1. Turmeric (Haldi)
Indian
food needs turmeric. Turmeric, a ground spice, has an earthy supporting
flavour. Of all the spices used in Indian cooking, this one has huge health
benefits, and an astounding yellow colour. Usually only a teaspoon is used to
flavour and colour a dish for a family of four. If used for health purposes,
make sure to include at least a dash of black pepper in your recipes. Turmeric
is a great anti-inflammatory, but without the pipeline from black pepper, its
effects are diminished.
2. Cumin (Jira)
Cumin
seed is a spice with a flavour profile a little like caraway or dill, and is a
staple of Indian cooking and curries. Generally, cumin seeds are best used
whole, and fried in oil at the beginning of a dish (the process called taarka).
At a higher heat, cumin seeds will turn brown quickly, in 15 or so seconds. Make sure you don’t burn them, and when they start to pop, you know they're done. Ground cumin powder is also an essential spice used in India, and is one of the key ingredients in garam masala spice mix.
3. Green Cardamom
You
can’t mistake the flavour of green cardamom. It tastes a lot like eucalyptus
(and hence like many cough losanges) owing to a compound called
cineole. It's great fried in hot oil at the beginning of cooking an
Indian dish. Usually between two and six whole cardamom pods are what you will
find in an Indian recipe.
4. Coriander
Coriander
is the seed of cilantro, and is one of the most essential spices in our list.
This seed has an aroma like citrus mixed with some leafy, woody notes, and is
used in many dishes including Madras and Vindaloo. Ground into powder just
prior to adding to a sauce is the best way to use coriander seeds.
5. Cilantro
The
leaves of the same plant, cilantro are indispensable as a flavourful garnish
for virtually any dish, but go especially well with rich, deeply-flavoured dals
and heartier meat dishes. When working with cilantro, be aware that some people
find that the flavour tastes like soap.
6. Garam Masala
India's
most famous seasoning is Garam masala. It's actually a combination of dried
spices including pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, coriander, Tej
patta, pepper, and some others. It is the used in many dishes, including Chana
Masala. Add one to two teaspoons while your onions are frying, or while your
sauce is simmering. Sometimes it's used as Garnish.
We should note that of all spices, garam masala is the most diverse. It's like no other spice in that the list of ingredients used to make it vary immensely from region to region, and hence the taste does also. Some contain mustard, some contain a lot of fennels, some just a little, but no matter what food you're eating in India, this spice, rather this mix of spices will likely be an ingredient
7. Black Cardamom (Kali Ilaachi)
Black
cardamom seeds have the same eucalyptus scent as green ones, and are one of the
most essential spices in our list. The key difference is that before being used
in food, they're dried over a fire, hence are blackened and smoky in flavour.
There
is no substitute for the unique fragrance of black cardamom. Many dishes use
them. Recipes serving about 4 people usually only use one or two black cardamom
pods whole. In Indian cooking, you'll often find these in Biriyani.
8. Ginger (Adarek)
Of
all Indian spices, Ginger is an absolutely essential ingredient for most
curries, and is one half of the recipe for ginger garlic paste, used in most food of India. It's fine to use
this spice dried. Some recipes even call for it. Most Indian dishes call for
ginger/garlic paste. If you have none, you can cut a 1–2-inch length of
raw ginger, grated or minced and cook it with your garlic after you’ve
clarified your onions. Make sure you have peeled the ginger first.
9. Garlic (Lahasun)
What's
garlic doing in a list of Indian spices? Well, it's not uniquely Indian (or
technically a spice), but it is an essential Indian seasoning.
Using garlic cloves of the size you get in commercial garlic, between 4 and 10
cloves in a 4-person recipe will give you a good hearty garlic flavor. For a
milder flavour, add it at the beginning when you start frying your onions, or
for a sharper flavour, add it after your onions are soft, giving the garlic
less cooking time
10. Asafoetida
Asafoetida (hing) is one of our favourite Indian spices. To cook with
hing, is to cook with one of the most powerful aromatic spices in the world.
To use hing, you must always add it to your frying pan when your oil or butter is hot. It should sizzle for a few seconds 5-20 before adding onions, garlic, or ginger. For a meal of four, expect to use between ¼ and ½ of a teaspoon of hing. Make sure to store it in a sealed container.
11. Fenugreek
(Methi)
One
of the subtle Indian spices is Fenugreek. Fenugreek seeds are quite bitter, but
have enormous health benefits. The leaves are a green aromatic spice and are
less prone to bitterness, and have a delicious maple-like aroma. This Indian
spice is what people say "smells like curry."
Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a
few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but
start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.
12. Mango Powder
Usually,
this powder is just called amchur. It’s one of our favourite spices and when
added to any dish, it imparts a great sourness. It's a common Indian seasoning,
and it's extremely sour.
Because this powder consists of dried mango, it is chock full of acids, and a
little goes a long way.
13. Tej Patta
In
Indian cooking, Tej Patta is used in much the same manner as European bay. It
is included as a whole leaf and usually cooked for the length of the dish,
removed just before serving. Its aromatic flavour is reminiscent of cinnamon
and clove.
Tej Patta leaves are usually added with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom
pods, and other frying spices at the beginning of a dish and browned slightly.
14. Cinnamon/Cassia Bark (Dalachini)
15. Fennel (Saunf)
Fennel
and anise both bear a strong resemblance to black licorice. Fennel is great as
a whole spice in taarka, and is another key ingredient in the flavouring of
madras and other curries. Indian restaurants often use candied fennel seed as
an after-dinner mint.
16. Star Anise (Chakra Phul)
17. Carom (Ajwain)
Carom is very strong, and used in many Indian dishes. Each tiny carom
fruit has a huge amount of thymol in it, and this gives it a flavour a bit like
thyme, but several times stronger. Using carom in breads is common
throughout India.
When used in Indian dishes, it is used in moderation, fried first
imparting a smoky flavour, and balances well with cumin seeds, mustard seeds,
and other assertive flavours like mustard, cardamom or cumin.
18. Nutmeg (Jaiphal)
Whole, grated nutmeg is a common ingredient across India, particularly
in south Indian cuisine. When used as a whole spice, you can either shave it
with a sharp knife. Use this spice by shaving the nutmeg with a sharp knife.
You can also leave the nutmeg whole or smash it into larger chunks, and use it
in a taarka step.
In south Indian cuisine and many Indian dishes, nutmeg is toasted and
ground along with coconut, sesame, and poppy seeds, and mustard seeds, along
with other spices to make masalas.
19. Mace (Javitri)
Mace is a webbing or leaf-like spice that wraps the nutmeg seed. Mace
has an even more savoury, musky flavour than nutmeg, but they are
similar enough that their flavours can easily be confused.
Mace is often fried whole, and usually one blade or leaf of mace is
enough to really impart a strong flavor.
20. Cloves (Lavanga)
If you’ve ever cooked an easter Ham, you know cloves. They're strong.
Add too much, and you will overpower other subtler flavours. Generally, for a
family-sized meal, we're using between four and ten whole cloves, depending on
the dish. They are another very important biryani ingredient. You can find
them in dishes like out Patiala chicken, in all Biryanis, and in many aromatic
Indian curries.
21. Mustard Seeds
Whether it’s brown, yellow or black, Mustard seeds are an essential
component in Indian cooking, imparting a nutty, sharp note to many curries, and
like many of the whole spices we've mentioned, they are often favoured for
cooking in oil at the beginning of preparing a recipe.
22. Black Pepper (Kala Mirch)
You all know the flavor of black pepper. It is worth noting that its
particular sharpness is unique in the pepper world. You are likely to taste the
heat of black pepper first before any other hot ingredient, and it adds a
powerful high flavour note that no other spice can hope to duplicate.
23. Indian Red Chili (Lal Mirch)
Indian red chili is a ground spice with a heat similar to cayenne pepper, though it may be hotter or milder depending on where the chilies come from and how they're grown. Typically, its flavour is more floral than cayenne, and it is a brighter red. This is also a good ingredient to add slowly at the end, when you're adjusting the heat of your dish
24. Curry leaves
By no means the least significant Indian spice, curry leaves are one of
the most enigmatic Indian spices. They are the leaves of the Murraya koenigii,
and – while available as a dried herb – are best used fresh, in the first or
second stage of cooking, fried up with onions and your tadka spices, to impart
a pungent, citrus-like aroma.
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