Cinnamon: Flavourful & healthy

Cinnamon is one of those underrated spices which has immense benefits and capability to add medicinal and nutritious value to our food but never got its due.

The inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree species Cinnamomum has been used in Ayurveda medicine to treat respiratory and digestive problems for many years. Also, in ancient times, Egyptians used cinnamon as a perfume, thanks to its aromatic scent.

The key features of cinnamon are its freshness and flavour. This spice is used in cuisines all over the world and is very versatile when it comes to its utility in food.

Cinnamon grows in tropical regions. The Ceylon cinnamon from the Cinnamomum Zeylanicum plant comes from Sri Lanka. The other main type is Cassia cinnamon which has a peculiar taste and is usually cheaper.

Apart from adding flavour to the food, it actually comes with some health benefits as well. According to Clean Plates, a health website, Cinnamon helps reduce inflammation, balance blood sugar levels and mood and energy swings.

It reduces LDL or bad cholesterol while increasing HDL or good cholesterol and also has nutrients, antioxidants. It has many medicinal applications as well and it is easy to add it into your daily diet.

Cinnamon is something that you can add to almost all three of your meals. You can add two teaspoons of cinnamon powder in your morning coffee. It can also be added to biryani, soups, stews and desserts.

Pro tips: Boil some cinnamon powder/stick in water and add a teaspoon of honey in the same water and you can have it as it is or you can add it to some other drink. Add a few cinnamon sticks when you cook rice or quinoa.

Now, let’s look at some of cinnamon’s (dalchini) uses in the kitchen:

For breakfast, it’s used in cereal, granola, oatmeal and you can sprinkle some on wholegrain toast.

Used extensively in the cuisines of Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, it is often added to many savoury dishes.

It’s a staple in vegetable soups and biryani. A preferred spice to use in flavouring rice, it’s widely used in dishes like curry, chilli, chicken and mixed vegetables.

Here is a recipe of easy-peasy and ready-to-make cinnamon roll, let’s try:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and brush the baking dish with melted butter.
2. Add flour, 2 spoons of white sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk them together in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of butter in the flour and mix it using your hands.
3. Beat milk and egg together in a different bowl and then add them into the flour-butter mixture using a spatula until the dough softens.
4. Take dough out of the bowl and roll dough into a 1/4-inch rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter.
5. Stir 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 spoon of the cinnamon and sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over butter-brushed dough. Roll dough around filling to form a log and cut the log into 18 rolls. Place rolls in the prepared baking dish.
7. Put it in a preheated oven for around 25 minutes. Add sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and vanilla extracts together in a bowl until frosting is smooth.
8. Ready to serve hot cinnamon rolls with the cream frosting.