What spice (or ingredient) is this??

[larry_stewart]

Im watching one of those Cooking for a Village videos and they are making a Vegetable Biryani Rice dish.

There is one ingredient that is stumping me

at 1:54. on the lower left of the spice pan ( before they dump it in the pot) and
at 5:15 on the right side of the spice pan ( Before they are dumped)

It almost likes like ashes.
Everything else is identifiable , I just have no idea what that ash - like substance is. Any help identifying would be appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4uXBhN97uQ&t=305s

 

[Rocklobster]

Dagad phool? They also call it stone flower..or crushed black cardomom?

 

[pepperhead212]

That does look like dagad phool, though it is sort of hard to tell in the video. I have some in the freezer, because I very rarely use it - it's not really that flavorful - after using it, I wondered if it was something used just to get the nutrients from it, not so much the flavor, since it grows in areas where vegetables don't grow.

 

[larry_stewart]

After pausing it a few times and studying it with my old eyes, looks like that could be it.
I just ordered some online (just to be authentic) and Ill be giving this recipe a scaled down try. Ive done different versions of this recipe, but always looking for a new twist.

Problem is, Ive made other recipes from videos like this, and even scaling it down, still wind up with a large Pot's worth. Not that Im complaining

 

[taxlady]

That does look like dagad phool, though it is sort of hard to tell in the video. I have some in the freezer, because I very rarely use it - it's not really that flavorful - after using it, I wondered if it was something used just to get the nutrients from it, not so much the flavor, since it grows in areas where vegetables don't grow.

I got curious about this dagad phool and looked at a few sites. Did you fry it before tasting it? That was mentioned, that one had to fry it to release the flavour. I noticed in the video above that the two times that lichen looking stuff was added, it was added to hot fat.

 

[pepperhead212]

taxlady I add it to the oil, with other spices, before adding the onions, and other wet ingredients, so it probably does release its flavors. But it just doesn't seem like an aromatic flavoring, to me. I guess I'd have to cook just some of that in some oil, and add to something like rice, to see what the flavor is, since all of the other seasonings seem to cover it up. Or make two small tarkas, one with and one without, and add to a not too flavorful dish, and see how different the one with dagad phool tastes. This has me curious, now...

 

[taxlady]

Pepperhead, I'm looking forward to reading about what you find out.

 

[pepperhead212]

You learn something new every day! Or almost...

I made a batch of mushroom fried rice to test out that dagad phool. I made two batches of tarka, one with, and I divided the rice into two batches. I tasted just a touch of it, and it was incredibly sour! So it must be another one of those sour flavor components that the Indians use so much - tamarind, the best known, but also kokum, and amchur (green mango) powder. I had only used it twice (also rice dishes, like in the video, except much smaller!), but didn't realize that this was the flavor - the aroma is almost nothing, just a little musty, and in the tarka, it has a sort of toasty aroma, like the chiles. Added to the rice, the tarka made it almost too sour, with that amount; adding some sugar, and mixing both batches together rescued it.

The two recipes I used it in previously had it ground up, but I'm wondering if it is sometimes used like kokum - just a couple of pieces put into dishes, then removed, before serving. It is leathery, and doesn't grind easily.
Dagad phool by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Dagad phool, ground up coarsely by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Tarka ingredients, for 2 batches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Starting tarka, with the mustard seeds. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Dagad phool, chiles, and cumin added to tarka. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Finished tarka, with dagad phool, after adding curry leaves and asafoetida. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Second tarka finished. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[taxlady]

Thanks Pepper