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1. Basil
Basil (Ocimum Basilicum) is widely used in Italian dishes. It is a fragrant and aromatic herb and lends a distinct flavour to a dish. The Thai basil is totally different in flavour to its Italian counterpart.
2. Bay Leaf
Known as Tej patta or Tamal patra in India. The bay leaf has a highly aromatic flavour.
3. Cardamom
The cardamom is available in two varieties, small cardamom (choti elaichi) which is green in colour and large cardamom (badi elaichi) which is blackish in colour. The green cardamom is known to be the 3rd most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla and is indigenous to the Western Ghats in Southern India. The black cardamom, which is cheaper in price and has an aroma and flavour which is totally different from the green cardamom is used only in savoury dishes, while the prized green cardamom is used both in sweet and savoury dishes
4. Coriander leaves
Coriander leaves belong to the plant Coriandrum sativum and are also known as Cilantro and Chinese Parsely. Popular as a herb and spice, they are used for seasoning and garnishing vegetables, curries, salads, rice, etc to lend their typical flavour and taste to a dish.
5. Curry Leaves
Curry leaves are an integral part of Indian cooking, particularly South Indian cooking. Known as kadipatta in Hindi, the leaves belong to the tree Murraya koenigii. They are highly aromatic when fresh and dark green in colour. Fresh leaves are best preserved for a 2 to 3 days, with their stalk intact, in an air tight container in the refrigerator.