Navratri Vrat Spices

A Navratri fast trims the spice tin back to a handful, and this part of our Navratri groceries holds that handful in whole and coarse form. Cumin, or jeera, is the one most families keep closest: spluttered in hot ghee, it starts jeera aloo, arbi and sabudana khichdi, and coarse cumin is ready to scatter over a bowl of dahi. Black cumin, known as shahi jeera or kala jeera, is smaller, darker and sweeter, and suits a fasting pulao made with samo.

Black pepper, kali mirch, brings the heat on days when red chilli is left out. White pepper comes from the same berry with the outer skin removed, and its cleaner bite suits pale dishes such as makhana in milk or a creamy potato gravy. Green cardamom, elaichi, is crushed into kheer, halwa and chai, while black cardamom, badi elaichi, is larger and smoky and is used sparingly in savoury cooking.

Dry ginger, called saunth in the north and sukku in Tamil homes, is ground fine for vrat dishes, chai and the sukku coffee many families drink in the evening. Whole turmeric is the dried root, ground fresh at home or used in puja, though a good number of families leave turmeric out of fasting food altogether. Dried amla, the Indian gooseberry, is sour and faintly bitter, eaten in small pieces or added to chutney. Most households avoid asafoetida during the fast, since compounded hing is usually blended with wheat or rice flour. Sendha namak is in Navratri vrat staples and flours, and the ghee to bloom these spices is in Navratri ghee and oils.

Whole spices hold their aroma far longer than ground ones. Dry roast cumin in a heavy pan until it darkens a shade and smells toasted, cool it and grind only what you need. Crush cardamom in a mortar just before it goes into the pot, and store every spice in an airtight jar away from the stove, where heat and steam dull the flavour within weeks.