Guides · 3 min read ·
Indian Spices Beyond Garam Masala: Curry Leaves, Hing, Mustard Seeds and More
A guide to the Indian spices and flavourings that Pakistani and Western kitchens rarely stock: curry leaves, hing, mustard seeds, kokum, panch phoron, Kashmiri chilli, amchur and more, with what each does and how to substitute.
If you already cook Pakistani or North Indian food, your spice box probably has cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chilli and garam masala. Those take you a long way. But to cook South, West and East Indian food, you’ll meet a few new names. Here’s what they are, what they do, and how to substitute when you can’t find them.
Curry leaves
(kadi patta) are fragrant leaves from a small tree, nothing to do with curry powder. They’re fried in oil for a few seconds until they crackle, releasing a warm, citrusy, slightly nutty aroma. They define South Indian food: sambar, coconut chutney, upma.
Buy: fresh in Indian grocers; freeze them in a bag for months. Substitute: there’s no real substitute; leave them out rather than using dried bay leaves.
Hing (asafoetida)
is a dried resin with a strong, sulphurous smell in the jar. In hot oil it turns mellow and savoury, a bit like onion and garlic. Just a pinch goes into dals and tarkas, especially in communities that avoid onion and garlic, as in Kashmiri rogan josh.
Buy: as a yellow compounded powder. Keep it tightly sealed. Substitute: a little garlic powder or onion.
Mustard seeds
Small black or brown seeds (rai) that pop in hot oil and give a nutty, slightly pungent flavour. They start almost every South Indian . Wait until they stop popping before adding the next ingredient.
Panch phoron
is Bengal’s five-spice mix: equal parts cumin, fennel, nigella, mustard and fenugreek seeds, used whole. It’s crackled in mustard oil at the start of dishes like macher jhol. Easy to mix yourself.
Mustard oil
is pungent and nutty, used in Bengal, Kashmir and Bihar. Heat it until it just smokes to soften the sharpness. Substitute: any neutral oil, with a pinch of ground mustard seed.
Kashmiri chilli
gives a deep red colour with gentle heat. It’s why rogan josh and pav bhaji are so red without being fiery. Substitute: 2 parts paprika to 1 part regular chilli powder.
Sour flavours: tamarind, kokum and amchur
Indian cooks use many souring agents besides lemon and tomato:
- Tamarind: sweet-sour pulp, used in sambar and chutneys.
- : dried purple rinds from the west coast, used in Goan fish curry and kokum sharbat.
- : dried green mango powder, used in chaat and pav bhaji masala.
Blends to buy
Some regional blends are worth buying ready-made: , , rasam powder and goda masala. They save time and are sold wherever Indian groceries are.
Starting out
If you buy just three new things, make them curry leaves, mustard seeds and hing. With those, plus the spices you already have, you can cook most of the South Indian dishes on this site. Start with lemon rice or upma to get the hang of a South Indian tarka.
