Recently, the woman known worldwide as the Spice Goddess perched on a dining room chair, a panorama of the Chesapeake Bay at her back, and said something seemingly blasphemous.

Bal Arneson – the author of three Indian cookbooks, the James Beard award finalist whose television shows air in 40 countries worldwide, the woman who dishes accessible recipes for zucchini paneer and samosas to the masses – believes that the highest use of spice is not for flavor.

Rather, it’s for health.

Got an ankle sprain?

Mix a little turmeric and mustard powders with oil and slather it on.

Got nerves? Stir some turmeric and fennel into steamed milk.

A touch of the blues? Take a tonic of turmeric, ground fenugreek, cardamom, lemon, mint and honey.

The latter elixir, the Spice Goddess said, buoyed her spirits daily in the aftermath of divorce.

“If it wasn’t for spices, I would have had a nervous breakdown,” she said. “Without my spices, I’m lost.”

The “beautiful flavors” of spices she considers a bonus.

In late July, Arneson took to the kitchen at the Westminster-Canterbury retirement community in Virginia Beach to give the culinary staff a short course on preparing simple, healthy – even healing – Indian food.

The health benefits and the flavors, she said, make Indian food perfect for today’s American seniors, who have far more sophisticated palates than did generations past.

“The belief that seniors want food that is boring or bland no longer exists,” said Westminster-Canterbury Executive Chef Peter Tseng, who regularly includes ethnic items on his menus alongside traditional fare. “Our diners… expect to see variety on our menus, too.”

But when it comes to Indian food, there’s often a barrier.

“People think Indian food is spicy,” Arneson said. “There is no heat to Indian food. Indian food is flavorful.”

As a young girl in her native village in India, Arneson learned her way with spices while cooking over coals in a small clay pit, propelled to keep at it by her elders’ promise that girls who cook well fetch good husbands.

Although her family was poor, everything was fresh, the spices toasted and ground by hand. She learned to form the perfect ball to form the perfect roti, a round, flat, aromatic bread, another skill that could lead to matrimony.

Later, an arranged marriage brought Arneson to Canada, where her then-mother-in-law opened a kitchen cupboard stocked with canned goods and introduced her to raw materials, North American-style.

Arneson had never seen canned food but dutifully attempted to open a can with hammer and nail.

Arneson tells the story in a caramel smooth voice and a little later, stands before a makeshift stage in Westminster-Canterbury’s bayfront dining room to give a cooking demonstration to a few dozen residents.

She starts with samosas, a savory tart that will be filled with chickpeas, brown rice and cranberries.

Arneson adds whole-wheat flour, kosher salt, cumin seed, olive oil and water to a bowl, then plucks two seniors from the audience, both named Shirley, to help.

One starts mixing the aromatic dough, the other turns balls of it into round circles using a rolling pin. Meanwhile, Arneson talks about ways to vary the recipe, substituting other spices, and noting that paprika can aid in circulation.

She stops for a moment to check the progress of her helpers, and channels her own elders.

“If you know how to make good dough,” she tells the Shirleys, “you will get a good husband.”

Lorraine Eaton, 757-446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com

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Bal’s No Butter Chicken

Makes: 4 servings

2 tablespoons canola oil

1-1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon garam masala (recipe follows; can substitute store-bought variety)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1/4 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup water

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it starts to get hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook for 4 minutes, or until the onion is golden.

Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, cumin seeds, garam masala, red pepper flakes, turmeric and salt, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken cubes, and stir well to coat. Add the yogurt and water and cook, stirring until the chicken is done, about 8 minutes.

Serve the chicken with roti or rice.

Source: Chef Bal Arneson

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Garam Masala

Makes: 3 tablespoons

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Source: Chef Bal Arneson

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Chef Bal’s Baked Samosas

Makes: 8 samosas

For the pastry:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

Combine the flour, salt, cumin seeds and oil in a medium bowl. Mix until the oil is evenly distributed.

Mix in the water, and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is smooth and has the consistency of bread dough. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

1-1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup steamed brown rice

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon garam masala

1/2 ounce tamarind pulp

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced

1/8 teaspoon cumin seed

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Grapeseed oil

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, brown rice, cranberries, garam masala, tamarind pulp, crushed coriander, chili pepper, ginger, cumin and salt. Mix until the garam masala is evenly distributed.

Divide the dough into four pieces, and roll each into a smooth ball. Using your hands, form each ball into a flat disk. Dust a working surface with flour so the dough doesn’t stick and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll a disk into a thin patty like a tortilla and cut the circle in half.

Take one of the half circles and make a cone shape, starting at the center of the cut side to make the point of the cone and then wet the edges with a little water to glue the overlapping edges together.

Put 1/3 cup of filling into the cone, moisten the top of the inside edges and close the cone, pressing the edges to seal it. Brush with grapeseed oil on each side of the samosa and then place it on a baking sheet.

Repeat the process to make remaining samosas. Place the samosas in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.

Serve as an appetizer with Mint and Mango Chutney (recipe follows).

Source: Chef Bal Arneson

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Mint and Mango Chutney

Makes: 13 ounces

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup ripe mango chunks

1/2 teaspoon plus 1?8 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon plus 1?8 teaspoon mild curry

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cilantro

1-1/2 tablespoons red onion, diced

Pinch red chili flakes

1 lemon, juice and zest

3 tablespoons, plus 1/2 teaspoon water

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor. Serve as a condiment alongside samosas.

Source: Chef Bal Arneson