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Beginner's Basics:  The Indian Spice Tin

1/17/2014

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My mom, mother-in-law, and all my female relatives in India keep a "masala dabba," or spice tin.  Typically the tin is made of stainless steel and contains seven separate cups  to keep various spices.  Of course, you can keep more spices than that in your home; but this gives the cook easy access to the spices she uses most frequently.  You can purchase your own masala dabba here and here and receive free shipping!

When I started this project, I asked my mom what seven spices I should keep in my masala dabba; of course, every cook has a different idea of what spices are the most necessary, but these seven are the most necessary to my mom (and by extension, to me):
  • haldi (turmeric powder)
  • lal mirch (red chili powder)
  • amchur (mango) powder
  • sarson (mustard) seeds
  • jeera (cumin) seeds 
  • roasted jeera (cumin) powder
  • roasted dhania (coriander) powder  
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Here are some examples of other spices which an Indian cook may keep handy:

  • garam masala (curry powder)
  • methi (fenugreek) powder
  • hing (asafoetida) powder
  • bay leaves
  • elaichi (cardamom)
  • saunf (fennel seeds)
  • gurl (jaggery, or unrefined cane sugar)

There are too many herbs and spices used in Indian cuisine for me to list them all, but the ones I have listed above are a good starting point.

My mom believes the key to dhania powder and jeera powder is to roast the whole spices yourself and then grind them into spices.  It is a simple process that requires a bit of heat and some elbow grease.

When my husband and I returned from India a few months ago, we stopped in Dubai and spent some time in the local spice market and I purchased my first mortar and pestle.  I can't believe I ever lived without one of these!  It is a great tool for grinding fresh spices.
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The process is the same for dhania (coriander) and jeera (cumin); I have shown the steps using jeera.  First, measure the jeera seeds using whatever container you will store the powder in.  Then heat the jeera in a pan over low heat.
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Once the jeera is fragrant and turns a golden brown, remove the jeera into a mortar (or spice grinder) immediately.  If you do not remove it from the pan, it will continue to roast.
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You can always buy jeera powder and dhania powder from the store just as you buy the other spices; however, my Mom says that for these two spices, doing it yourself really improves the taste of your dishes.

Happy seasoning!
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7 Comments
Roma Bhatt
2/3/2014 03:58:17 pm

Love this post! So helpful to have a simplified list of the most common spices as it sometimes gets confusing to distinguish between the Indian and English translations. Thank you!

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Juhi
2/4/2014 03:43:08 am

Thanks, Roma! I agree; there are so many different spices, and so many names for the different spices in various languages, that it gets confusing! Thanks so much for reading :)

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Erin
8/21/2015 03:41:01 am

thank you for the picture with the labels! i have been living in india for 5 months and seen the masala dabba at every single house, but never knew what exactly was in them. i appreciate the enlightenment!

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    Exploring Indian cuisine and trying to learn the recipes of my family. I hope to help and inspire others along the way.

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