Rasam Spices

Our spices and flavours are sourced from all over India.  The chefs at Rasam hail from North East, North West and Central India.  Each member of the team brings their personal heritage to play in the daily mixing, roasting and grinding of spices.

The spices we use include the following:

Indian Common Name*	English Name	Comments
Aamchur/Amchoor powder	Sour mango power	Gives fish curries tartness
Adrak	Ginger	Used as a fresh ingredient and also in dried powder form; see "Sonth"
Ajmud	Celery / radhuni seed
Ajwain	Carom/thyme seed
Amla	Indian gooseberry
Anardana	Pomegranate seed	Dried rather than fresh, and ground in the Middle East
Assorted Roots	Assorted Roots	(vetiver, betal nut root, ratanjot and rose petals for Dum ka Gosht (Rasam signature dish )
Badi Elaichi	Black Cardmamom	Not to be confused with green cardamom, the earthy and darkly aromatic black cardamom is a common spice in biryani. This spice is also used as antidote for snake and scorpion bites, but try it at your own risk(!). Black cardamom eases digestive problems and reduces flatulence, and can relieve throat problems, chest congestion, asthma and gum infections
Bazil / Basil	Fresh basil
Camiki	Mango-extract
Chakra Phool	Star Anise	Provides exotic, Chinese-influenced flavours
Chironji	Charoli	a type of nut particularly used in making desserts
Choti Elaichi	Green Cardamom	The Malabar variety is native to Kerala
Chrysopogon zizanioides or Khus	Dried vetiver roots	A perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India. In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus. It is used as a flavoring agent, usually through khus syrup. Khus syrup is made by adding khus essence to sugar, water and citric acid syrup. Khus Essence is a dark green thick syrup made from the roots of khus grass(vetiver grass). It has a woodsy taste and a scent prominent to khus. Rasam use this spice in lamb dishes served in the restaurant.
Cinnamon	Cinnamon	This spice is aromatic and has a refreshing taste: it can be added to curries, pulao and even desserts. Research shows this woody spice is also diabetes-friendly and can reduce symptoms of insulin resistance. Additionally, cinnamon can give relief from indigestion, common cold, diarrhea, poor blood circulation and menstrual tension
Cloves	Cloves	Due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, cloves are commonly used to treat dental problems, and are an important ingredient in natural toothpastes. Cloves can also relieve vomiting, indigestion, an upset digestive tract and loose motions
Coconut	Coconut	Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations
Cumin	Cumin	Tempered cumin (Jeera) provides the flavour that dhal needs, and indeed many Indian dishes are incomplete without cumin. Cumin is known to help with digestive problems, reduce chances of anaemia and alleviate the common cold. Surprisingly Jeera can reduce the problem of piles, serve as a laxative and provide the body with iron, as well as manganese that helps in the absorption of calcium and control of blood pressure
Dalchini	Cinnamon	Grown commercially in Kerala in southern India. Two types, cassia (common) and royal.
Dhania/hara dhaniya	Coriander Seed
Dhania powder/ Pisa Dhania	Coriander powder
Dried Red Chilli	Whole dried red chilli	Available in different forms Health Benefits : • Helps in burning calories • Provides resistance to various diseases • Stimulates appetite • Clears lungs
Garam masala/Kadha Masala	Spice Mixture	It is added to some dishes along with other spices to enhance their flavor and aroma. While the basic ingredients used are the same, each chef has their own proportions so that the end result will often differ. The better the quality of the ingredients, the tastier the garam masala and the resulting dish in which it is used.
Gulab Jal	Rose Water	Commonly used to flavour desserts in India
Gur	Jaggery (unrefined sugar)	Made from the sap of the sugarcane or date palm
Haldi	Turmeric	Source of yellow colour in many curries with an earthy, dusty flavour. Turmeric is used to flavour and colour foodstuffs. It is used in the preparation of medicinal oils & ointments and poultice. The health benefits of Turmeric are many, at Rasam we have used fresh turmeric from the outset in our cooking
Hapusha	Juniper Berries	They have a wonderfully piney taste - most like rosemary if you looking for a comparison - but more resinous and with citrus overtones. They are the key flavouring in gin. The berries aren't actually berries, instead they're the tiny cones of the juniper bush - a relative of the popular landscaping shrub. However, note that not all juniper berries are edible, so hesitate before pulling berries off a bush.
Hara dhaniya	fresh coriander	Fresh green leaves, also known as cilantro
Harad / hime	Terminalia chebula
Hari Mirch	Green Chilli Peppar
Hing	Asafoetida	Intensely bitter - related to truffle and garlic
Imli	Tamarind	Provides tartness in South Indian curries and chutneys
Indian Yellow Chilli Powder	Indian Yellow Chilli Powder	This chilli is not widely available even in India, we are proud to have this rare breed among our Rasam spices!! This powder is processed using sophisticated methodologies for enhancing the quality of masala. Yellow Chilli Powder is widely appreciated for its remarkable aroma and rich taste.......
Jaiphal	Nutmeg	Whole nuts last forever; powder only a month. Like cloves, nutmeg has anti-bacterial properties and helps fight tooth decay. Nutmeg can reduce flatulence and improve appetite, ease muscular tension and even fight Alzheimer's and improve memory
Javitri	Mace	Made from the outer covering of the nutmeg nut, with a similar aroma
Jeera	cumin seed	See Kali Jeera.
Jeera Goli	Cumin Seed grounded into balls
Jethimadh	Liquorice powder
Kachra	Capers	also known as Kabra, Karer in Hindi
Kachri	Powdered Indian caper	Kachri is a wild variety of cucumbers. Fresh kachri resembles a brown yellow small melon, which grows wildly in the desert areas and is seldom cultivated as a crop. Dried kachri powder, when used in cooking, adds a tangy taste. Since fresh kachri is rarely available outside Rajasthan, the use of kachri powder is popular. It is the real earth food … growing wild, and becoming a protein rich vegetable for people living in the harsh arid areas of Western India, where it is hard to grow conventional vegetables. Kachri powder is used extensively in Rajasthani cuisine. Health benefits : • It has a triple benefit of being a coolant, tonic & stimulant.
Kadipatta	Curry tree or sweet neem leaf	Cannot retain flavor when dried. Only use fresh.
Kaju	cashew nut
Kala Namak / Sanchal	Black salt	Sodium chloride provides kala namak with its salty taste, iron sulphide provides its dark violet hue, and all the sulphur compounds give kala namak its slight savoury taste as well as a highly distinctive smell. A hugly propular condiment in India, used in many dishes
Kala Zeera	Black cumin	Sweet, floral and smoky cumin and anise-like flavor
Kali Elaichi	Black cardamom	Earthy, much used in North Indian curries.
Kali Mirch	;peppercorns
Kali Mirchi	Black pepper	Produced in huge quantities in the southern Indian state of Kerala, black pepper was once considered a precious commodity for trade. Black pepper has the ability to increase the production of hydrochloric acid that the stomach needs to help in digestion, while combating flatulence, constipation and high blood pressure. It is also anti - bacterial in nature, and contains iron .
Kalonji	Nigella seed
Kasoori Methi Dried	fenugreek leaf
Katira Goond	gum tragacanth	A thickener and coating for desserts
Kebab Cheeni	All spice	A mix of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and bayleaf
Kesar, mayur	Saffron	The world's most expensive spice, usually used for flavoring for rice. Kashmir is synonymous with the production of the best quality of saffron in India. This ingredient adds colour and spice to briyani and desserts. Saffron is expensive but its health benefits are priceless – it has the ability to treat depression, prevent loss of vision, improve memory and relieve digestive issues
Kesar mari mari	Saffron pulp	Actually, safflower concentrate
Khajur	Dates
Khus Khus	poppy seed
Kokum	Garcinia indica
Kudampuli	Garcinia gummi-gutta	Commonly used in the fish recipes of Kerala
Lahsun	Garlic
Lal Mirchi	Red chilio peppar
Lavang	Cloves	Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are largest producers in India
Methi leaves	fenugreek leaf
Methi seeds	fenugreek seeds
Mulethi	Indian Liquorice Root	Mulethi is an ancient herb. It has a distinctive sweet flavour which makes it a preference over sugar in making candies. It has medicinal uses in Indian Ayurveda herbal medicines. It is considered good for the liver and for a cough.
Naaga Keshar	cinnamon buds
Namak	Salt
Nimbu	lemon/lime
Paan Ki Jad		A fragrant sweet tasting root of an evergreen creeping tree that produces heart shaped glossy leaves. It is widely cultivated in coastal areas primarily of India, Bangladesh and South East Asia. Leaves are eaten after dinner. At Rasam, we use only the root to extract its earthy fragrance
Panch Phoron	Panch Phoron	A Bengali spice mix that combines aniseed, cumin, fenugreek, mustard and nigella: also known as black stone flower
Pathar Ke Phool	Kalpasi
Peeli Mirchi	Yellow Peppar
Pippali	Long Peppar	Long pepper has suffered a general absence from the modern culinary world which is something of a culinary injustice, we are thrilled to correct this oversight at Rasam. Its flavour is much more complex than black pepper, reminiscent of spice blends like garam masala more than a single spice. It possesses black pepper's heat and musk, but in a less harsh, more nuanced way, tempered by sweet notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Its finish lingers on the tongue with a tobacco-like coolness; where black pepper stings, long pepper balms
Pundina	Mint
Pyaz / Kanda	Onion
Rai	'brown mustard seed
Ratin jot	Ratin jot
Rose Petals	Rose Petals	Cultivated throughout India, Rose petals are rejuvenating and proven to be a tonic for internal asthma, high blood pressure, bronchitis & slow circulation.
Safed Mirchi	White pepper
Saji na phool	Citric Acid
Sarson	Mustard seed
Sarson Tel	Mustard Oil	shorsher tel
Saunf/Sanchal	fennel - seed
Shimla Mirch	Capsicum
Sindala	Rock Salt	According to Ayurveda organic rock salt is healthiest - it is known to be cooling, anti- acidic, anti-bilious, anti-phlegmatic, carminative and digestive
Sirka
Soa sag	dill
Sonth	dried ginger	Usually powdered
Suwa or Shopa	Aniseed
Syah Jeera	Black Cumin	Smaller in size than regular cumin, and easily mistaken for Caraway seed. Though the English translation is Black Cumin, the same term is also used as the English translation of Nigella sativa, kalonji
Tej Patta	Malabathrum, Bay leaf	Both Malabathrum and Bay Leaf are similar and called Tej Patta in Hindi, though they are from two different families and have different flavours
Til	Sesame seed
Tulsi	holy basil