Plus the powerful powder that can be used as an alternative to onion and garlic.
Sarina Kamini
You’re in the middle of a recipe and realise you have the wrong ingredients. Your recipe asks for fresh red chilli, but you have only chilli powder. Or you need dried ginger, but all you have is a knuckle of the fresh stuff. Don’t panic – here’s how to save the dish.
In the regional kitchens of India, changing the form of a spice changes its identity. Cumin seed is not the same as cumin powder. Fenugreek seed and fenugreek powder are distinct.
This distinction is even more apparent when comparing fresh and dried versions of the same spice, as changing its form also changes its taste and function. Here’s how to understand the difference and know which to use when.
How does fresh or dried make a difference?
At their core, fresh spices are deconstructive, while dried or powdered spices are constructive. Think of the difference between squeezing fresh lime over a fish taco, and sprinkling it with lime-y ground sumac. The fresh lime bites into the dish and opens it up, while the sumac – a coarse powder – builds up its weight and texture, adding depth rather than brightness.
Does that mean fresh spice is better?
It’s about what’s appropriate. Kashmiri Hindu cooking, for example, uses mostly dried spices to tell its culinary story. But the kitchens of regional Thailand, say, showcase the va-va-voom of fresh aromatics.
Explain the difference between fresh turmeric and dried turmeric powder
These two should be treated as completely different aromatics. In traditional recipes, turmeric powder is a structural ingredient. As a bitter spice, it holds up the aromas of other ingredients and the shape of the dish itself. But fresh turmeric sits on top of that structure and opens things up, creating a sense of brightness and space. A dish where turmeric powder brings coherence – like a pan of scrambled eggs – would feel empty and disjointed with fresh turmeric.
However, there is a solution. If you prefer to use fresh turmeric in a recipe that calls for dried, simply pair it with a teaspoon or two of coriander powder. The coriander will provide the density and depth you’d get from the turmeric powder, while allowing the fresh turmeric to contribute its unique, wide-eyed brightness.
Is that also true of fresh ginger and dried ginger powder?
Not so much. Ginger in all its forms contributes warmth. You can swap fresh for dried, or combine the two.
Fresh ginger brings the zing, adding a bright, spicy kick. Ground ginger, on the other hand, provides an earthy warmth that’s less about heat and more about deep, mellow flavour.
Do dried and fresh chilli work the same way?
Fresh chillies add a sharp, zippy heat. Dried or powdered chillies, however, will give you a deeper flavour. While both bring heat, fresh chillies are all about that fiery kick, while dried chillies offer a more earthy, concentrated spice.
Is asafoetida really a low-FODMAP alternative to garlic and onion?
Asafoetida is a famously smelly aromatic made from the dried root and rhizome of a perennial flowering shrub. It takes its name from a Farsi-Latin collab that basically means “stinky resin”.
You’ll most often find asafoetida as a finely ground powder, though it’s also available as a resin that you dilute in water.
And, yes, it can be used as a garlic and onion replacement. Of a sort, anyway. For those on a low FODMAP diet, it adds the kinds of astringent, sweet and subtly sulphurous aromas of that classic allium combo.
On nights when I feel too lazy to chop onions and garlic, I’ll use it in my bolognese. But I do so sparingly, knowing that a little goes a long way, and the resulting dish will be a little lighter.
Garlic and onion are two aromatics that add real depth and weight to dishes. It’s why so many recipes start by cooking down onion and garlic, creating big flavours fast.
Sarina Kamini is a Kashmiri-Australian cookbook author, teacher and cook. Her book What We Call Masala published by Murdoch Books is out now.
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