Most spice lists are organised alphabetically, which is useless when you are trying to work out what to actually buy. This one is grouped by what each spice does in a dish, because that is how a kitchen thinks about them.
The base spices
These go in early, in volume, and form the foundation of most gravies. If a kitchen stocks nothing else, it stocks these.
- Turmeric, haldi. Colour first, earthiness second. Used in nearly every savoury Indian dish. Quality is judged mainly on colour depth and evenness.
- Coriander, dhania. The bulk base powder in most gravies, clean and mildly citrusy. Used by the spoonful rather than the pinch.
- Red chilli powder, lal mirch. Heat and colour. Varieties differ enormously: Kashmiri is mild and deeply coloured, others are far hotter.
- Cumin, jeera. Used whole for tempering and ground as a base. Roasting before grinding is what gives ground cumin its depth.
The souring agents
Indian cooking sours dishes with dry powders as often as with liquid, which is a distinction most Western spice guides miss entirely.
- Aamchur. Sun-dried raw mango, ground. Sours without adding liquid, which is why it suits dry sabzis.
- Anardana. Dried pomegranate seed. Tart and slightly fruity, used in chole and chaats.
- Kala namak, black salt. Sulphurous and tangy rather than simply salty. The note that makes chaat taste like chaat.
The aromatics
Used sparingly, and mostly for perfume rather than flavour weight.
- Fennel, saunf. Sweet and perfumed. Used in Punjabi and Kashmiri gravies, in pickling, and served after meals.
- Carom, ajwain. Sharp and thyme-like. Worked into breads and fried batters, where its bite cuts through oil.
- Cardamom, clove, cinnamon, bay. The warm whole spices that make up most garam masala blends.
- Dry ginger, sonth. Drier and sharper than fresh ginger, used in blends and winter preparations.
The peppers
- Black pepper. Sharp and pungent, and the ground form fades faster than almost any other spice.
- White pepper. The same berry skinned, milder and cleaner, chosen where dark flecks would show.
- Yellow chilli. Milder in heat and colour, used where a dish should not turn red.
- Crushed red chilli, kutti lal mirch. Coarse flakes for visible texture and bursts of heat.
The blends
A masala is a formula, not an ingredient, and the good ones are built for a specific dish rather than for everything.
- Garam masala. Warm aromatic finishing blend, added late so the aroma survives.
- Chaat masala. Souring and finishing blend built on black salt. Sprinkled on, never simmered.
- Chana, rajma, dal makhani, sambar, pav bhaji masalas. Dish-specific blends, each weighted for what that dish needs.
- Kitchen king. The all-purpose option, for kitchens that want one blend rather than several.
Whole or ground?
Whole spices keep their character far longer, because the aromatic oils stay locked in until the seed is broken. Ground spices are more convenient and fade faster, which is why we mill against demand rather than holding long stock.
Kitchens that roast and grind in house buy whole. Retailers move more ground and blended lines, because that is what households want.
Buying in quantity
We manufacture the full range above at our unit in Batala, Punjab, in retail packs, bulk packs and cartons. Browse the spices and masalas range, or message us with the lines and volumes you need.