Seasonal••4 min read
Cooling spices for a long Indian summer
Not every spice is about heat. As the mercury climbs, the kitchen turns to fennel, mint and cumin to cool things down.
By Umiya Kitchen
Indian cooking has always been quietly seasonal, and summer brings its own shortlist of spices — ones traditionally believed to cool the body rather than warm it. As the heat sets in, kitchens lean on fennel, coriander, mint and cumin, and ease off the heavier warming blends.
Fennel seed is the star of the season. Chewed after a meal it freshens the mouth and settles digestion; steeped in water overnight and drunk cool, it is one of the oldest summer refreshers in the country. A pinch of fennel in a sabzi lends a sweet, aniseed lift that feels lighter than cumin alone.
Then there is the humble glass of chaas — spiced buttermilk. Whisk yoghurt with cold water, salt, roasted cumin, a little grated ginger and chopped mint, and you have the most effective air-conditioning a kitchen can offer. It is hydrating, digestive and takes two minutes.
So as the season turns, let the cinnamon and cloves rest at the back of the shelf. Bring the fennel, mint and roasted cumin forward. The pantry, like the plate, is meant to change with the weather.
Keep reading
Technique•
A beginner's spice pairing map
You do not need fifty spices to cook well. You need to know which six talk to each other, and how.
Spice Notes•
Building heat: a short guide to Indian chilies
Heat and colour are two different things. Once you learn to control them separately, your cooking gets a lot more precise.
Technique•
Why you should toast your cumin
Raw cumin is fine. Toasted cumin is a different, better spice. The change takes ninety seconds.