Can someone give me a basic list of spices I should buy to cook Indian food?

Question

Can someone give me a basic list of spices I should buy to cook Indian food?

Answer 1

Most Indian cooks/chefs do not use curry powder, instead we prefer to use specific blends of spices (masala) that are unique to a specific dish. These can be made fresh at home or are available in any Indian grocery stores. Larger cities even carry alot of these spices in the "Ethnic" aisle of your large supermarket.

These spices will work for all types of Indian food, not only Punjabi dishes or recipes. India has wonderful regional food from all over --- so definitely try dishes from various regions.

MUST HAVES: basic spices for any Indian dish

black mustard seeds

cumin seeds/ground cumin

coriander seeds/ground coriander

turmeric

garam masala (contains CARDAMOM!)

red chili powder (depends on your "heat" tolerance)

NICE TO HAVE SPICES: (alot of the "sweeter" spices are already in garam masala)

asafetida (hing)

cardamom (green & black pods)

nutmeg

cloves

saffron

black peppercorns

star anise

cinnamon

bay leaves

curry leaves

fenugreek seeds (methi)

FOR SOUTH INDIAN RECIPES:

rasam powder

sambhar powder

urad dal (split black gram)

Answer 2

Unless you plan to do some serious cooking, and you know you can't live without asafetida, DON'T BUY IT.  It's nickname is "devil's dung"...and it smells like that, too.  I spilled a tiny bit between my wooden floor slats, and the odor stayed there forever.  It isn't necessary if you are just starting out.

It is meant for certain dishes for specific groups who don't eat garlic/onions in their food (a couple pinches of asafetida mimic the flavor of garlic & onions).

You might need amchoor, which is mango powder.

I don't use it.

This is what I use constantly:

whole cardamom

cardamom seeds

cumin seeds

black cumin seeds

coriander seeds

fresh cilantro

black peppercorns

cinnamon sticks

whole nutmeg

whole cloves

black mustard seeds

mustard oil (if you plan to make vindaloo)

tumeric

mild red pepper (or paprika)

hot red ground pepper

tamarind paste

I also use fenugreek seeds, but not often.

I keep roasted cumin seeds around, because I use them frequently, but you might not need that.

Answer 3

I think with Coriander Seed, Cardamom, Chili, Black Pepper, Ground Turmeric , Mustard seeds , Roasted Coriander, Asafetida, Ground Cumin, Saffron, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seed, and Cinnamon you are able to make most basic Indian dishes.