About Ajwain

Ajwain is an Indian spice that is not terribly well known in the West, but it is very interesting, and should be used more often. Although it is a spice, being the fruit of Trachyspermum ammi, which is related to parsley, ajwain has a very strong herbal aroma and flavor similar to thyme or oregano. […]

Eat Curry For Your Health!

I’ve been reading articles about the health benefits of curry spices for quite some time, but this article from AlterNet is particularly good because it brings together summaries of the latest research on a variety of spices.
Worldwide, a great many researchers are finding that spices commonly consumed in Indian curry dishes have myriad health benefits, […]

Book Review: Indian Spice Kitchen

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see that Monisha Bharadwaj’s Indian Spice Kitchen is back in print. It is, quite simply, an indispensable reference work for Westerners who are just beginning to learn how to cook the myriad regional foods of India.
It contains comprehensive listings of all of the major spices, […]

Asparagus with Panch Phoron

Asparagus is one of those seasonal vegetables that we make gluttons of ourselves with when it is in season, until the point that we are nearly tired of it when it is gone.
I say nearly tired, because I don’t think that I could get truly weary of asparagus. It is just so fresh and […]

Kale With Panch Phoran

I don’t know if they grow kale in Bengal, but I bet that some sort of dark leafy green is cooked and eaten there. Folks all over the world seem to like greens, so I feel confident that while I improvised this recipe in my own kitchen, using what was on hand, that somewhere in […]