The many levels of spice layering

Warming, exotic, rich, complex, comforting, piquant, tangy or smooth, there are endless ways to describe your favourite Indian cuisine, but ultimately, the secret to your most beloved dish probably comes down to one key element – the layering of the spices.

For most cooks in India, using and blending spices almost comes naturally, as these essential ingredients are such an important part of the culture, not just in the kitchen but in life. Their fragrances alone find their way into customs and traditions, and of course the flavours they impart are what makes Indian food so popular around the world.

In this age of mass-produced, ready-prepared sauces – none of which would ever find their way into proper Indian cuisine – it is easy to overlook the significance of properly layered spices and indeed the skill that goes into creating the perfect masala blend, vindaloo paste or tikka seasoning.

What is spice layering?
 

In simple terms, layering is the meticulous preparation and blending of specific spices, depending on the dish being prepared. It is knowing what needs to be done to any given spice, in order for it to release its unique characteristics, in just the right amounts and at just the right time.

First of all, you must have an understanding of how treating the raw ingredients can change the profile of its flavour, whether you use it whole, crush it gently, or grind it into a silky-smooth powder. A fresh cardamom pod for instance is a very different ingredient to a dried one, or even just the seeds. Each is necessary in its own right, depending on what is being made.

How do I layer spices?

Then comes knowing how to use it. Do you dry roast or temper whole spice in oil or blend ground spices and roast or fry the paste ?

Tempering in oil can release the flavours of some spices or seal them in, in others. Even the way spices react physically with oil is important, for example cinnamon sticks will absorb it, and onions – which many regard as a spice as well as a vegetable – caramelise due to their high levels of sugar, while other, more delicate spices are actually better simmered in the sauce rather than cooked in oil. Dry roasting is also commonly used, and will give some spices a richer, more intense character. Unroasted coriander seed is aromatic and almost citrusy, but roast it and it takes on a fuller, more rustic tone.

The next step is knowing when to blend ingredients and in what proportions. Knowing that fresh spices will give out their flavours and aromas quicker than if they’re dried is vital, but so is appreciating that even fresh, some ingredients need longer, and others just a short exposure to heat to prevent them from taking over a dish, or imparting too much of their character and leading to a sauce that is too bitter, too hot or simply too overpowering. Apply heat to finely powdered spices too early and they could burn, add them too late and they become more like garnish than ingredients.

The master spice chefs, such as those in the Beyond India kitchens, are experts at finding that delicate balance between the myriad of spice characters before them, so that spice is artfully blended to create a unique flavour characteristic flavour dish such as complexing the flavour of cashew nut in Chicken Korma.

This experience and skill in knowing exactly how to work with the dozens of spices and herbs that sit at the heart of Indian cuisine, is what makes an authentic Indian meal not just delicious, but exceptional.