Health is an undeniable need.
In the fast-paced world and living a sedentary lifestyle, health goes unnoticed for some reason. Yet, the power of Indian foods is its natural infusion of earthy flavours, giving the nutritional and health benefits that one deserves to live their life to the fullest.
Once upon a time, Indian tradition was rooted in grandmother’s home-prepared medicines, which are continued in every Indian household till today.
For instance, if a child is suffering from a sore throat, the first medicine he or she gets from their mother or grandmother is ‘Haldi milk’. Likewise, if you ever catch a cold, it is going to be a leafy concoction of Tulsi or spicy garlic-embedded vegetable soup.
To sum up, every Indian herb and spice is a medicine indeed. Despite the distance, even Indian immigrants living in Canada still hold on to these traditions.
Thereby, counting from Ayurvedic wisdom to modern science, spices hold their significance in not only boosting your health but also improving the overall well-being for generations.
Let’s take a deep dive into some of our star spices and how they improve overall health.
1. Cinnamon
It is a soothing blanket that you would never know your body had been craving for such a long time. Cinnamon, is an instant mood buster and an instant comforter that can easily creep into that favourite Masala chai. Moreover, the fragrant cinnamon is a natural aromatherapy.
Health benefits
- Helps you maintain your blood sugar level in control.
- Being high in antioxidants, it promotes healthy heart functioning.
- It also aids in cutting down your cholesterol levels.
- Moreover, it also reduces inflammation.
How to taste it?
You can infuse cinnamon into some of the finger-licking Biryani, Pulao and other festival delicacies.
2. Turmeric
An indispensable item in our kitchens, which has its undeniable presence across all dishes. Not only it is a valuable ingredient acting as the best flavouring agent, but it is also considered a one-teaspoon blessing, adding a multitude of health benefits, among the most dominant being boosting your immunity levels.
Health benefits
- Through the presence of its active compound curcumin, it helps mitigate inflammation.
- Being a natural antioxidant, it also aids in supporting heart and liver functions.
- Soothes and eases out the joint pain.
- Helps in promoting overall vitality and is an energizer.
How to taste?
It is a natural blender that goes well with any type of dish. Starting from your morning herbal tea to your dinner khichdi or soups.
3. Cardamom
More than just a spice, Cardamom is an unforgettable feeling and an experience. A fragrant spice that gently transports you onto the path of nostalgia of being back in your mom’s kitchen, sharing life stories, and sipping your Elaichi chai. Being recalled as a queen of spice, cardamom speaks for its value of bringing an unbeatable aroma into every recipe.
Health benefits
- It relieves you from digestive problems like bloating and acidity.
- It is an instant mood lifter when you consume it in your Haldi milk.
- Cardamom keeps your breath fresh after consuming each meal.
- Rich in antioxidants, it keeps your heart health intact.
How to taste?
From your evening Masala chai to every Festive kheer or Gulab Jamun, cardamom is a perfect infusion, making all your recipes taste and feel better.
4. Ginger
A culinary ritual that is hard to replace, ginger offers multi-purpose benefits, and hence it is more than an active ingredient. With the sharp zing, Adrak releases a hard-to-miss aroma that just fills your kitchen once you grate a few pieces into your morning tea. It perfectly integrates and elevates the taste with every sabzi, dal or even the favourite Channa dal.
Health Benefits
- It is your granny’s prescription to treat cold and sore throats.
- It guards against diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
- It also helps to reduce inflammation.
- It relieves morning sickness, bloating and other digestion-related problems.
How to taste it?
A fiery spice which has to be kept in balance in all your recipes, like in the famous Adrak Wali chai or Rasam or even in the Dal and vegetable sabzi.
5. Fenugreek
A low-in-tone, golden-coloured spice, fenugreek is a bittersweet spice that has the capability of turning your breakfast Thepla into an instant health boost. Likewise, these tiny seeds prevent you from encountering digestive disorders while you consume any kind of food. With an earthy flavour and a slightly bitter taste, fenugreek seeds transfer centuries of ancient wisdom and impart them into your health journey.
Health Benefits
- Enriched in fibres, it is a natural way of inducing weight loss.
- It can help alleviate menstrual cramps and pain.
- It helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Aids with the kidney and liver function.
How to taste?
Fenugreek can be used in versatile forms. Having predominantly consumed in the form of ‘Methi’, starting from your Methi Paratha, Kasthuri Methi Paneer, it is also added in the powder form and tossed into your tangy dal or sambhar.
6. Pepper
The raw and rusty spice adds more heat to your hot Indian recipes. To all those spicy lovers, a tinge of kali mirchi can turn your simple recipes into a much bold and brighter flavour. Especially when you are down with a temperature or cold, pepper-infused soups or even a steaming rasam come to your rescue. Not only it does instantly warm up your system, but it also enhances your nutrient absorption rate.
Health Benefits
- It is a natural metabolism booster.
- It enhances your immune system.
- Due to its active compound, Piperine, it alleviates inflammation.
- It also improves your digestion process.
How to taste?
It can be easily grounded and mixed with your masala, from which it can be easily transferred into your recipes. Apart from that, it can be sprinkled on your soups, Rasam and Egg Bhurji. With the right proportion, the taste switches from ordinary to extraordinary.
Such recipes can now be received at your doorstep, with some of the leading Indian Tiffen centres in Canada, like Meal Maven, who are specifically renowned for serving you with many hot and punchy South Indian food items.
7. Garlic
In every Indian household, Garlic is still a ritual and a remedy. Beyond its bold and pungent smell, garlic holds the family together through its irresistible aroma. It is how the family is alarmed that something is cooking up when the oil sizzles on the pan and the garlic ginger paste is tossed aside. It serves as a base for all your tadkas, and masalas.
Health Benefits
- It is a natural powerhouse possessing anti-bacterial and antiviral properties.
- It fights the common cold and any kind of seasonal infections.
- Garlic also aids in regulating blood pressure.
- It also acts as an immunity booster.
How to taste?
It forms the base of every Indian dal and curry. It can be easily crushed and added into your gravies, or chutneys through which the taste gets enhanced. Moreover, it can also be used for its external applications as a paste to enhance healing.
Especially if you are residing outside India in a place like Canada and missing the magic of garlic-infused recipes, you will be surprised as Indian Tiffen centres, Toronto with homemade recipes, give you all the treasures of garlic.
Wrap Up
At first look, Indian spices could appear to be flavor bombs that render curries impossible to resist, but if you look closer, you’ll find they are really little healers encased in centuries of knowledge.
From garlic’s immune boost to cardamom’s digestive appeal to turmeric’s anti-inflammatory strength, these common components do so far more than just season your meal; they also nourish your body, mind, and soul.
The wonderful thing is that you need not be a master cook to appreciate them.
Even the most hectic Canadians may feed themselves with home-cooked Indian food delivery and services like Indian Tiffen Service in Toronto, which are as soothing as they are tasty.
Indian spices don’t just enhance your meals; they also gradually inject health into your life.
