ABOUT SPICE -FLAVORINGS AND PERFUMES FROM INDIA 2

Mustard (rai)
 Are the seeds of a plant of the cabbage family. Some are white, yellow, brown and black latter being the most widely used in Indian cuisine. They are an essential ingredient in the cuisine of southern India where fried in oil to enhance its flavor; and Bengali cuisine where they are machadas to be part of maceration. They provide a spicy and nutty flavor.

Cardamom (elaichi)
 Cardamom is the dried fruit of a plant of the ginger family. Its pods are white, black and greenish. It is another important spices of Indian cuisine, and is used in almost every dish. Blacks have a scent of menthol, are used in small quantities and are essences of the garam masala, many pulaos and byrianis (rice dishes) and curries. Green is most appreciated, is more aromatic and sweet; is used in rice dishes, meat and desserts.

Dill (kalongi)
 They are small and black plant the nigella seeds, also called onion seed, though it has nothing to do. They have a slightly spicy and is used in mixtures of spices and rotis as naan, is also often used as an ingredient of the pakoras.

Cumin (jeera)
Cumin is an important ingredient in curries and masalas. Aromatic, slightly spicy and slightly bitter. Cumin powder is used in rice dishes (pulaos and byrianis) and meat dishes, roasting it usually enhance their flavor.

Black cumin
Black cumin seeds is a rarer form and are smaller and sweet, and have a more mild at first and then more delicate flavor intense.

Turmeric
Turmeric comes from the root of a plant of the ginger family that has been dried and reduced to powder. They are powders earthy orange color, soft and penetrating aroma reminiscent of the ginger. It is used sparingly and balances and enhances the scent of other spices. Gives curries their particular gold. Turmeric not used green vegetables since dyed gray.