The beginner-friendly guide to 10 essential Indian spices for your pantry: their flavors, sourcing tips, and 30 easy recipes that use them.
How to use this guide
- Explore 10 essential Indian spices plus 5 bonus spices (if you have the space in your pantry!)
- Learn the flavor profiles of each spice
- Find out the availability of these spices in supermarkets
- Get tips on where to source your spices
- Access 30 beginner friendly recipes that use these essential spices
Choosing whole vs. ground
Before you read this list, you need to know that most of these spices can be sold whole or ground. The gist is that whole spices are going to offer the most versatility, are going to be longest lasting, and help save cabinet space whereas ground spices and spice blends offer the most convenience. If you need help on deciding what is best for you, please read my blog post on whole vs. ground spices.
10 Essential Indian Spices
Here’s my essential list of Indian spices, ranked by importance, plus 5 bonus ones. These are pantry-stable spices, separate from the other Indian pantry staples, which are covered in a different list.
1
Cumin Seeds
Summary: Warm, earthy, and nutty. Used in many different cuisines (Latin American, African, Middle Eastern) beyond Indian cooking so it's super versatile.Availability: Found in most American grocery stores and South Asian grocery stores. Cheaper and better quality to buy in bulk at South Asian grocery stores.Notes: I usually buy both the powder and the seeds OR buy a large bag of seeds and grind a portion of them into powder.
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2
Coriander Seeds
Summary: Bright, peppery, and citrusy. Used to add body/thickness to Indian gravies but is also commonly used in many other Indian dishes. Often used along with cumin.Availability: Found in most American grocery stores and South Asian grocery stores. Cheaper and better quality to buy in bulk at South Asian grocery stores.Notes: I usually buy both the powder and the seeds OR buy a large bag of seeds and grind a portion of them into powder. It is crucial to have a good spice grinder (mortar and pestle doesn't cut it for me) for coriander seeds because the exterior is tough and, if it's not ground properly, can have an unpleasant texture when eating curries.
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3
Turmeric
Summary: Earthy, slightly bitter, ginger-y, peppery. Added to various dishes for color and its complex earthy/bitter flavors, and to meats for its antibacterial properties (not a replacement for food safety protocols).Availability: Found in most American grocery stores and South Asian grocery stores. Generally cheaper and better quality to buy in bulk at South Asian grocery stores.Notes: I love making fresh turmeric powder at home using turmeric root but that requires a bit of time.
Buy Turmeric
4
Whole Black Peppercorn
Summary: Peppery (haha), subtle, prickly spice. So much versatility and can be used in virtually any cuisine.Availability: Most American or South Asian grocery stores.Notes: I don't recommend buying pre-ground pepper. It always tastes like nothing and that is why black pepper gets such a bad reputation. Buy the whole variety and you can see how complex this spice is. Buy a pepper mill to grind it on demand for eggs and beyond!
Buy Whole Black Peppercorn
5
Kashmiri Chili Powder
Summary: Adds a subtle heat and imbues curries with a brilliant red color. Read my detailed blog post on Kashmiri chili powder to learn more about it and its substitutes.Availability: Mostly found in South Asian stores.
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6
Cinnamon Sticks
Summary: Warm, sweet, woody, back of the tongue/throat warming spice.Availability: Most American or South Asian grocery stores.Notes: Although I have both variations in my pantry, I use the whole stick when I make fresh garam masala powder or if I want a cinnamon flavor that is subtle. It is also added as a warming spice in chai masala spice blends! If you tend to bake more, a ground version or grinding a portion of your sticks to have on hand may be more useful.
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7
Green Cardamom Pods
Summary: Sweet and floral. The green shell has a menthol-like sweetness while the inner black pods have a more floral sweetness. It is used in both sweet applications like chai, Indian puddings, and desserts and savory curries. Availability: Found in both American and South Asian grocery stores but usually fresher and cheaper in South Asian grocery stores. Look for pods that are greener, which indicates freshness.Notes: The green husk can be tough to break down so make sure to grind finely if using for a baked dessert. Always slightly smash the cardamom if using whole so the flavor of both the inner seeds and outer seeds can be present. Lots of Indian desserts will call for either cardamom or saffron and although they have different floral tastes, I substitute one for the other depending on availability.
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8
Black Mustard Seeds
Taste: Mild wasabi-like spice for the nose, slightly bitter. Used in tadkas for crunch and complexity.Availability: Found in both American and South Asian grocery stores.Notes: Most often when an Indian recipe calls for mustard seeds it is referring to black mustard seeds.
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9
Asafetida (Hing)
Summary: Funky, pungent, adds umami. Asafetida, also known as hing, is often used in legume-based dishes as it's thought to help digestion and used by South Asians who don't eat onion/garlic as as substitute. You can learn in depth about this spice in this blog post all about asafetida.Availability: Mostly only in South Asian grocery stores. There is sometimes a non-powdered form but I prefer the powder for its convenience.
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10
Chaat Masala
Summary: Lip-smacking and makes your mouth salivate because of its sour, sweet, and umami flavors. Technically, it's a spice blend of things like cumin, coriander, dried mango powder, black salt (kala namak), dried pomegranate seeds, and more; however, I almost never make this from scratch as there are so many dried fruit components. It is a spice blend that adds a tang to any dish but especially unlocks a whole category of Indian street food called chaat.Availability: Mostly in South Asian grocery stores.Notes: Since this is a spice blend, every brand has a slightly different taste. My go-to is the chunky chaat masala from MDH or Shaan brand. You can read even more about chaat masala in this blog post.
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BONUS SPICES
11
Fennel Seeds
Taste: Licorice-y, sweet, earthy. Added in its whole form for crunch, helps tame and round out spices in curries, helps with digestion!Availability: Most American or South Asian grocery stores. Look for fennel seeds that are greener (it indicates their freshness).Notes: Fennel seeds are way more available and useful than fennel powder.
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12
Dried Red Chili and/or Chili Powder (Hot)
Taste: Very spicy and intense heat, used in whole form for tadkas to add a subtle heat to oil. Can be ground to make an intensely hot chili.Availability: Most American or South Asian grocery stores. American stores carry chile de arbol which is similar in flavor profile but a bit hotter compared to the Indian varieties. South Asian stores may not specify the type of chili on the package but a common variety is resham patti, or the bag will indicate extra hot!Notes: I typically have both the whole variety and ground powder because I dislike regularly grinding chili powder because of the spice cloud it forms. It is different from Kashmiri chili powder as that has a subtle flavor; I always like having a spicier chili powder either from an Indian grocery store or a cayenne chili powder for that back-of-the-throat heat! I use the dried red chili in its whole form for its subtle peppery flavor in tadkas.
Buy Whole Dried Red Chili
13
Garam Masala
Summary: An iconic earthy, slightly spicy, and warm spice blend used in popular dishes like butter chicken and palak paneer. This spice blend is low on this list because it is comprised of essential spices like cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, and cloves. The majority of these spices are in the top 10 so technically you can make a basic version of garam masala from these. However, since it is used SO much I also thought it earned its spot as a spice blend that you may want to purchase yourself.Availability: Seems to be appearing in more American grocery stores spice aisles but can definitely be found in South Asian grocery stores.Notes: Every brand of garam masala has its own ratio of the different warming spices. What is fun about making it at home is that you can control your blend (make it more or less spicier with more black pepper/cinnamon, etc.).
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14
Saffron
Summary: Sweet, earthy, floral, luxurious. Saffron, also known as kesar in Hindi, is expensive and a luxury item. It perfumes any dish with a delicate floral taste. You can learn more about sourcing the right kind in this blog post all about saffron.Availability: Sometimes in American grocery stores and always in South Asian and Middle Eastern grocery stores. It is often behind the cashier's counter because it is such a luxury item so ask them if you don't see it. This is a more expensive spice and if it is not in your budget, you can always swap for green cardamom which is also floral.
Buy Saffron
15
Clove
Summary: Adds a warm, bitter, medicinal spice.Availability: Widely available in both American and South Asian grocery stores.Notes: I buy the whole form. The ground form is too potent and rarely used unless I am making a spice blend.
Buy Cloves
How to source or buy Indian spices
All of the spices I've listed above have designations for whether they are available in American grocery stores or South Asian grocery stores in your area. These days you can buy all of the spices online on Amazon. However, to source high quality spices look for the following characteristics:
- Source spices that are single origin - If you know where you got your spices and if they come from one place it is a very good sign! It is good to know the farm and farmers that your spices are from.
- Buy spices that have harvested date - Lots of the spices that sit on the shelves in grocery stores have been sitting on various shelves for YEARS! In that time, their flavors diminish. If you can see the harvest year, it is really helpful to see if the spices are fresh. Try to buy spices that were harvested within the last 3 years (obviously, the fresher the better).
- Look at and feel spices for freshness - Fresh spices like cardamom and fennel are a bright green when fresh and turn a grey/green when they are really old. If you are able to squeeze the spices, really fresh spices like black peppercorn and cloves will exude their oils, which indicate how fresh they are. The older spices do not do this. This may not be practical to do at the store, but darker spices are also a lighter brown rather than black when they are fresh! For more detailed information on sourcing each ingredient refer to the specific ingredient page like this one for saffron.
Favorite Spice Brands
My favorite spice brands that follow ethical principles and have the freshest spices often come with a bigger price tag. However, if you have the money to spare, I think they are totally worth it. Here are some of my favorites:
Tips for Storing Spices to Last Longer
- Store spices in a cool and dark place.
- Make sure to cover spices with a lid to ensure they aren't exposed to the elements.
- Remember that whole spices stay fresher longer than ground spices. Check out this post to decide whether you should stock your pantry with whole spices vs. ground spices.
- If you have the space in your fridge or freezer, you can store your more precious spices or spice blends there in a vacuum sealed pack. In practice, I don't have that kind of fridge space, but this is one way to increase their longevity.
30 Recipes using essential spices
Here are 30 recipes that use these essential Indian spices to create dishes. There of course may be Indian pantry staples (dal, tamarind) or Indian aromatics (curry leaves, fresh ginger, garlic) included in these recipes that you may need to purchase, but all of these are beginner-friendly recipes that you have unlocked with the essential spices!
Breakfasts
Lunch/Dinner
- Indian Turmeric Yellow Rice
- Keerai Paruppu in Instant Pot | Spinach Moong Dal
- Simple Moong Dal without Pressure Cooker
- South Indian Black Eyed Peas Curry with Coconut Milk | Lobia Curry
- South Indian Lemon Rice
- Mutton Bone Soup | Indian Bone Broth Soup
- Indian Curd Rice with Tadka
- Chow Chow Kootu (Chayote Squash Dal Curry)
- Cabbage Poriyal (Indian Cabbage Stir Fry)
- Kerala Style Egg Roast
- Malai Chicken Tikka Kebabs
- Kala Chana (Black Chickpea) Salad
Appetizers
Drinks
Desserts
Please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know what you thought of this article and if it was helpful to you! I always love hearing your questions and your comments 🙂 You can also follow me @moonriceshri on all platforms. I would love to hear from you.
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