Supreme Spices For A Smart Busy Cook
Supreme Spice Giveaway (Scroll Down For Details!)
As an Indian, I always knew the uses and benefits of spices. Indian cuisine incorporates a variety of spices and my household was no different. My mother taught me how each spice is used and its benefits and medicinal qualities.
Clove is one of my favorite spices. Cloves are actually unopened flower buds of a very attractive evergreen tree. These buds are picked when they reach the full size and are just about to turn pink. Once they are picked, the buds are then dried in the sun, at which point they turn reddish brown in color. Isn’t that interesting?
This very aromatic spice derives its name from Latin “Clavus” meaning, “toenail”. In contrast to this, in Sanskrit, it is aptly called “Devakusuma”, meaning divine flower.
Ayurvedic medicines use cloves to cure colds, cough and to sooth sore throat. Cloves work as a rejuvenator, a stimulant and an aid to digestion. They also help reduce nausea and hiccups. Cloves also increase blood circulation and are known to relieve stomach pains.
When I became a parent myself, I tried looking for creative ways to incorporate spices in my cooking so that my kids wouldn’t know but would reap the benefits of spices. It was challenging. If my daughter found a ginger piece in her plate then that used to be the end of her dinner. It was then that I started thinking that if spices were in liquid form and I could add it to my curries then kids would not know that they were eating ginger, garlic and other healing spices like cloves.
I did some research and found that food manufacturers were already using spice extracts ! Spice extracts were just not found in retail for consumers like us. I found a manufacturer and worked with him to get the extracts in smaller sizes for retail.
I am very proud of the fact that all my extracts, from manufacturing to retail are managed by an all-women workforce.
All the Supreme Spice extracts contain only 2 ingredients – extract of the parent spice and a plant-based emulsifier, to keep the extract in liquid form. They contain no alcohol, chemicals or preservatives. Our spice extracts are concentrated , have long shelf life, and they never lose flavor or aroma till the last drop.
Spice extracts can be used in any recipe that calls for whole spices. One of my favorite extracts is our Saffron extract. I add 1 drop to my regular oatmeal and it gives an amazing taste and aroma. My husband loves our Green Chilli extract. Its pure extract of green chillies and he uses a drop of chilli extract to spice up his portion of the meal.
Clove is another family favorite. Cloves are packed with abundant flavor and fragrance, have multitude of medicinal values.
Clove is an analgesic, expectorant, stimulant and carminative. It is recommended for colds, coughs, asthma, and toothache. Clove tea is warming and is used to ease nausea. Cloves are calming to the digestive system. One to two drops of Supreme Spice Clove extract is equivalent to 1 clove bud. My favorite method of enjoying this beautiful, aromatic spice is by taking in the form of tea. Clove tea is an excellent stress buster. Clove tea is warming and soothing.
Clove Tea
- Cup of hot water
- 2-3 Clove buds (or 1-2 drops of Clove extract)
Steep the clove buds in hot water for couple of minutes and enjoy!
Poached Pears with Cloves
- 2-3 ripe Pears
- 4 cups of water
- 6-7 cloves (or 3-4 drops of Clove extract)
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 drop of Cinnamon extract)
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
Boil water with cloves, cinnamon and orange zest. Once water starts boiling, add orange juice slowly. Peel the pears and place them in the boiling water. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 12-15 min. Once done, take the pears out slowly. Let the water boil slowly for another 15 minutes until it concentrates to thick syrup.
Supreme Spice Giveaway
Enter to win below! The lucky winner will get Supreme Spice Chef gift box which includes 1 Cardamom extract, 1 Saffron extract and 1 Kesar Milk extract. A perfect gift for someone who loves and appreciates the exotic spices like Saffron.
The winner will be announced next week, Tue, May 22nd at 9:30PM
Note: This is a guest post by Anjali Damerla, the creator and founder of Supreme Spice. You can get more information at www.SupremSpice.com Supreme Spice spice extracts can be purchased on Amazon
