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6 - 10 mins
22/01/2026
Can you imagine Indian dishes without their spices? It’s like making a movie with only the lead actors and none of the supporting cast. When you use spices like cardamom, jeera powder, and mustard seeds in your cooking, you're not just enhancing the flavour of your food; you're also celebrating a long-standing cultural tradition. Here’s a rundown of the Indian spices you must have in your kitchen storage.
Indian cuisine is an art form, a cultural anchor and a ritual that goes beyond mere food preparation. In the middle of all this is the traditional masala dabba or spice box. From the earthy warmth of turmeric to the rich aroma of saffron, these fundamental Indian spices are the foundation of many meals like biryani, paneer lababdar, sattu paratha and more. Stocking up on these spices guarantees that you can prepare delicious meals anytime you want.
Let’s take a look at the spices that are a must-have for every kitchen and how they can take ordinary recipes to the next level.
Calling it a cooking essential is an understatement! Turmeric powder does much more than just add colour to food. It imparts an earthy flavour and a vibrant yellow hue to dishes like Gujarati Kadhi and many gravies. Haldi is also known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and it’s even a key ingredient in drinks like haldi doodh (turmeric milk) and tea.
The magic of asafoetida, or hing, is that adding just the smallest amount to dals and meals containing lentils helps balance the flavours while also aiding the digestive process.
These round, tiny mustard seeds can be found in shades of yellow, brown, or even black. Used in tempering, they are cooked in hot oil until they crackle, imparting a pungent flavour. The distinctive taste of mustard seeds enhances pickles, curries, and spice mixes.
Dried red chillies are the basis for red chilli powder, which can vary in intensity, from moderate, like Deggi Mirch and Kashmiri Mirch, to extremely spicy, like Guntur chilli. It is an essential component of Indian cuisine, imparting spiciness and vibrancy to meals. In addition to its spicy flavour, red chilli powder is an excellent source of vitamins A and C.
No North Indian rich sabji is complete without the spice blend garam masala. Garam masala is a mix of typical ingredients like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and coriander. To maintain its strong flavour and aroma, garam masala is usually added towards the end of cooking. Garam masala has several regional variants across India.
The tiny seeds inside cardamom pods have a flavour that is both sweet and fragrant. They add flavour to savoury and sweet dishes alike and are a staple in drinks like chai and flavoured milk.
You can taste a rich blend of sweet and slight bitterness in cloves, which are dried flower buds. They are often used sparingly, just 3 to 4 pieces, in rice recipes and sweets because of their strong aroma. Their antibacterial and analgesic qualities make them beneficial.
Cinnamon sticks, whether whole or crushed, are used for their sweet and woodsy taste. They are used in sweets, drinks, curries, and as an integral part of spice mixes.
Kali mirch is recognised for its sharp and somewhat spicy flavour. It can be sprinkled, crushed, or powdered and used in a variety of cuisines. Among its many health benefits, black pepper aids digestion and soothes cold symptoms thanks to its mineral and vitamin content.
The nutty, toasty flavour of cumin seeds is perfect for seasoning food. For a more robust aroma, they are often dry-roasted before being crushed into spice mixes or used whole in tempering.
The flavour of nutmeg is somewhat sweet and comforting. Its flavour is enhanced when grated fresh and it is used in both savoury and sweet recipes. Other than that, there is also some belief that nutmeg can alleviate pain due to its high vitamin and antioxidant content.
Whether used whole or crushed, fenugreek seeds provide a somewhat bitter flavour. Spice mixes and pickles are impossible to make without them. Apart from cooking, the digestive and blood sugar-regulating properties of fenugreek have also made it famous.
Ground coriander, a must in many curries and snacks, gives a subtle citrusy taste. South Indian cuisine use coriander powder in rasam and sambar, whereas Bengali cuisine uses it in fish curries.
As a culinary colourant, saffron is widely used in Indian dishes, both sweet and savoury. It adds a luxurious flavour and vibrant colour to dishes like kheer and many Indian sweets. It also ranks among India’s most costly spices.
This bunch of spices are not only ingredients lying on the kitchen shelf; they are representative of centuries of tradition, the health advantages inspired by Ayurveda, and culinary expertise. You are not simply preparing food when you use these spices, but you are actually continuing a food narrative that has been passed down from generation to generation and is now on your plate.
