What is Fumigation?
by Vikas Kamat
First Online: February 06, 2010
Page Last Updated: August 20, 2024
Fumigation is the process of instantly curing of Indian spices during the preparation of a curry or other spicy dish. Since there is no equivalent of it in the western cultures, it is sometimes translated as "tempering" or "seasoning", but those translations are inadequate to convey the process or its power in Indian cooking.
All of the fumigation is done is a oily medium like vegetable oil, ghee or butter. The medium is brought to a boiling point and the fumigation ingredients are instantly cured by sub-merging them into the medium.
Examples of Fumigation Ingredients
- Mustard Seeds
- Garlic
- Hing or Asafoetida
- Curry Leaves
The process of fumigation has to be practiced only by an experienced cook or by someone following a recipe. Innovations during the fumigation process can ruin a dish and can cause unwelcome after-effects.
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