bitter).

Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India It is a small tree, growing . The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet They are highly aromatic. The flowers are small, white, and fragrant. The small black shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous.citation needed. The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking, especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada rasam and kadhi In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life, and they don’t keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior The leaves of Murraya koenigii are also used as a Ayurvedic medicine. They are believed to possess anti- diabetic properties. Although most commonly used in curries, leaves from the curry tree can be used in many other dishes to add flavor. In Cambodia, Khmer toast the leaves in open flame or roasted it to a crunch and crushed it into a soured soup dish called Maju Krueng. In the absence of tulsi leaves, curry leaves are used for rituals and pujas.

Fennel

Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists). It is a member of the familyApiaceae (formerly the Umbelliferae). It is a hardy, perennial umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and uses and, along with the similar-tasting , is one of the primary ingredients of absinthecitation needed Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable. Fennel in flower

Uluharl Fenugreek

Uluharl

A brown seed is used to produce a thickening effect in curries. It has a rather unpleasant scent and should be used sparingly. Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop, and especially its seeds are a common ingredient in dishes from the Indian Subcontinent. in Sinhala.

Galangal

Galangal

Kaempferia galanga

Galangal rhizome ready to be prepared for cooking Galangal (also known as galingale galanga, blue ginger, Thai Ginger, and Laos; Indonesian/Malay: lengkuas (Alpinia galanga); with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. The rhizomes are used in various Asian cuisines throughout Indonesian cuisine for example, in soto. Though it is related to and resembles ginger, there is little similarity in taste. In its raw form, Galangal have a stronger taste than common ginger. They are available as a whole rhizome, cut or powdered. The whole fresh rhizome is very hard, and slicing it requires a sharp knife. A mixture of Galangal and lime juice is used as a tonic in parts of Southeast Asia. In the Indonesian language, the greater Galangal and lesser Galangal are both called lengkuas or Laos , while Kaempferia galanga is known as kencur. It is also known as galanggal, and somewhat confusingly galingale, which is also the name for several plants of the unrelated Cyperus genus of sedges (also with aromatic rhizomes). The word galangal, or its variant galanga, can refer in common usage to four plant species all in the Zingiberaceae
(ginger family):

Galangal Goraka Gamboge

Galangal-Goraka-Gamboge

is essentially a souring agent in any preparation. It is the black kidney shaped internal part of the yellow- brown fruit that is delicious to eat, before it fully ripens.

Binomial name Garcinia gummi-gutta Garcinia gummi-gutta Garcinia native to Indonesia Common names include garcinia cambogia (a former scientific name), as well as Gamboge, brindleberry, brindall berry, Malabar tamarind, assam fruit, vadakkan puli (northern tamarind) kudam puli (pot tamarind). This fruit looks like a small pumpkin and is green to pale yellow in color. It has recently received considerable media attention because of its purported effects on weight loss, although there is no clinical evidence to support this claim.

Garlic

Garlic

Binomial name Allium sativum Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Its close relatives include the With a history of human use of over 7,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent seasoning in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It was known to Ancient Egyptians, and has been used for both medicinal purposes.

Inguru/Ginger

Galangal Inguru
Binomial name Ginger or ginger root is the Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacymedicine, or It lends its name to its genus and family Zingiberaceae Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric cardamom and galangal. The distantly related Asarum genus have the common name wild ginger because of their similar taste. Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to East Africa and the Caribbean
Horseradish
Horseradish Sections of roots of the horseradish plant

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. Cochlearia armoracia) is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family (which also includes mustard wasabi broccoli and cabbage. The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. It is now popular around the world. It grows up to 1.5;meters (5 feet) tall, and is cultivated primarily for its large, white,
tapered root. The intact horseradish root has hardly any aroma. When cut or grated, however, enzymes from the now-broken plant cells break down sinigringlucosinolate to produce mustard oil, which irritates the mucous membranes of the sinuses and eyes. Once exposed to air (via grating) or heat, if not used immediately or mixed in vinegar, the grated mash darkens, loses its pungency, and becomes unpleasantly bitter-tasting. Foliage of the horseradish plant

Lemongrass

Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a ‘grass’ with a strong smell and taste of lemon. It is used for flavouring; can be dried and stored for future use. Resembles Citronella grass in appearance only.

Lemon grass plant
Cymbopogon (lemongrass) is a genus of about 45 species of grasses, (of which the type species is Cymbopogon citratus, a natural and soft tea anxiolyticcitation needed native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World and Oceania. It is a tall grass. Common names include lemongrass, lemongrass, barbed wiregrass, silky heads, citronellagrass, cha de Dartigalongue, fevergrass, tanglad, hierba Luisa, or gavati chaha, amongst many others. Citronella grass grows to about 2 m (about 6.5;ft) and has magenta colored base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as an insect repellent especially mosquitoes in insect sprays and candles, and in aromatherapy, which is famous in Bintan Island Indonesia and the Philippines.

Lemon grass oil, used as a pesticide and preservative, is put on the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts found in India as a preservative. It is used at the Oriental Research Institute Mysore the French Institute of Pondicherry the Association for the Preservation of the Saint Thomas Christian Heritage in Kerala and many other manuscript collections in India. The lemon grass oil also injects natural fluidity into the brittle palm leaves, and the hydrophobic nature of the oil keeps the manuscripts dry so that the text is not lost to decay due to humidity. East Indian lemon grass Cymbopogon flexuosus is native to Cambodia, VietnamIndiaSri LankaBurma, While both can be used interchangeably, C. citratus is more suitable for cooking. In India, C. citratus is used both as a medical herb and in perfumes. C. citratus is consumed as a tea for anxiety in Brazilian folk medicine, but a study in humans found no effect

The tea caused a recurrence of dermatitis in one case. It has medicinal properties and is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It is supposed to help with relieving cough and nasal congestion.

Mace

Mace may refer to:
Mace (spice), a spice similar to nutmeg

Ubba Mustard

Ubba-Mustard
Sri Lankan mustard is known as Black Mustard and is almost certainly used in pickles, chutneys and in some other preparations.
Brassica nigra (black mustard Kali Mohari ) is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds, which are commonly used as a spice Description The plant is believed to be native to the southern Mediterranean region of Europe and possibly South Asia where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. The spice is generally made from ground seeds of the plant, with the seed coats removed. The small (1 mm) seeds are hard and vary in color from dark brown to black. They are flavorful, although they have almost no aroma. The seeds are commonly used in Indian cuisine for example in curry, where it is known as rai. The seeds are usually thrown into hot oil or ghee, after which they pop, releasing a characteristic nutty flavor. The seeds have a significant amount of fatty oil. This oil is used often as cooking oil in India. Ground seeds of the plant mixed with honey are widely used in eastern Europe as cough suppressant. In Eastern Canada, the use of mouche de moutarde to treat respiratory infections was popular before the advent of modern medicine. It consisted in mixing ground mustard seeds with flour and water, and creating a cataplasm with the paste.
This cataplasm was put on the chest or the back and left until the person felt a stinging sensation. The plant itself can grow from two to eight feet tall, with racemes of small yellow flowers. These flowers are usually up to 1/3″ across, with four petals each. The leaves are covered in small hairs; they can wilt on hot days, but recover at night. Since the 1950s, black mustard has become less popular as compared to India mustard because some cultivars of India mustard have seeds that can be mechanically harvested in a more efficient manner.

Sardhika/Nutmeg

Sardhika

The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas (or Spice Islands) of Indonesia. The nutmeg tree is important for two spices derived from the fruit nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the seed of the tree, roughly egg-shaped and about 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 in) long and 15 to 18 mm (0.6 to 0.7 in) wide, and weighing between 5 and 10 g (0.2 and 0.4 oz) dried, while mace is the dried “lacy” reddish covering or aril of the seed. The first harvest of nutmeg trees takes place 7& 9 years after planting, and the trees reach full production after 20 years. Nutmeg is usually used in powdered form. This is the only tropical fruit that is the source of two different spices. Several other commercial products are also produced from the trees, including essential oils, extracted oleoresins, and nutmeg butter. It also grows in Kerala a state in southern India. Other species of nutmeg include Papuan nutmeg M. argentea from New Guinea and M. malabarica from India.

Kaha Saffron

Kaha
Saffron crocus

is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Saffron’s taste and iodoform- or hay-like fragrance result from the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, which imparts a rich title=”Saffron (color)”>golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles. Its recorded history is attested in a 7th-century BC Assyrian botanical treatise compiled under Ashurbanipal and it has been traded and used for over four millennia. Iran now accounts for approximately 90% of the world production of saffron.

Symbala Tamarind

Symbala-Tamarind
As it ripens on the tree is once again used for adding acid to a dish. Comes off large trees in a sort of pod form with the seeds encased in a pulpy substance. Only the dried tamarind is used in curries, sambols and other Lankan foods. Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) (from Arabic: romanized tamar hindi, “Indian date”) is a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The tamarind tree produces edible, pod-like fruit which are used extensively in cuisines around the world. Other uses include traditional medicines and metal polishes. The wood can be used in carpentry. Because of the tamarind’s many uses, cultivation has spread
around the world in tropical and subtropical zones.

Turmeric

Turmeric
Produces an aromatic flavour and is usually used, and available, in powdered form. It is used as a condiment in Sri Lankan cooking. Turmeric is yellow in colour and used for adding colour to dishes. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.tropical Indian Subcontinent and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C (68 °F and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes and propagated from some of those rhizomes in the following season. When not used fresh, the rhizomes are boiled for several minutes (about 30 – 45 minutes) and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in Indian cuisine and even curries, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments Its active ingredient is and it has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustardy smell. Curcumin has been a centre of attraction for potential treatment of an array of diseases, including cancerAlzheimer’s disease diabetes allergies arthritis and other chronic illnesses.
Turmeric field in an Indian village

One Comment

  • Manoj
    December 17, 2017

    Information on your webpage are wrong.kaha is not safron.maze is calked wasawasi.galangal is called “ingurupiyali” in sri lanka.you should have done extensive research before writing these misleading information.