What is Xacuti Masala Powder?
Xacuti masala is a spice mix from a specific region of India and is used mainly in meat curries to make a gravy for goat, beef, chicken or lamb. The color of this blend of powdered spices is brick red or brown-golden color. The flavors of this curry mix are hot, a little smoky with hints of sweetness.
Ingredients
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant. These seeds are a warm beige color with a round and slightly oblong body and a pointy, yet harmless top. The seeds taste citrusy, warm, nutty and spicy. Coriander is popular in various cuisines, including Indian and Latin cooking.
Botanically the chili pepper is a fruit, in culinary terms it is a vegetable. There are a number of varieties of red chili peppers. Some common ones used for spice powders and seasonings include the piri piri, cayenne, and chile de árbol, among others. Each pepper is red and has a thin skin with a thin flesh and seeds inside the middle of the pepper. The shape varies, but is often thin and tapered. The heat level varies also, depending on the type of pepper. Some are mildly hot, while other red chilies are scorching and fiery. The pepper can be used fresh in many dishes, as well as dried or powdered.
Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant and is used as a spice. The root is woody, but easy to cut and looks similar to ginger. Rather than growing in clusters, each root is a several or so inches long, cylindrical and 1 or more inches in diameter. The thin skin is a brownish-orange and protects the inner root which is bright orange, like a carrot. Turmeric dyes everything it touches and leaves a golden color. The flavor is earthy, pungent and slightly bitter. It has numerous uses, including flavoring and coloring food.
True cardamom, also called green cardamom is a spice used in many Indian dishes and other cuisines. The seeds, which the spice is ground from, grow in a small green pod, roughly the size of an oblong blueberry with pointed ends. The pod has a hard shell, with small pinhead-sized seeds inside, that are dark or light brown. The flavor is almost minty, herbal, spicy and sweet. A little goes a long way in any dish. For some dishes the whole pod is used as a flavoring.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climates and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and becomes hard. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because due to this.
Black cardamom is the mature version of green cardamom. Green cardamom is harvested young. Black cardamom is a small, hard, and oblong brown pod with black seeds. The seeds are ground into a powder and used to flavor savory foods. Black cardamom has a pungent and smoky flavor.
Ground cinnamon is a fine aromatic powder made from the bark of the cinnamon tree, also known as cassia; another variety. The bark is peeled from the tree, dried and ground into the warm brown powder that is known as cinnamon. The flavor is spicy, warm and sweet and savory at the same time. It is extremely popular in many cuisines and common in American desserts.
Cumin is a spice used in many cuisines around the world. The seed from which cumin is ground is a thin seed with a long body and tapered ends. Cumin is just a few millimeters in length and has a light brown or tan tone, which can look a bit grey. Ground cumin is light brown and has a flavor that is spicy, earthy and a little nutty. When pan heated, the flavor of cumin is both tempered and enhanced.
Fennel seeds are tiny thin seeds with tapered ends and a ridged body. Their color is a muted beige with a hint of occasional green. Fennel seeds can be ground into powder, though are more commonly used whole. The flavor is fresh, spicy and a bit similar to anise. This seed is used to flavor sausages, rice dishes and savory breads.
Fenugreek seeds are a small and extremely hard seed. They have a rough square shape and are smaller than an apple seed, with a beige color. When exposed to water these seeds slowly soften and offer a flavor that is sweet and nutty, much like a cross between maple and celery. Fenugreek is used in Indian cuisine as a spice and can be found in various cuisines around the world.
Nutmeg is the seed of a fruit. The seed has a lacy skin around it, commonly called mace in cooking and is used as a separate spice. Nutmeg is a small, woody spice, with an oblong and muted brown body. Ground nutmeg is a similar color to fresh nutmeg. It is a sweet spice with a warm flavor that is rich and inviting. Nutmeg is commonly used in desserts and can be found in savory dishes as well. Nutmeg is a key ingredient in the flavoring of eggnog.
Anise comes from a flowering plant with lacy leaves. The seeds are harvested and used in a variety of cuisines around the world, in both sweet and savory dishes. Star anise seed looks like a brown, flowery seven pointed star. It is used whole, or ground into a powdered spice. The flavor is sweet and similar to licorice and fennel.
