A beginner’s guide to Indian cooking. Start with these six essential Indian spices.
So you want to learn how to make Indian food, but… where to begin? What to buy? All those spices with unfamiliar names. Recipes with a million steps, so much stuff to buy and prep, and so many places to mess things up. What the hell is garam masala again and is that even legal in my state?
The good news is that it’s actually not very hard, time consuming, or inconvenient to make delicious, healthy Indian food. All you need is a small set of essential Indian spices and a few ingredients that you might already have in your pantry and fridge. In this post, I’ll cover the essential spices to have in your pantry make a ton of different dishes. As you get experience and have a few dals and curries under your belt, you can get really crazy with unique and exotic spices, but start here and you’ll be good, trust me.
But first let’s get something out of the way: there’s no such thing as Indian food. *gasp* Let me rephrase that: Indian food can vary widely across regions and the country. After all, India is a huge country with a massive amount of diversity in cultural influences, religious customs, natural resources and climate. With that said, there are certain common ingredients, techniques, and preparations that tend to prop up quite ubiquitously across the country. For example, most regions will have their version of dal, a spiced lentil stew. Also, yogurt and rice are items that you can find widely across India.
The list of spices:
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Cumin Seeds
If you are going to start anywhere with Indian spices, start with cumin seeds. These things are nutty, peppery, and provide a familiar warmth that underlies a LOT of Indian dishes. To bring out their flavor, they are usually toasted in oil or dry-roasted. They are also super cheap and available nearly everywhere. Also, for recipes that call for cumin powder instead of seeds, grind the seeds in a coffee/spice grinder or mortal & pestle and you’re good to go.
Mustard Seeds
Aromatic and pungent, mustard seeds are an essential component in many different preparations. Like with cumin seeds, heat helps open up the flavor and aroma of these guys. Mustard seeds are commonly heated in oil until sputtering and then added to dishes as a tempering. Make sure to get black mustard seeds instead of the yellow ones, which are more common in Western cuisine.
Order fresh mustard seeds here.
Coriander Powder
Earthy and citrusy, coriander powder is another must-have to get started cooking Indian food. It is used in tons of dishes to add a really pleasant and gentle backbone of flavor. If you have a coffee/spice grinder that you are willing to use, get whole coriander seeds instead to ensure maximum freshness. Then dry-roast and grind to a powder yourself. But no worries if not, you’ll be fine with just getting the powder.
Order fresh coriander powder here.
Turmeric Powder
The most visually recognizable Indian spice, this stuff is roaringly bright and vibrant, with a slightly bitter flavor. It’s a key coloring agent in many dishes, and you may never get it off of your clothes if you spill some on you. Essential not only for its coloring and flavoring role, turmeric has long been regarded as having many health benefits. And modern research into curcumin (active component of turmeric) is corroborating these claims, especially with regards to anti-inflammation and anti-cancer effects.
Order fresh turmeric powder here.
Garam Masala Powder
Garam masala is a generic term for a blend of spices. In general garam masala will have a mix of various aromatic spices like peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, etc. Garam masala is frequently added towards the end of cooking to give the dish a nice pop of aroma and flavor. If you are starting from scratch with essential Indian spices, garam masala is like a “hack” for your cooking and will get your meals tasting closer to restaurant-quality than you may have thought possible.
Order fresh garam masala powder here.
Red Chili Powder
Bring on the heat. Probably obvious, but red chili powder is used to add heat (and color) to dishes. There are different kinds of powders based on heat level and color, but start with any basic red chili powder from the store. You can also use cayenne if that’s more easily accessible.
Order fresh red chili powder here.
Alrighty then. Once you have these essential Indian spices, you will be ready to make an incredible amount of delicious meals. Of course there are some non-spice essentials as well, such as garlic, ginger, oils, and whatnot which I’ll go over in a separate post. In the meantime…
Get started with some simple, healthy, and delicious recipes:
The recipes below use just the spices in this post:
- Yellow Dal: You will find some sort of dal in nearly any house or restaurant in India. This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients but packs a lot of flavor and nutrition. You can use red chili powder instead of the dried red chilis that this recipe calls for.
- Chana Masala: A little more complicated than dal, but well worth it! Garbanzo beans, tomatoes, spices in a hearty and comforting bowl of awesome.
- Tofu Bhurji (scramble): This is a really easy way to make tofu taste awesome. Vegan-friendly!
- Cumin Rice: Aka “jeera rice”, this is an extremely easy way to make plain rice look and taste like it does at a restaurant.
- Raita: Often served as a side to balance out the spiciness of curries, this takes just a few minutes to make.
If this Indian cooking 101 stuff is too basic for you and you’re ready for a challenge, try my Kale Dal recipe. You can omit the asafoetida if you don’t have it.
Garnish with chopped green onions and dig in.
What are some of your favorite simple dishes to make with these spices? Do you have any other essential Indian spices that you think are essential to an Indian kitchen? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’ve got a hang of these spices and want to take your Indian cooking to the next level, read Part 2 of this series: MORE BASIC INDIAN SPICES | A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO INDIAN COOKING PART 2
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