Spices

To grasp an idea about aromas in cooking, is to understand the right combination of spices and herbs in a cuisine.

There’s always coriander, fennel, cummin, pepper, turmeric powder that goes in a round in each cuisine alternatively. The other spices which makeup the garam masala if thrown in straight as bayleaf,aniseed,cardamom,nutmeg/mace brings in an explosion of taste.

I would lay down a good recipe I tried my hands on

Recipe

Use a good amount of oil and use the spices directly instead of garam masala.The spices need to be maintained in a air tight containers to retain the flavours.Throw in 2 bayleaf, 4 cardamom, few whole pepper corns, 3 aniseed, 3 cloves, 4 cinnamon sticks , 1 tsp cummin seeds and sauté it forawhile.

Add 2 chopped onions, 2tsp of ginger garlic paste and 2 chopped tomatoes.
Sauté it well till the onions are caramelized.
Add salt that would shorten the cooking period.
Add 2tbsp of fennel powder and 2tbsp of pepper powder in equal amount. Sauté it till the raw smell disappears.
Add in the meat, chicken or lamb of half kg.
Sauté well.
Add potatoes if needed.
Add water to the level it covers the meat.

Lid it and pressure cook or slow cook it.
Wait for five or six whistles or open cook it long till the meat tendrises in full flame for 15mins.

It’s a rich recipe. If you want it hot add chilly flakes or chilly/paprika powder.

The highlight of this dish is pepper and fennel combination.