Wish you all a very
Happy
&
Joyous
Holiday Season.

Tea Lovers Gift Box

Tea Lovers Gift Box

This gift box comes with 3 extracts -
1 Cardamom extract, 1 Tea Masala extract and 1 Ginger extract.

Give your regular cup of tea a Spicy Makeover.
Anytime , Anywhere.

Coffee with Cardamom

I recently read that adding Cardamom to coffee can reduce the effects of caffeine.
Hmm.. I think that's why they use Cardamom in Turkish Coffee - to tone down the intensity of the brew.

Charcoal Drawing

I love Charcoal drawings and I think they are great for portraits.
I did this drawing long time back and is one of my favorites. I was very happy with the way his hair came out. Just a small, good quality eraser with a slant cut and you have amazing hair :)

Gift ideas for the Chef in your family

Chef Pack

We now have added Gift sets to our website. The Chef Pack is perfect for someone who enjoys and appreciates the exotic taste and flavor of Saffron and Cardamom. This gift set comes with 3 extracts. Saffron extract, Cardamom extract and Kesar Milk Masala extract.

This gift set is beautifully packaged in a box with a festive ribbon.
Shipping is free for all gift sets.

Thank You.

I would like to Thank all of you for giving our products a chance.

Wish you all a very Happy and Spicy Thanksgiving :)

Chef Hari

You can get more info about Chef Hari at www.harinayak.com

Ginger Extract

Does your favorite recipe call for ginger but your kids hate it when they bite into a ginger piece ??

Use Ginger Extract to solve this problem. This way you don't have to compromise on your favorite recipe and your kids will enjoy it too.

Rice pudding with Cardamom extract by Chef Hari

Cake with Tea Masala Extract !!!

Have you ever tried using Tea Masala Extract in a cake recipe ??!!

This blogger found a excellent and very creative use of Tea Masala extract in Carrot Cake.

Try it and give your regular cake recipe a spicy makeover.

Extracts in my kitchen

Lot of people ask me whether I use extracts in my own kitchen. And my answer to them is "Everyday in every meal"
The extracts that I use very often are - Ginger, Tea Masala, Cardamom, Garlic, Green Chilli, Asafoetida, Turmeric. And, of course, Tulsi. I have hot Tulsi water at least 4-5 times a week.

Every afternoon I have either Masala chai, Cardamom chai or Ginger chai. Depends on my mood.
My husband loves the Green Chilli extract. This extract gives him full control over how hot and spicy his curry should be :)

Now that festival season is coming close, I will use my Kesar Milk and Saffron extracts more.

Saffron Extract

Saffron is the most expensive spice and is also known as the "King of Spice".
Saffron is warming, digestive, rejuvenating and it has a sweet aroma and taste. Saffron is traditionally used in Indian rice and dessert dishes. Also is used in Italian risotto.

Tulsi

Tulsi plant doesn't do well in winter season here in US. And winter season is when we need Tulsi the most. Many have Tulsi plant in their back yard but by December the plant sheds all its leaves. Tulsi is the well known natural remedy to keep cold, cough and fever away.


One of the biggest advantage of Tulsi extract is that you can take it with you everywhere. You just need a glass of warm water and 1-2 drops of Tulsi extract to boost your immunity.

Try Tulsi extract this winter and be sniffles-free :)

Los Angeles Flower Market

Yesterday I went to the Los Angeles Flower Market . This was my first visit to the market and I was amazed to see the beautiful colors of roses and carnation flowers. Prices were great too. I bought 2 dozen roses for $4.50 !!
If you are crazy about flowers and are in Los Angeles area then you should visit this place.

My Paintings & Drawings

Lot of my friends don't know about my interest in painting. I have done a lot of pencil sketches, oil paintings, Pen & Ink, watercolors and charcoal drawing. I took some lessons in Calligraphy too.

This is one of the Pen and Ink drawings that I did long time back.

Tulsi Tea

The temperature outside is getting cooler.
And the number of people suffering from sniffles is getting higher. Especially, people who work in closed office buildings.
So what do you do to avoid getting the sniffles?
Easy. Have a cup of hot Tulsi Tea. Right in your office.

To make Tulsi Tea- heat up a cup of water in the microwave. Add 1-2 drops of Tulsi extract and if you want, add some sugar. Some people like to add little bit of ginger to this tea.
Tulsi Tea has lot of health benefits. Read more about the benefits of Tulsi Tea.

Tulsi Tea is very refreshing. Give it a try. I am sure you will like it.

Rain Clouds

I took this picture yesterday from my back yard. Wish I had a much better camera to capture this amazing dance of shadows on the mountain range.

This year I planted Marigold in my back yard and I am happy that I have about 10 -12 blooms, just in time for Dussehra. (Vijayadashami ).
I wonder why so much importance is given to Marigold flowers during Dussehra.
Probably because these amazing blooms have that brilliant golden color and decorating the house with these symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

This last Saturday, I woke up with a scratchy throat and knew that I was about to get cold & cough. I was feeling a bit feverish too.
And I took this opportunity to run my experiment with spice extracts :)

I started my experiment with a hot cup of tea with 2 drops of Tea Masala extract.
Then, after about 2 hrs, I had a cup of hot water to which I added 2 drops of Tulsi extract.
Again had a cup of hot tea with 2 drops of Tea Masala extract.

By afternoon, my body ache and tiredness had reduced.

I had another cup of hot Tulsi water in the evening and ended my day with a Masala chai.
So, in all, I had 3 cups of Masala chai and 3 cups of Tulsi water that day.

Sunday morning - I was feeling great, did not feel tired or feverish.
But just to make sure, I had 2 cups of hot Tulsi water on Sunday. One in the morning and one in the evening.

My experiment was a success. The Tulsi and the 6 spices in the Tea Masala extract worked pretty well.

Curry Leaf Extract

I am in the process of adding Curry Leaf Extract to my range of products.

Well, I am hoping that I will be have it available to my customers by October end. Curry Leaf Extract will be a very interesting addition. Indian cuisine is just incomplete without them.

Weekend reading

One of my all time favorite books is "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck. I must have read it 3-4 times till now. What I like about this book is that it is very easy to read, with no big words or complicated plots BUT after you are done with the book, you think about the characters for a long time. They make you think about your own life, your own struggles and achievements.
In Oprah's words - This book is easy reading that brings expansive thinking.

I think I will read this book again this weekend - with a cup of Ginger tea.

Ginger Tea

There is nothing like a nice, hot cup of Ginger Tea on winter days.

Ginger Tea reminds me of Bombay's amazing monsoon season . Pair up this tea with some onion bhajji and enjoy these simple things in life.

Begonia

This is my pink Begonia. I have seen pictures of a yellow one but couldn't find it in my local nursery.

Kids and Health

I recently read a very informative article on Wall Street Journal about Cold and Cough medicines for children. When my daughter was a toddler, she used to get a runny nose every time the weather changed. Like any other new mom, I used to run to the store , read the labels thoroughly and buy the one cold medicine that I thought was best suited for my daughters cold symptoms. Some times the medicine worked and sometimes it didn't. But the most difficult part was to make her swallow that medicine.
It was the same thing with my son. But with more kicking and screaming. One might think that the different flavors for the cold-cough medicines should make it easier. Nope. Not one bit.

I then started thinking about other ways to cure my kids cold where I won't have to make them drink any medicine. That is when I found Garlic oil. Now a days whenever my kids come home with a runny nose, I fry about 9 -10 cloves of garlic in oil (I use vegetable oil) till the garlic cloves turn black. Once cool, I apply this garlic oil on my kids back and chest. It works like a miracle.
I also add a couple of drops of garlic extract in their meal (soup, curry, etc) . This Garlic remedy works like a magic. And it has no side effects. Plus, as a bonus, kids immune system improves which leads to less bouts of cold and cough. A rare win-win situation :)

Its time for Tulsi Tea

With the amazing fall season approaching, its time for some nice, hot tulsi tea.
Tulsi improves our immune system and is a excellent remedy to keep cold and cough away.
I give warm Tulsi water to my kids once or twice a week to get them ready for the change of season.

Just add 1-2 drops of Tulsi extract to a glass of warm water, add some honey and enjoy!
Or just add some Tulsi drops to your cup of regular tea.

Gardenia

Another fragrant gift of nature -Gardenia.

Ganesh Chaturthi

Filling for Modak

Modak

Modak - A must-have for Ganesh Chaturthi.
I make the filling for the modak with coconut, jaggery, Cardamom extract, Nutmeg extract and a little Saffron extract. The extracts make my job a bit easy. No peeling cardamom pods or grating nutmeg :)

Cardamom extract

I love cardamom tea. Just add 1-2 drops of cardamom extract to your cup of regular tea and enjoy!

Also, have you tried coffee with cardamom extract?

Duke Jasmine

Look at the size of this Duke jasmine flower !!
I am so thrilled that my duke jasmine plant has started flowering and also has sprouted some new leaves.

Spice Extracts

There are lot of advantages of using spice extracts. They blend well with other ingredients in your recipe and also give you the option to add a spice after the cooking is done. Say, for example, you feel that the curry that you just cooked could have used more garlic. Just add some drops of garlic extract, mix and now you have the desired amount of garlic.

Green Chilli extract

Green Chilli extract is nothing but pure fieriness of green chillies in a bottle.

I have 2 small kids and hence my cooking leans more towards the less spicy category. My husband loves spicy food and had to compromise :). But now, with the Green Chilli extract he can make his portion of meal as spicy as he wants. He just adds 1 or 2 drops and he is happy.

The ingredients in Tabasco sauce are peppers, vinegar and salt. But Supreme Spice's Green Chilli extract has only ONE ingredient - Green chilli

Zuma Beach

Sunset at Zuma beach, Los Angeles

Garam masala - What's in it?

Garam masala extract is a blend of 9 spices - Coriander, Chilli, Peppercorns, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin, Turmeric and Fenugreek seeds.
This masala is a very aromatic and flavorful blend. Use this blend to pep up the dish.

You get Garam masala powder in all Indian stores. So why use extract? The garam masala powder that you buy in stores loses its flavor and fragrance within weeks of opening the container. Extracts do not. Our extract never loses flavor and aroma and has long shelf life.

Try using Garam masala extract in marinades. The extract will blend very well and will be absorbed by the meat/vegetable fairly quickly without any spice pockets.

Just 3-4 drops of Supreme Spice Garam masala extract is equivalent to 1/2 tsp of Garam masala powder.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is an excellent remedy for insomnia. It is a very warming spice and is also used to improve digestion.

Next time you a feel stressed out and can't get good sleep, try a cup of coffee or warm milk with 1-2 drops of nutmeg extract. It is very calming and induces sleep.

Why should you use Asafoetida ?

Ayurveda encourages us to include all six tastes in our meals. The six tastes are - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent. Asafoetida is a pungent spice. Foods and spices that are pungent stimulate appetite and improve digestion. Adding asafoetida to our meals also reduces bloating and the feeling of heaviness after meals.

A pinch of asafoetida in buttermilk is a very good remedy for indigestion.

Asafoetida improves digestion and is an blood purifier.

What are Spice Extracts ?

Spice extracts, also called Oleoresins, provide the flavor of the source spice in a more consistent and easy-to-handle form. Spice extracts contain the essential oil of the spice and also its resinous part. Essential oil give the spice its aroma and the resinous part gives it the flavor.

Spice extracts are used extensively by the food manufacturing companies. For example, the salsa that you enjoy with your chips has spice oleoresins added to it.
Did you really think they were staying up whole night to chop up all that garlic needed to make thousands of pounds of salsa?? :)

Spice extracts are concentrated , free of any contamination and last for a long time. They eliminate the need to peel, chop or grate the spices and lets you easily customize the amount of spice in a dish.

Garlic extract

My daughter hates garlic.
Which kid doesn't? But we Moms know the benefits of Garlic and want our kids to eat it.
I think the best way to get garlic into kids system is to hide it in sauces, dips, curries, etc. This is where Supreme Spice Garlic extract comes extremely handy. Add a drop or two in your kids meal and they won't even know that they are getting all the health benefits of garlic.

1 drop of Supreme Spice Garlic extract = 1 clove of garlic

If your kid comes back from school with a runny nose, increase his/her garlic intake to improve their immunity.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic, an excellent stimulant and protects and builds up the digestive power.

What is Kesar Milk Masala?

Kesar Milk Masala is a blend of Nutmeg, Saffron, Cardamom and Curcumin.

This wonderful and rich blend of 4 spices gives an amazing makeover to a plain glass of milk. Just add 1-2 drops of Kesar milk masala extract to a glass of warm milk and you will be amazed with the results. Or use it in any dessert. I use this extract in my Kheer and Rice pudding too.

Or, next time you make Suji Halwa, kheer or carrot Halwa, add 1-2 drops of Kesar milk masala extract and taste the difference.

Articles on Mahanandi

Recently I started doing a guest series on spices on Mahanandi, an amazing Indian food blog. Here is the link to my articles. I will update this list every time I post an article on Mahanandi.

Article on Turmeric
Article on Asafoetida

Photography

I recently bought this wonderful Hibiscus from my local nursery. I also bought 3 different kinds of Jasmine plants - single Jasmine, double Jasmine and Duke Jasmine. The word "fragrant" doesn't even come close to explaining the Duke Jasmine flowers. It is something out of this world.

Tulsi - Indian Holy Basil

Indian Holy Basil -Tulsi

There are many different varieties of Basil. The Indian variety is called Tulsi (botanical name - Ocimum Sanctum). Tulsi is a perennial plant and has a light lemon scent.
Tulsi has a very special place in Ayurveda. Tulsi acts as a diaphoretic and hence Tulsi Tea is used to help sweat out a fever. It is also considered to be antibacterial and antiseptic. Tulsi stimulates the immune system by increasing the production of antibodies.

Tulsi Tea provides relief from colds, coughs, headache and fevers. A simple way to make Tulsi Tea using Tulsi extract is as follows:
Add 1-2 drops of Tulsi extract to a hot cup of water. Add little honey .
Sip slowly and enjoy.

Tulsi Tea is very soothing and refreshing. It stimulates nerves and is a great stress reliever.

Next time you feel down and gloomy, try Tulsi Tea.

Asafoetida (Hing, Asafetida)

Asafoetida block

Asafoetida is an integral part of Indian cooking and is a must for lentil dishes and curries with green leafy vegetables. The name asafoetida is derived from the Persian for resin “aza” and the Latin for stinking “fetida”.

Asafoetida is a resinous gum that is extracted from the root and stem of a giant perennial fennel that is at least 4 yrs old. The stem/root of the plant is slashed and kept in shade while the sap seeps out and hardens. This dried, grayish-white gum is then scraped off which turns reddish and finally reddish-brown as it ages. The asafoetida that we buy in stores has only about 30 -40% of pure asafoetida and the rest is edible starch (rice or wheat flour) to make the powder more manageable.

This spice is carminative and some researchers believe that asafoetida, like garlic oil, may help lower blood pressure. Asafoetida is a pungent spice and helps stimulate appetite and improve digestion. Asafoetida alleviates the sensation of heaviness after a heavy meal. In India, it’s a common practice to have buttermilk with asafoetida to treat indigestion.

Asafoetida is a great substitute for garlic. It has strong aroma that is toned down during cooking which results in a complementary flavor to the dish.

Turmeric

Turmeric is used by every Indian in every meal. Not just for its vibrant yellow color but for its medicinal properties too. Turmeric is probably the most researched spice today. Ayurvedic cooking recommends adding turmeric to every meal. Curcumin, found in turmeric is a very potent antioxidant. Antioxidants keep in check the free radicals produced in our body. Free radicals when produced by our body in excess harm any cell membranes they can find.

The turmeric powder can be bought in any Indian store. But the one that you find in store normally has little food color added to it. Our turmeric extract is pure and contain no chemicals or food color.

The way I like to use turmeric extract is in warm milk. When my daughter complains of itchy throat, I give her warm milk with a few drops of turmeric extract and some sugar. To treat dry cough, I mix a few drops of turmeric extract with some honey.

Customize your Tea

For a Tea lover like me, there is nothing in this world like a hot cup of delicious masala chai. Just one cup of this amazing chai is enough to perk up your spirits.
Masala chai has typically 6 spices added to it - Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and peppercorn. Every spice contributes its own distinctive flavor, fragrance and medicinal properties.Masala chai is amazingly fragrant with all these spices added to it.

Unfortunately we all are too busy to grind fresh spices to make masala chai. Supreme Spice Tea Masala extract makes it easy to give your regular chai a spicy makeover - anywhere and anytime.
Just make chai the way you like (some like it strong , some like it light ) and then just add 1-2 drops of Supreme Spice Tea Masala extract directly to your cup of tea and enjoy.

Take the extract with you to work and you can sip a aromatic cup of authentic masala chai right in your office.

Don't feel like having masala chai ? Try Supreme Spice Cardamom extract for a yummy Cardamom tea or add a drop of Supreme Spice Ginger extract and enjoy a very warming cup of Ginger tea.

Don't drink plain tea when you can customize it according to your mood.
Anytime, anywhere.

Welcome To Our New Blog!

Hello everybody,

I am Anjali Damerla, owner of Supreme Spice.
I am so excited to start our new blog. I thought a lot about whether to start a forum or a blog. But, I guess, my recent interest in writing made me decide to go for a blog. :) .
Also, I think, blog is a better way to connect with all you wonderful people out there.