5 Indian Spices You Should Add to Your Grocery Shopping List Today

Indian food, curry food. Whatever you name it. Indian food is incomplete without spices. Do you know which Indian spices to stock up on? Where can you find the perfect spice mix for your next Indian recipe? Read here to know more.

Although there are several regional kinds of Indian food (no surprise, given the size and diversity of the beautiful nation), the warm, flavourful Indian spices and seasonings are nearly always front and centre in Indian dishes. However Indian preparation doesn’t need to be limited to eating out, we also really relish the method of making certain recipes at home. Many of these things will be available in your native grocery or Indian speciality store.

So, we’ve rounded up some of the most essential Indian spices, where you'll be able to find them, and what other dishes you can include them in (because, why get something you’ll never use?!)

Garam masala

If you’ve ever tried your hand at Indian food, you’ll most likely find this Indian spice, garam masala, that is really a phrase meaning “hot spice mix.” It’s generally made from a mixture of ingredients including cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, dried chilli, nutmeg, and mace. Order Indian groceries online here

Cardamom

In Indian cooking, the sweet-scented flavour of cardamom is used, most often in the form of a green or black pod. From flavouring basmati rice to curries and stews, cardamom pods are an important ingredient in the Indian pantry. They are normally crushed to release flavour, then stirred into the dish throughout the cooking method to infuse their signature aroma into recipes like in this basic tikka masala recipe.

Mustard seeds

Unsurprisingly, given the name, mustard seeds are where your everyday dijon and yellow are derived from (hello there popular condiments!). But there are many alternative kinds of mustard seeds, all of that are employed in Indian cooking.

Turmeric

This bright yellow spice really comes from a root (which you can notice in some grocery stores). It’s got an aromatic, and slightly bitter flavour, and provides the colourful hue you see in almost every Indian food. Called haldi in India, it’s additionally a superb medicinal ingredient and used widely in Indian food to flavour lentils (dal), rice, and curries.

Cumin

Chances are, you almost certainly already have cumin in your arsenal of spices, as it’s a preferred ingredient in all types of cuisines, most typically Mediterranean and middle-eastern. Referred to as jeera in Indian spices context, cumin is a warm, somewhat pungent spice which will be procured ground or in seed type.

This is not a complete list of the Indian spices though. We will be keeping you posted about more Indian spices you can add to your shopping list.