Toasting Spices

Have you ever hovered about the kitchen while a family member or friend is toasting spices? Have you ever got hooked on to the aroma that envelops the kitchen in a warm, rich, nutty embrace? Well, I’m not being too flowery or poetic; just mentioning what the aroma of toasted spices is all about. Try roasting a batch of Indian spices in your kitchen and you’ll know what I mean.
Dry roasting or toasting is a way to boost flavour and improve your cooking. Heating a spice, whether roasting it dry or frying it in a bit of oil, further enhances its flavor, giving the spice a fuller character and a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Spices have two main oils – the first is an essential oil that gives the spice its aroma; the other is a series of oleoresins or non-volatile oils, which are responsible for the flavour. By dry roasting spices, both oils are released, thus enhancing the flavor and aroma of food.
Whole spices have four times the shelf life of ground spices because their seed coatings and barks protect their flavors, which aren't released until they are ground or heated. Whole spices work best for dry roasting because ground spices can burn easily.
How to toast spices: Heat a wok or heavy frying-pan so its medium hot. Don't add any oil or butter, as this is ‘dry-roasting’. Add your spice or spices. Shake the pan or stir the spices with a wooden spoon as they heat. Remember to keep them moving.
They're ready when they become highly aromatic and turn slightly darker, which usually takes just a couple of minutes.
You don't want to see any smoke coming off the spices, but when they're getting close to done; you'll begin to hear a tiny popping sound.
Once toasted, immediately pour the spices out of the pan on to a plate to stop them from cooking further. Let the toasted spices cool, and then grind them.
They can be stored, tightly covered for a few weeks without losing much of their flavor. With fresh spices, you will notice a big difference in flavor.

URL: http://www.cookinggoddess.com/category/Basics-of-Indian-Cooking/A-Lesson-in-Toasting-Spices/

by Chandana Banerjee