Essential Spices in Indian cooking

Cumin seeds (jeera)  

Cumin seeds, known for their unique earthy and aromatic taste with a hint of bitterness, add a nutty flavor to any dish. They’re a staple in tempering curries and vegetables, especially in North Indian cuisine, where many recipes begin with cumin seeds sizzled in hot oil, as seen in this jeera rice recipe. Dry roasted cumin seeds, ground into powder (bhuna jeera powder), are also popular as a flavorful garnish in raitas.

Mustard seeds (rai)

While there are three mustard varieties (black, white, and brown), the black one is most widely used in cooking. Most South Indians use mustard seeds for tempering instead of cumin seeds. In Eastern India, mustard seeds are crushed to a paste and added to curries to intensify their flavor.

Check out this Ven Pongal recipe (a south Indian rice-lentil porridge) that uses mustard seeds for tempering.

Cumin Powder (jeera powder)

Roast whole cumin seeds and powder them in a spice grinder or buy ground cumin powder. Either way, cumin in both its forms – whole and powdered is a must-have spice in your kitchen pantry. It is used along with coriander powder to enhance the flavor of curries and dals.

Most North Indian curries call for this spice powder combination to be added once the onions and tomatoes are fried in oil. Use this spice powder to make this dal fry recipe.

While you can buy this spice powder from a store, here’s an easy recipe to make cumin/jeera powder at home.

Coriander powder (dhania powder) 

Coriander (the spice in powdered form and the herb) is used to season most curries, chutneys, and vegetable dishes. Coriander powder is usually added along with cumin powder in North Indian curries. You could do a 1:1 ratio or 1:2, using two teaspoons of coriander powder for every teaspoon of cumin powder.

It is super easy to make coriander powder at home, and here’s a quick recipe for you to try – Homemade coriander powder.

Chili powder 

Chili powder is a must for most Indian meals and can liven up any meal when used in moderation. Chili powders can be of various varieties, but the two common forms are Kashmiri (mild and used to impart color) and cayenne (extremely hot).

Turmeric powder 

Turmeric, one of the key ingredients in Indian cuisine, is used in most preparations of vegetables and dals/lentils (except greens) to enrich the curries with its fragrance and yellow color. This versatile spice is also known for its medicinal properties and is often used as an antiseptic for minor cuts and burns.

Garam masala powder

A popular spice blend in Indian cooking, garam masala is commonly used in biryanis and north Indian dishes to add warmth. You can make it at home or get storebought. It is mostly added as a garnish after the cooking process is complete. There are exceptions, though, like this shrimp biryani, where the spice is added during cooking.

Asafoetida (Hing) – It is a resin popularly used in its powdered form to flavor curries. It is often used in lentil dishes to avoid flatulence. Hing is usually introduced in the dish during the tempering process. It is mostly used in South Indian and Western cooking. Jains (who don’t eat onions and garlic) often use asafoetida as a substitute due to its strong flavor. Tip – use it sparingly.

Whole dried chilies – The few commonly found varieties of dried whole chilies are Kashmiri, Boriya, Byadgi (these are the ones I stock at home). Kashmiri and Byadgi chilies are mild chilies, and they are known for their deep red color. They are mostly used in tempering. Boriya is medium spicy and is ground to make chili flakes (commonly known as paprika). Byadgi and boriya chilies are especially popular in south Indian homes and are used to temper sambar and rasam.

Black peppercorns – Whole black peppercorns are used to give the dish an instant lift, making it popular with most cuisines in the world. Peppercorns and the next six ingredients are the essential spices commonly used to make biryanis. They are added to hot oil to unlock their flavors as part of the tempering process.

Cloves – Whole cloves, considered rich in flavor, are added to biryanis or curries for their aroma.

Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini) – Available in sticks as well as in powder form. The sticks are used in curries and biryanis, and the powdered form is used in sweets and baked goods. Look for the Ceylon cinnamon (it is more expensive than cassia and flavorful).

Bay leaves – They have a sweet, woody aroma and slightly pungent flavor. They are added more for the fragrance than the flavor.

Black cardamom – An essential ingredient in garam masala, with its sweet and nutty aroma, black cardamom adds a nice flavor to biryanis.

Green cardamom – This extremely aromatic and versatile spice is used in sweets like Shrikhand and Kalakand. It also makes its way into our daily tea and even biryanis.

Carom seeds (Ajwain) – When crushed, carom seeds give a strong and distinctive fragrance that enhances the dish’s aroma and flavor. We love adding it to parathas, theplas, and even curries like this dum aloo.

Fenugreek seeds – From tempering dals to making sweets, fenugreek seeds are widely used in South Indian dishes.

Coriander seeds – Just like cumin seeds, they are available in whole as well as in powdered form. Dry roast them and grind them to make a fragrant mix right at home. It is a key ingredient in many spice mixes, such as garam masala, Kundapur masala, and Sambar powder.

Black salt – A pungent-smelling condiment that is actually more pink than black in color. This high sulfur content salt is added to any street food or raitas to perk it up.

Dried methi leaves (Kasoori methi) – Fresh fenugreek leaves are sun-dried to make kasoori methi. These aromatic leaves make for perfect garnishes in butter chicken or paneer makhani. I love to dry roast them for 30 seconds or so before adding them as a garnish.

Dried Mango powder (Amchur powder) – Amchur is made from sun-dried raw, green mangoes. They are used very much like limes to add tang to any dish. If you are running out of channa masala powder, a tiny bit of amchur makes for a good substitute. Use it in this chana masala recipe.

Fennel seeds – The seeds have a warm, sweet, and intense flavor when used whole or powdered. They are used in baked goods, desserts as well as to add a zing to roasted veggies.

Saffron (Kesar) – It is often used to color the rice in the biryanis or as a garnish in desserts. It has a strong, intense aroma, so when it comes to saffron, less is more.

Sesame seeds – These black or white colored seeds are known for their warmth, and that’s why it makes their way in laddoos and chikkis.

Poppy seeds(khus-khus) – They have a distinct nutty aroma and are used to add texture to dishes, be it flatbreads or curries.

Whole nutmeg or nutmeg powder – Nutmeg powder is sweet, aromatic, and often used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Pomegranate seeds – It is used to add tang to chutneys and curries.

How to use spices in Indian cooking?

This is the process most Indians follow when cooking with spices. The sequence may sometimes vary depending on the dish, and there will be variations from one household to the other. 

1. Start with heating oil over medium heat. 
2. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices such as mustard and/or cumin seeds first (along with asafoetida). This is called the tempering process. If you are using other whole spices along with mustard/cumin seeds, wait until these spices have started to sputter (in the case of mustard seeds) or sizzle (in the case of cumin seeds). The reason is mustard/cumin seeds take the longest to cook, and you don’t want your other spices/dals (whole chilies, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, whole cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, curry leaves, etc.) to get burnt. 
3. Add onions along with ginger/garlic paste/green chilies if using. Fry till the onions have softened and turned translucent.
4. Add spice powders (cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder) and salt. Fry them for about 30 seconds. 
5. Add tomatoes. Fry them until they turn soft and mushy and oil leaves the sides. (Note – Sometimes I add the spice powders and tomatoes together). 
6. Add meat or vegetables. 
7. Add garam masala and/or lime juice at the end once the cooking is complete. Mix well. 
8. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.