As Indians, we ensure that spices form the base of any dish. We are not satisfied with a dash of salt and a squeeze of sour lime, we need spices. If spices are consumed in moderation you can derive health benefits, but an overdose of any spice can lead to indigestion or even ulcers. Media portals are flooded with the health benefits of turmeric or haldi, but today we list out other Indian spices that are healthy and are kept under wraps. Let’s have a quick overview of Indian spices, their uses and benefits.
Chilli (Lal Mirch) :
It is the main component of Indian spices and is used for adding hot flavor to the food. The antioxidants present in chilli help to cope with cholesterol. It also helps in burning calories.
Garlic (Lassan) :
It is used for cooking as well as for the medicinal purpose. It is useful for coping with cough and cold. It also has antibiotic properties.
Ginger (Adrak) :
It is used for giving a specific flavor to food and has many medicinal uses. Helps to avoid digestive problems. It is beneficial for coping with cough and cold.
Clove (Laung) :
It is used as a cooking ingredient mainly for seasoning or preparing Masalas. Clove oil is beneficial for coping with tooth ache and sore gums. It is also beneficial remedy for chest pains, fever, digestive problems, cough and cold.
Turmeric (Haldi) :
It is used in cooking and skin care products. It has wide range medicinal uses. It helps in dealing with skin problems. Turmeric powder can be used for healing cuts and wounds. It also makes coping with diabetes easier.
Cinnamon (Dalchini) :
It is used mainly for seasoning food and preparing masalas. It has medicinal uses too. It supports natural production of insulin and reduces blood cholesterol.
Coriander (Dhaniya) :
Coriander leaves as well as coriander seeds are used in cooking. It also has some medicinal uses. It can be used externally on aching joints and rheumatism. It is also good for coping with sore throat, allergies, digestion problems, hay fever etc.
Cardamom (Elaichi) :
It is used in most of the Indian and other sweet dishes to give a good flavor and fragrance. It is also used widely in pharmaceutical sector. Helps to control bad breath and digestive disorder. A whole cardamom chewed is good for coping with diabetes.
Cumin (Zeera) :
It is used for cooking and it also possesses medicinal properties. It is a good source of iron and keeps immune system healthy. Water boiled with cumin seeds is good for coping with dysentery.
Mustard (Rye) :
It is used for seasoning. The use of mustard oil is extensive in India. Mustard oil is good for body massage and even for getting good hair. It consists of omega-3 fatty acids. It is an excellent source of iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, protein etc.
Fenugreek (Methi) :
It is mainly used as a green leafy vegetable and seeds are used for seasoning and preparing Masalas. It also has medicinal uses. Fenugreek seed tea or sweet fudge is good for increasing breast milk. It also helpful for treating diabetes and lowering cholesterol.
Pepper (Kaali Mirch) :
It is extensively used in cooking, especially for garnishing. It is has many medicinal uses too. It helps coping with cold, cough, infections etc. It helps to deal with muscle pains and digestive problems.
Bay leaf (Tez Patta) :
It is used in cooking to add a specific flavor to food. It also has some medicinal properties. Bay leaf oil possesses anti-fungal and anti bacterial.
Saffron (Zaffran/Kesar) :
It is one of the highly expensive Indian Spices. It is used for cooking as well as in beauty products. It is mainly used in sweet dishes. It has good medicinal properties. It helps to cope with skin diseases. It is a good remedy for cough, cold and asthma.