Spice september 2016 issue ipad pdf

SPICE TALK ||||| CELERY
EACH SPICEJET AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN NAMED AFTER
A PARTICULAR SPICE. IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK ABOUT
THE BENEFITS AND USAGE OF CELERY
THE
VERSATILE
SPICE
CELERY, FIRST RECOGNISED FOR ITS
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES, IS NOW
INCREASINGLY BEING USED IN MORE
THAN JUST SOUPS, SAUCES, STEWS
AND SALADS.
BY SHALINI MITRA
Green Smoothie with celery, cucumber, spinach, apple and lemon
CELERY AS WE KNOW IT derives from
the French word celeri said to have come
from the Greek selinon which finds
mention even in Homer’s Iliad. This
Mediterranean spice started out as
medicine for colds, flu, water retention
and more, before morphing into its
modern avatar of a plant meant for
consumption – leaves, stems, seeds,
roots and all…
It was the Romans who first used
celery as seasoning before it came to be
widely utilised in cooking in other parts
of the world such as France, Italy and
North America. Even today, the French
swear by celery, used along with onions
and carrots, in most of their dishes
including sauces, soups and stews. In
India, celery - variously known as
ajamoda (Sanskrit, Marathi); shalari
(Hindi); bodiajmoda (Gujarati); bandhuri
(Bengali); kernauli (Punjabi); and ajmada
(Tamil) – is clearly not the base for
cooking but is increasingly finding
favour for the distinctive flavour it
imparts to dishes - both desi and foreign.
For instance, Sruthiskitchen.com
tells you how to make a mean chutney
using celery that goes with Indian
breads, steaming rice and even as a
spread for all types of sandwiches. Given
our fondness for spices, celery is also
used in its seed form; either whole or
ground. “Most spices yield a complex
blend of flavours when used in
combination but celery seeds are an
exception. They taste just like celery,”
opines Raju Tamang, Executive
Corporate Oriental Master Chef at The
Green Gourmet Restaurant, New Delhi.
According to Mumbai-based Ria
Mittal, a self-styled cook and
entrepreneur whose spice powders are a
hit with housewives, “With its heady
aroma, celery powder is a natural flavour
enhancer and is extensively used in
seasoning meat, flavouring beverages
and confectionary, spice rubs, and baked
and barbecued dishes. However, ground
celery seeds taste more bitter as
compared to whole ones and hence,
should be used sparingly.” Cookery
expert Heena Desai who features on
ETV Gujarati’s Rasoi Show echoes
similar sentiments. “Celery deserves
respect for providing maximum flavour
to dishes but it should be used with
caution. Even a pinch of celery can make
or mar a dish. Not everybody relishes the
flavour it imparts,” she warns.
Incidentally, the Indian version of celery
seed has a slight lemony aroma unlike its
French counterpart which is sweet with
citrusy notes.
SHUTTERSTOCK
100 ||||| SEPTEMBER 2016