If you are looking for something that will make your food tempting, then spices & herbs are a total game-changer. Spices are full of antioxidants, which are great for your health. These can add a plethora of flavour profiles to any dish. T
he best part is that you can relish your favourite food without worrying about spice calories.
Imagine! How easy would it be if you could grow these spices at home? This article provides you with a brief into the nitty-gritty of Top 10 Spices & Herbs and how you can select your favourite.
1. Black Pepper: Antioxidants Power Package
Buy Piper Nigrum or Kali Mirch
We all are aware of our very own kalimirch. It is a spice that is mostly used in our day-to-day cooking. It’s a hot spice and has an overpowering smell. It is also called Piper Nigrum.
Kali Mirch is a must for curries, especially in an Indian kitchen. You all must have seen black pepper as a table condiment in restaurants. It is mostly sprinkled onto the food as seasoning due to its sharp taste profile.
Do you remember your grandmother giving you kali mirch mixed with honey when you get a cough or cold? It is because of the miraculous medicinal properties of black pepper. It is used to cure cough and cold due to its anti-asthmatic properties.
Whenever you are suffering from digestive ailments, kali mirch works wonders. Black pepper manages diarrhoea due to its anti-diarrhoeal properties.
2. Badi Elaichi: A Warm Spice to Touch your Soul
Buy Elaichi Plant
Badi elaichi is another flavourful spice used to intensify the taste of your food. It is brown/black in colour and falls in the warm category of spices. Badi elaichi is in the form of seed pods. One can crush it or use it ground. It is also said to relate to the ginger family of spices and is native to the Indian Subcontinent and Indonesia.
Badi Elaichi has a minty aroma. It adds a tinge of smokiness to the flavour. You can add this to enhance the flavour of soups and curries. This spice can be used in savoury Indian dishes like dal, rice, and even in your biryani.
In Ayurveda, Badi Elaichi is known to treat coughs and colds. Black cardamom helps to melt down the accumulated cough. Due to the hot properties of cardamom, it is consumed in winters by adding in tea.
The incredible medicinal properties of this spice make it a life-saver for people suffering from breathlessness or asthma. The hot nature of this spice helps to melt or eject extra sputum from the lungs.
3. Kadi Patta: Main Ingredient for Tadkas
Buy Kadi Patta or Meetha Neem - Plant
Kadi Patta is a ubiquitous herb used in Indian culinary world. These originate from the leaves of the curry tree (Murraya Koenigii). This versatile herb is also referred to as Sweet Neem.
Kadi Patta is mostly used in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. It has a refreshing smell and a strong taste. It is used in tempering for dishes like dal, rice, and curries.
Adding kadi patta in your diet lowers down your cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart diseases.Kadi patta is high on fibre and thus boosts your digestion. It helps treat diarrhoea and nausea.
4. Kabab Chini: All the Way from Jamaica
Buy Allspice
Kabab Chini also called as Allspice, does not mean a blend of spices. It is a sophisticated Jamaican spice. Allspice is also known as Jamaican pepper and is used to enhance the flavours of savoury dishes of American and Caribbean cuisines.
Allspice has a taste of combined flavours of hot spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper. It is also used in baking.
Allspice is used to cure heavy menstrual flow, obesity, indigestion, high blood pressure, cold, and cough. It also improves your oral health and makes your gum strong.
5. Choti Elaichi: A Sweet-Piney Spice
Buy Choti Elaichi - Plant
Choti Elaichi is a spice that belongs to the southern part of India. It is used in the form of seeds. These small seed pods impart immense flavour to dishes.
It is a common spice used in Indian households. Choti Elaichi is a spice used in both sweet and savoury dishes. You must have seen your mother using it in making garam masala or biryani. Masala chai is the most loved beverage of India, and green cardamom is the primary ingredient to add flavour to your tea.
Are you also annoyed by bad breath? Choti Elaichi is a fantastic spice that refreshes your breath. Chew some cardamom, and you are good to go!Choti Elaichi has antibacterial properties that treat infections.
6. DalChini: An Aromatic Condiment
Buy Dalchini Plant
Dal Chini or Cinnamon bark originated from the inner bark of the tree species called Cinnamomum. It has a sweet aroma and is a powerhouse of antioxidants.
This spice is also used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is used in pies, beverages like tea, coffee and smoothies. This spice makes your food appetising.
Incorporating Dal chini in your diet can improve your digestion and your gut health.Dal chini has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that boost your immunity. The essential oils of this plant help in relaxing tight muscles and joint pain.
7. Laung: A Staple of Your Kitchen
Buy Laung - Plant
Laung is basically the flower buds of the clove tree. This spice is native to Maliku Islands in Indonesia. It can be used in both ground and whole forms.
Ground form of Laung has an intense flavour and an overpowering aroma. This is a common component for your garam masalas. It makes your soups, meats, and rice dishes tasty.
Clove oil is the best remedy for oral problems. It is used to relieve toothache.
Laung can improve your liver and stomach health.
8. Hing: Best for Indigestion
Buy Hing or Asafoetida - Plant
Hing or Asafoetida is a spice with an acidic pungent smell. Hing is mainly grown in India and is used as a flavour enhancer in Indian dishes. This spice is exceptionally fragrant; its flavour enhances when used with ghee or butter.
Hing is used in increasing the flavour of delicate dishes. This flavourful spice is used for tempering in dals. Keep a lighter hand while using it, as it is quite strong.
Hing is a source of antioxidants and aids in digestion. It also helps lower blood sugar level and can hinder the growth of acne on the skin due to its anti-bacterial properties.
9. Jaiphal: A Strong Exotic Spice
Buy Jai Phal or Nut Meg
This exotic spice is originally from Indonesia but cultivated in India, it’s leaves are dark green in colour, and the upper surface of the leaves is shiny. Jaiphal or nutmeg is a primary source of many essential oils. It is also a source of spice mace. This sweet spice can be used in ground or powdered form.
Jaiphal has a distinctive aroma and a slightly sweet taste. It might be overwhelming for some people as it is quite strong. It is used in Garam masala and as a seasoning to your coffee. This sweet spice can be used in cheese sauces, pies, kheer and much more.
Jaiphal promotes healthy skin and improves oral health.The essential oil made from this spice alleviates depression and boosts brain health.
10. Haldi: The Golden Spice
Buy Haldi - Plant
Haldi or Turmeric is termed as the most powerful spice of all. It belongs to the ginger family of plants. The leaves of the turmeric plant are large and green. This plant needs a sunny spot to survive. Provide suitable conditions, and it will thrive beautifully. It is also perennial in nature.
Usage in food
Turmeric leaves are mainly used in Goan, Indonesian and Thai cuisines for preparing pickles, soups, curries, and many more dishes.
Health benefits
Do you know why your mothers emphasise on drinking turmeric milk? Because it has an abundance of health benefits. The anti-inflammatory properties of this spice relieve digestive and intestinal ailments. It also has antiseptic properties. It has anti-bacterial,anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.
Conclusion
We hope that this blog could give you an insight into the abundant health benefits of having different spices & herbs plants. Do you want to spice things up in your kitchen while revamping your garden? Then, Check out our website to buy your favourite spices & herbs plants to bring out the flavours of your food while keeping fit.
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