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Being an Indian I can proudly never emphasis enough on one thing, we love our spices! Whenever I browse through Pinterest, I find
myself always stopping and staring at images of spices. There’s
something about the colorful little mounds, scattered on top of dark surfaces,
that is so visually appealing to me. It’s like an edible mosaic is created with the bright and bold hues, So on this republic day, I was inspired to do a post on different
spices used in Indian cooking that exude that same color intensity. As much
as they add flavor to meals, they are also beneficial in other ways besides
just taste, and it’s interesting to learn how they can help us in our day to
day lives.
Some of the most common spices used in
Indian cooking are:
Salt
Pepper
Ginger
Turmeric
Paprika
Cumin
Saffron
A few of
the above are great to help improve our overall well-being…
Pepper
Don't we just love a lot of pepper on your soups? Apart from taste it has a lot of benefits right from helping with severe diseases like cancer to day to day problems like digestion, weight loss, cold, it also increases your metabolism. The more shocking benefits are it beats dandruff, helps with anorexia as it improves digestion and stimulates our taste buds, it helps our organs absorb more nutrients from our food and is a natural antidepressant. Details
Ginger
Light yellow in
color and strong smelling, some claim ginger to be the “wonder spice” for all
of its health benefits. If you’re feeling nauseous or have an upset stomach,
ginger can help get rid of these nuisances. From poor digestion to even sore
joints, chew on a little bit or add some to a hot drink because ginger has the
nutritional properties that can help. Ginger juice is also very effective for cold and cough.
Turmeric
I have used turmeric a lot in recent years. It’s
one of those spices that is perfect to use in the colder months because of its
warm color and smell. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory used widely in
ayurvedic medicine. It also helps boost your immune system, so this is a good
spice to use if you feel a cold coming on. Have it with milk every night before bed and it will help you with most of the problems. I'll be doing a post on Turmeric mask for skin soon.
Paprika
Paprika is packed
with healthy nutrients that are good for our bodies, and especially vitamin A.
One tablespoon of this red-colored spice contains more than 100 percent of the
daily intake requirement. As the vitamin A helps to improve eyesight, paprika
also gives your body extra iron to help those bones stay strong.
Cumin
Cumin is pungent and
strong, and acts as a great salt substitute. With its low levels of sodium,
using this instead of extra salt can help reduce blood pressure, all while adding
a delicious flavor to meals. Cumin is also a good source of vitamin B, which
helps to improve sleep. Try eating a banana sprinkled with some cumin right
before bed if you aren’t getting enough shut eye.
Saffron
Although this is one
of the most costly spices, it’s worth it due to the multiple health benefits it
provides also a few strands does wonders. From digestion help to reducing inflammation, you can use saffron in
a lot of ways besides just adding it into foods. You can make a saffron milk
mask by adding some saffron strands to raw milk. Allow the strands to sit for
about 2 hours before using, turning the milk a reddish color. Rub the milk onto
your face and leave on for 10 minutes before washing off. The saffron mask will
help clear up dry skin and acne and brightens up your skin! It also gives your food a nice color so go ahead and eliminate your food coloring. Add it to any of these to add additional benefits (works for all skin types)
Hope you'all enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing this, do try these spices also try including some herbs if possible in your food. Stay healthy and do subscribe to make sure you don't miss any post. You can also instagram or tweet a picture of your healthy foods do tag me or use #bombaygirl07.
XOXO,
Anshika Agarwal.
Anshika Agarwal.
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