NUTMEG

Nutmeg, or Myristicin fragrans to give it its botanical name, is the seed kernel of a fruit that resembles an apricot. It has a thin membrane wrapped around it, separating it from the fleshy fruit. This membrane is another spice, mace. Although both spices come from the same tree, they are different, and as far as we are concerned, should not be used interchangeable as some writers suggest. Their flavours are different, as nutmeg is much stronger than the more delicate mace.

It comes from the Malaccan Islands originally, and is now grown in other countries including Singapore, India and the West Indies. It took some years for it to spread from the Spice Islands, as the Malaccans were called, as the Dutch kept firm control of the spices that made them wealthy.

Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century AD wrote of a tree that bore two types of spice, and it is thought that he was referring to the nutmeg tree. We know that Arab traders took nutmeg to Constantinople in the 6th century and that in Medieval Europe, the cost of ½ kilo of nutmeg was the equivalent of the cost of a cow or three sheep. Geoffrey Chaucer mentions nutmeg in ‘The Canterbury Tales’ in the Tale of Sir Thopas; ’And nutmeg for to put in ale, All whether it be fresh or stale…’

Pagans use nutmeg as a symbol of luck, money, health and fidelity.

In 18th century Europe, nutmeg was an expensive commodity, and the fashionable people of the time used to carry their own nutmeg graters around with them if they were dining out. They became fashion accessories, some made into pendants and these antique nutmeg graters are now very valuable.

Historically nutmeg has been used to alleviate diarrhea, improve appetite and digestion, and to help sufferers of gout and arthritis.

While doing the research on this spice, I discovered that it is not as well known in Pakistan as mace, and quite a few people I spoke to didn’t know what it was, even when they saw photographs of it. (There weren’t any nutmegs in the local spice shop either.) However, it is used in traditional Mughal recipes, but it is a banned substance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where it is classed as a drug, because of its hallucinogenic effects.

There is some debate in Islam as to whether or not nutmeg is halal or haram, but we believe that as long as it’s used as a spice, then it is halal. If, however it’s used as a drug, then it would be considered haram, as it can be harmful and induce vomiting when taken in large quantities. There is a general health warning that accompanies the use of nutmeg, and that is that you shouldn’t use it in cooking if you are pregnant.

If you are not used to nutmeg, then it would be better for you to use just a little of it until you become accustomed to the taste. The recommended amount for recipes is 1/8 of a teaspoon only.

You can use nutmeg in rice puddings, and cheesecakes as well as in sauces and savoury dishes. Personally, we wouldn’t use mace in sweet dishes, only in savoury ones. There is a garam masala recipe that includes mace, for example.

Try our recipe below, using nutmeg in a side dish which can be served with boiled potatoes as an accompaniment to meat, or as part of a vegetarian meal.

SPINACH WITH NUTMEG
Ingredients
750 gr fresh spinach, washed, dried and trimmed

50 gr butter or olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/8th tsp grated nutmeg
125 gr natural yoghurt
1 bunch spring onions
200 gr peas, shelled
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Cook the peas with a sprig of mint added to the water. Refresh with cold water, drain and reserve.
Chop the spring onions. Heat the oils or butter and sesame oil and lightly fry the onions, then add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in the yoghurt, and cooked peas and heat through for 5 mins, trying not to let the yoghurt boil.
Serve as suggested above.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

MACE
Mace has the same history as nutmeg, coming as it does from the same fruit. However there is no controversy surrounding this spice, and it is more expensive than nutmegs. This is because a pile of nutmegs, weighing 100 pounds, only produces 1 pound of mace.
One Dutch governor of the Malaccan Islands ordered that more mace trees should be planted and less nutmeg tree; that just goes to show how much HE knew about spice production.
In Pakistan, mace is very expensive as compared to other spices, and you can buy it by the blade for special occasions. The lower paid and the underclass cannot afford it
It has been used through the centuries to preserve meat, or to mask the smell of rancid meats.
You only need about an inch of a blade for cooking, and we think that it goes best in white sauces, so feel free to add a whole blade, or half a blade to our Parsley Sauce recipe.
Below is a recipe for mace in garam masala.


UP MARKET GARAM MASALA
Ingredients
2 or 3 black cardamom pods, depending on size
1 tbsp cumin seeds
½ tbsp coriander seeds
½ tbsp caraway seeds
½ tbsp black peppercorns
½ tbsp whole cloves
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces
¼ of a whole nutmeg, grated
1 blade of mace
1 bay leaf, crushed
a pinch of saffron threads
1 heaped tbsp freshly ground ginger

Method
Dry fry the cardamom pods until they plump up over a medium heat. When cool to touch, take out the seeds and put them in a bowl. Discard the pods.
Dry fry the coriander seeds, caraway seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and pieces of cinnamon. Stir for a few mins, and then transfer to the bowl with the cardamom seeds.
Reduce the heat to low, and gently fry the saffron, nutmeg, bay leaf and mace. When the leaves start to get crisp, remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl with the other spices.
While still warm mix all the spices together well and grind to a powder. Cool completely, then store in an airtight jar where the mixture will remain fresh for up to 3 months. Alternatively, freeze the garam masala and it will keep for 6 months.
Use with meats and in sauces.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

Green chillies, history and uses

GREEN CHILLIES
Green chillies have much the same history as red chillies. They are immature fruit of the same plant. They were first cultivated in South America, more than 3,000 years ago. They were first used in medicines and then as a food. There are hundreds of varieties of chilli, with the hottest in contention for first place. One of the hottest is the little Jalapeno (pronounced halapeeno) which comes from Mexico, and the hottest South American variety is the Habanera or scotch bonnet. Then there’s the tiny Pequin, which is used as a base for Tabasco. The Naga variety from India lays claim to being the hottest, but this is disputed, as the claim is that the hottest chilli in the world comes from the foothills of the Himalayas, and this is known to locals as the Sikkimese Cherry Chilli, which is orange in colour when fully ripe.
If you steep chillies in vinegar, this will distribute their flavour throughout the dish, as in a Vindaloo.
It’s reported that Montezuma liked his cocoa flavoured with vanilla, honey and chillies. I wonder where the phrase Montezuma’s Revenge really came from. (Joke!)
The Incas, by the way, worshipped the chilli among other things.
India is now the biggest exporter of chillies.
So much for chilli facts, now for a recipe.


GREEN CHILLI AND GREEN MANGO RELISH
Ingredients
250 gr green chillies
2 green mangoes, peeled and grated
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
½ cup oil


Method
Slit the chillies from top to bottom but otherwise leave intact, you do this so they don’t explode while frying.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and put in the slit chillies and the cumin seeds, and stir. Fry until the pith in the slit turns white, about 5 mins, depending on the type of chilli and how much liquid it contains.
Now add the grated mango with the seasonings, stir and cook for a further 5 mins, stirring constantly so that you don’t burn the mixture.
Remove from the heat and serve with steamed meat or fish, ideally. You can leave this relish in the fridge for a week.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

A TASTY TREAT FOR THE WEEKEND
This writer is feeling jaded today, so no new post about spices, I’m afraid. Tomorrow, manyana, avrio….Here, instead is a recipe which is a spicy treat. Don’t be put off by the list of ingredients, it’s actually quick and easy to prepare and cook. Cooking the spaghetti will be more of a problem than cooking the meat sauce!


SPICY MEAT SAUCE FOR PASTA
Ingredients
5oo gr minced meat
2 onions, finely chopped
3 tomatoes chopped and peeled
4 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
½ a handful of shredded mint leaves
½ a handful shredded coriander leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 curry leaf (optional)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 green cardamom pods
½ cup oil
grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste


Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 3 mins; then add the tomato and cook for a further 3 mins Now add the minced meat, green chilli, spices and sugar and cook over a low heat, stirring well. Leave to cook in its own juices for 8 mins, until the minced meat is fairly dry.
Now add the lemon juice with one glass of water and cook over a medium heat for 5 mins. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and allow to stand for 5 mins before serving.
Serve with spaghetti or other pasta of your choice. And don’t forget the freshly grated parmesan!

This has Taste and is a Treat!

RED CHILLIES HISTORY AND USES, PIRI PIRI SAUCE RECIPE

RED CHILLIES
These are indigenous to the South American continent where they have been grown for their food and medicinal properties since at least 7,500 BC. They were taken to the subcontinent by Spanish and Portuguese trader in the 16th century, and replaced the indigenous pippali pepper, as they proved easy to grow.
If you use fresh chillies of any description-and there are a good many of them, you should wash your hands thoroughly immediately after chopping them, as they will irritate your eyes or other parts of your body if you rub your hands on your skin.
Christopher Columbus thought they were another type of black pepper when he found them growing in the West Indies. I guess he was surprised when he tasted one!
Now in India, you can see 2 chillies and a lemon hung over doorways to ward off evil. Also, if you burn them, they will rid the place of any evil that might be lurking. They are the food of the poor as they are really cheap, and can be eaten raw with chapattis as a lunch time meal. They are from the same family (Solanaceae) as the tomato and potato.
You can use these as an antiseptic gargle for sore throats, and we think they are good for the blood. They are used in creams in the West to relieve muscle pains.
Here we have ground red chilli pepper, which is just that, although while researching red chillies I found that some commercially produced ‘chilli powder ‘is mixed with other spices such as ground cumin. When buying the powder, go for the real, unadulterated stuff, which you may need to find in an Asian store.


PIRI PIRI SAUCE
Ingredients
12 red chillies finely chopped, with seeds
1 tsp salt
1 cup olive oil
a third of a cup white wine vinegar
a third of a cup whisky
3 or 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped


Method
Put in all ingredients in a glass jar with airtight lid and shake to mix. Leave for a month before using, but turn the jar upside down every day. You don’t need to shake it vigorously.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

NOTE

This recipe is authentic. I was given it by a bar owner in a backstreet bar/restaurant in northern Portugal.