By Niveditha Kalyanaraman
October 6th, 2023
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Combining traditional spices to produce beautiful cooking is an almost spiritual act and those who cook Indian food know it. Here are some common Indian spices you should know about.
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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.
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Whole, grated nutmeg is a common ingredient across India, particularly in south Indian cuisine. When used as a whole spice, you can shave it with a sharp knife.
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Mace is a webbing or leaf-like spice that wraps the nutmeg seed. Mace has a savoury, musky flavour than nutmeg, but they are similar enough that their flavours can easily be confused.
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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.
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Anise tastes like fennel, but sharper and less floral. Star anise is used in some preparations for Garam Masala. It is a delicious frying spice, and is the key seasoning of a lot of chutneys.
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Usually this powder is just called amchoor. 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.
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Asafoetida is one of many 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.
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Fennel is great as a whole spice in taarka, and is another key ingredient in the flavouring of curries. It's also a digestive after a huge meal.
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