Spices in your kitchen - Star Anise

Star anise are the red dried berries of a plant which by itself is hot and aromatic and sometimes also called as chinese pepper for their hotness.

Star anise which is similar to Ani seeds or fennel seeds, is a star shaped fruits of the small native plants in the south-west parts of China. The Botanical name for this is Illicium verum.

It is called ' Thakkolam ' in Tamil and Malayalam. It is extensively used in the south Indian Cooking as also in the Chinese. The well known Five spice powder of the Chinese cooking has this as an ingredient.

Star Anise has some medicinal properties also. It is chewed after food to help out in digestion and also used to sweeten the bad breath problem. This spice is also said to cure Rheumatism but nothing has been scientifically proved as such.

In South India this spice is used in the Pulaos, biriyani, non vegetarian curries and masala etc. This gives a nice aromatic smell while the cooking goes on in the kitchen.

Spices in Your Kitchen

Yes.. Spices , that gives flavour and aroma to our cooking and increase the appetite of the people at home. Those warm cooking smells which emanate from the kitchen will make you feel at home and just wait for your food to come out of the kitchen to the table.

Many of us have been using the spices with or without knowing how it affects us. Too much of everything is not good, so we will just try and find what all are good and what all are bad to our stomachs.

Shahjeera

Shahjeera or Kalajeera or Caraway seeds are one and the same but different names in different languages. It looks very similar to Black Jeera or Cumin Seeds but they are not the same.

Shahjeera belongs to the Garam Masala variety and not used in everyday cooking. It gives you a strong smell and may not be liked by all but a little shahjeera in Pulaos will go a long way in making it appetising.

They are mostly used in the Mughlai dishes and also in the European style of Cooking. For our typical Indian style this spice will not suit. That has been my experience.''

You can also try this out and see if you like this. It is said to aid digestion and prevent flatulence which we feel after eating oily and fried foods. Almost all the mughlai foods are laden with Ghee and other masalas and are high caloried for which if you add a little shahjeera in to the masala will help you in a big way.