Mistress of Spices - Movie

MBC Persia was shwoing the movie mistress of spices last night, though i couldnt see the whole movie cause it was simply 2 late n i needed to sleep (about 3 am)i liked it. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWps7RYW2m8 ) Beware this movie has some scenes which we muslims not supposed 2 watch so just ignore them and close ur eyes :)
I have been reading the book before which is from my all time favourite writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Its not my favourite book from her but still a good one.
Like usually the book is better than the movie but the movie wasnt so bad and it made me wanna go 2 any spices Bazar 2 spend a little fortune on spices :)
(Inshallah i will go 2 a spices shop soon 2 get some spices i havent been able 2 get here til now like mustard seeds).
I have been in pakistan before and ever since i love to cook with indian spices, they just have such a richness of spices which make cooking real fun.
My husband uses 2 say he hates indian food ( justr like he dislikes india), but when i cook it for him he liked the food. Propably cause i never tell him that its inidan food ;)
Something i do regulary and which i really adore is indian chai.
Here in Egypt chai is simply black tea, but in india and pakistan chai has another meaning, its black tea with milk and spices and its really lovly.
When i was on diet before this was my swet treat every day :D
Now here is how 2 do it:

1. Boil some water and add black tea( not the tea bags if possibl). If u are very unsure about the amount than just atke 1 cup of water.
When it boils and the tea has a nice dark colour than add some milk.
The colour should be light brown after ading the milk, so dont add 2 much or 2 less.
The colour should be like in the picture below.



2. Now crash some cardamom seeds ( i take mostly 2 or 3) and add them to the tea.
Add some cinnamon powder ( or fresh cinnamon stick) and a tiny peace of ginger ( fresh or dryd)

3. Now let the mix cook for some time, when it boils turn the heat low and let it simmer for a little bit (maybe 2 min, this isnt necessary but maked the taste much better)

4. Add sugar and than sieve it into a cup.
And enjoy it :)

Now some about the lovly spices used in this drink.
Lets start with cinnamon, which we all know and love in our sweets.
And that the health benefits:

Cinnamon has been reported to have remarkable pharmacological effects in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance.
Cinnamon has traditionally been used to treat toothache and fight bad breath and its regular use is believed to stave off common cold and aid digestion.



Cardamom
I just adore this spice, its one of my favourite and i love it in coffee, sweets and chai of course.
Health benefits:

Its used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation of eyelids and also digestive disorders. It also is used to break up kidney stones and gall stones, and was reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom.



Ginger
I normally use this one i main dishes, in the beginning i didnt like dthe taste, but i got used 2 it and now i like it :)
health benefits:
Ginger has been found effective in multiple studies for treating nausea caused by seasickness, morning sickness and chemotherapy.
And Ginger may have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties that may make it useful for treating heart disease.
In Arabic, ginger is called zanjabil and in some parts of the Middle East ginger powder is used as a spice for coffee ( not in my coffee though).