Did you know that chewing on a clove can cure a toothache? Yes, the spices that flavour your top Indian dishes have hidden benefits. As if you needed another reason to order curry!
Everyone knows that it’s the spices that make Indian food taste so good. But they’re not just for taste. Chef Ram Singh from Avasa, The Indian Kitchen, on Saadiyat Island explains some of the most commonly used spices in Indian food and what their hidden health benefits are.
Saffron
Saffron is used in many popular Indian dishes. It has a strong flavour, so only a pinch is needed for a whole dish. Saffron is used to marinate prawns in lamb dishes and biryani, which comes from Kashmir in the north west of India. It can also be added to boiled milk to make a soothing drink.
The benefits of saffron are plenty. Chef Ram explains, ‘Saffron is good for the liver and can give your face a nice glow.’ Indeed, saffron has antifungal properties that can treat acne and other blemishes. Chef Ram recommends saffron for pregnant women to improve digestion and reduce mood swings.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most commonly used spices in Indian cooking. In fact, says Chef Ram, ‘If there’s no turmeric, there’s no food.’ This spice is from the same family as ginger. It has a rich yellow colour when ground up, and is beneficial mainly because of its antibacterial properties. Chef Ram says that turmeric can be applied directly to a small cut or wound to prevent infection and promote healing. Turmeric can also be mixed with yoghurt and applied directly to the face to help clear and brighten the skin. It’s also good for promoting strong bones, preventing allergies and helping to control cancer cells.
Green cardamom
There are several different types of cardamom, but green cardamom has the most beneficial properties. It can be used to fight bad breath and it helps with the common cold when mixed with ginger and drunk in tea. It’s got a strong flavour and therefore is often used in chicken and red meat dishes rather than seafood. Green cardamom is sold in small pods with seeds inside. The pods can either be smashed and opened to get the seeds out or placed in hot oil until the pods burst, which enhances the already strong flavour of the seeds.
Ginger
One of the most universally known spices, ginger is used at the start of food preparation. Chef Ram marinates meat in a garlic and ginger paste, but only enough to give the aroma of the ginger, as the flavour is too strong to cook with. Ginger can strengthen the immune system and ginger tea and powder can be consumed regularly to prevent sickness.
Cloves
Cloves can be cooked, made into a powder or oil, or eaten on their own, though they can be intense. They’re great for pain relief and Chef Ram says that if you have a toothache, you can put a clove on the tooth, leave it in your mouth, and within minutes you’ll be toothache-free. In fact, the properties are so effective that some people who suffer from joint pain rub clove oil on their aching shoulders, elbows and knees to relieve soreness.
Cinnamon
According to Chef Ram, Sri Lankan cinnamon is the best quality available. Used in sauce and gravy, it’s added to a dish at the start, as opposed to sprinkling it on top at the end. As with saffron, it’s often used in biryani and curry as well. Cinnamon can be beneficial to diabetics as it can lower blood pressure and decrease insulin resistance. It can also boost brain activity.
Mint
Technically a herb rather than a spice, we’ve included mint because of its prevalence in Indian dishes as well as its health benefits. At Avasa, Chef Ram and his team use a homemade mint powder, prepared by drying the leaves in the oven and then grinding them in to a fine dust. The powder is used in their breads and marinades. For marinades, however, Chef Ram says it is used more for its aromatic properties than for its taste.
The main advantage of mint is that it promotes kidney health. Chef Ram also recommends mint tea to deal with stomach acid and heartburn.
Raw papaya
Raw papaya is actually a vegetable, even though ripe papaya – the mango-like fruit that most people are accustomed to – is indeed a fruit. Raw papaya is often used for marinating and tenderising meat because it contains the most digestive enzymes of any vegetable. For this reason it’s often served after a meal, chopped up with onion seeds for flavour, to promote digestion.
Saffron Dhs26/g, raw papaya Dhs8.95/k, Spinneys, Al Khalidiyah, and other locations (02 681 2897).
