Chaman: what it is and when this spice is applied

In order to prepare a delicious dish, you need a set of products, a little skill, as well as various spices to give the food a taste. In some recipes, you can find such a spice as a chaman. What is it, when it is better to use it and what dishes simply can not do without it - about all this and will be told below.

About the concept

First, it is necessary to understand the very concept. So, chaman - what is it? This is a spice, which, by the way, has several names, and each of them is used quite often. So, this spice can also be called shamballa, fenugreek and fenugreek. As for the name we are describing, it is most common in Armenia. In the vastness of our homeland and in Europe, this spice is more often called "shambala."

About spices

It should be said that the chaman belongs to the family of legumes, this is a long-known spicy aromatic plant. It will be interesting and the fact that food can be used in various parts of it. So, perfectly suited seeds of this plant, leaflets and even stems (in the ground form). Understanding the concept of "chaman" - what it is, it is also necessary to say that this spice gives the dishes an amazing nutty taste, and it can in some cases even replace ground hazelnuts, if necessary. Basically, this spice has an interesting bitter-sweet taste, which gives the dishes an amazing persistent flavor.

Errors

You should know what a chaman (spice) looks like, so as not to confuse it with other spices. So, in a crushed form the spice is similar to a flour of coarse grinding beige. However, culinary experts say that fenugreek-shamballa is often confused with blue fenugreek (uzho-suneli, common in the Caucasus), which should not be done. After all, these are completely different things. The biggest mistake is the identification of the ground chaman with ground cumin, this is also unacceptable.

Application

When can a seasoning of chaman be needed? The use of spices will be relevant for cooking dishes from meat, fish and poultry. It is worth mentioning that this spice appears in all recipes for basturma. Also it is good for various kinds of soups: mushroom, pea, potato, onion. As already mentioned, the chaman gives the dishes a slight nutty shade, but it is similar to the mushroom taste. In India shamballa is used more as a source of protein for cooking vegetarian dishes. This spice is widely spread in Armenia, where it is almost the main one in the preparation of various types of meat. It will be interesting to note that this spice is an excellent thickener (starch analogue), therefore it is often used for making various sauces. Important for many will be the fact that this seasoning is perfectly combined with other herbs and spicy vegetables. A ground chaman is a part of such spices as hops-suneli and curry.

Substitutes

Many may have a logical question: will we replace something else with chaman (seasoning)? Thus, no other spice can convey the exact same flavor and aroma, but the already mentioned spice of uccio-suneli is similar. And since the chaman has a slight nutty taste, in some cases it can be replaced with ground hazelnuts.

Healing properties

Understanding the concept of chaman - what it is, when applying this spice, it is also worth a couple of words to say and what benefit it brings. So, interesting is the fact that in India, women consume shamballa seeds after giving birth in order to restore their back, normalize metabolic processes in the body, and also contribute to the inflow of breast milk. As for the expanses of our homeland, then this spice is also used to improve the body. First of all it is necessary to say that it is an excellent anti-inflammatory, soothing and wound healing remedy. The application of this spice to convalescents will be good: it helps to restore and strengthen immunity, gives strength and energy. Consumption of chaman in the form of porridge will help to cope with hair problems and women who have little breast milk while feeding babies. In the form of a paste, this spice heals wounds perfectly, heals boils and even ulcers (the whole reason is the huge content of adhesives in the spice). And in the form of an ointment will help to cope with the problem skin. A table spoon of chaman, mixed in a cup of warm milk, is an excellent tonic. It will be interesting to note the fact that ground fenugreek, as in the old days, is still used today to treat impotence in men and infertility in women. According to other sources, this spice is an excellent aphrodisiac. For women, the following information will be important: from the chama you can do hair conditioners (ground chaman + yogurt), as well as face masks (along with turmeric and vegetable oil).

Attention!

Although this seasoning is almost universal in its application, it is also necessary to say that there is a category of people for whom it can be dangerous. So, these are pregnant women. They can not consume this spice, because it contains saponins that can provoke miscarriage.