Sliced garlic Spice for Indian cuisine 100g

In Indian cuisine, sliced garlic (whether fresh or dehydrated) is primarily used for an essential culinary technique called Tadka (or Chaunk/Baghar). This involves frying spices and aromatics in very hot oil or Ghee (clarified butter) to release all their flavors, before pouring this sizzling mixture over a dish.

Here are the main Indian recipes where sliced garlic is widely used:

1. Dals (Lentil dishes) and Dal Tadka.
   This is the most famous use. You prepare lentils (Chana Dal, Masoor Dal, or Moong Dal) by boiling them. At the end of the cooking time, heat Ghee in a small pan, toss in cumin seeds, dry chili, and sliced garlic. As soon as the garlic becomes golden brown, crispy, and releases its nutty aroma, pour the entire mixture over the lentils. Recipe example: Lasooni Dal (or Lehsuni Dal), a lentil dish where garlic is the star ingredient. Another example: Khatti Dal (tangy tamarind lentils), very popular in South India, always crowned with a tadka of sliced garlic, mustard seeds, and curry leaves.
   
   
2. Lasooni Palak (Garlic Spinach)
   A delicious vegetarian recipe where a spiced spinach puree is garnished with a generous dose of sliced garlic browned in clarified butter, providing a crunchy contrast and a smoky/caramelized taste.
   
   
3. Fragrant Rice (Garlic Rice or Jeera Rice)
   The sliced garlic is often fried until perfectly crispy, then set aside. It is then sprinkled over butter and garlic rice or cumin rice (Jeera Rice) just before serving to add a crunch.
   
   
4. Vegetable stir-fries (Sabzi)
   In many Indian-style vegetable pan-fries, you start by sautéing sliced garlic in hot oil to infuse the fat before adding vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, green beans).

How to use dehydrated sliced garlic?

Sliced garlic is used exactly like fresh garlic. If it is dried, it has the advantage of keeping for a very long time. You can either rehydrate it slightly in a little water before incorporating it into your gravy curries, or fry it directly in hot oil (very quickly so as not to burn it, as it cooks faster than fresh) to flavor your dishes and make your famous Tadkas.