26 Essential Indian Spices and Herbs For Home Cooks

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Home → Recipes → Cuisines → Asia → Indian
26 Essential Indian Spices

and Herbs
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan
Updated: Jun. 18, 2021
The fragrant spices below are an integral part of everyday Indian

cooking. Of course, there are many more herbs and spices, but
these are the ones that make Indian cuisine avorful and
famous.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an aﬃliate commission
if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of
publication.
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Ajwian Seeds or Carom Seeds

Pronounced as aj-wine, these small seeds are known for their medicinal value,
especially in curing digestive problems. In India, many medicinal concoctions
use carom seeds, but a small amount can be added as a avoring agent while
preparing the dough for Indian atbreads like poori (deep-fried Indian
atbread) and layered atbread paratha.
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Bay Leaves
Indian
bay leaves are known for their avor and fragrance. Not
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be confused
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with the bay laurel leaf, Indian bay leaves, popularly known as tej patta, are
used in the dried form widely in curries, biryanis and korma. This aromatic
leaf is also used in garam masala. Make sure you use these spices in these
delicious Indian main dishes.
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Black Peppercorns
This
has been a stapleSave
seasoning in Indian kitchens since before
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entered the country. Both whole black peppercorns and ground pepper are
very common, but you can also see the usage of long pepper and white
pepper varieties in Indian cooking.
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Black Stone Flower

The black stone ower is one of the less well-known Indian spices but a
popular one on the Indian west coast and in South India. It is a lichen species
and popularly known as dagad phool in Marathi (the Indian language spoken in
the state of Maharashtra) and used for making goda masala.
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Cardamom (Green and Black)

You
can nd this aromatic spice
Save on in both savory and sweet dishes
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we use cardamom for kheers/sweet puddings and many other sweets (such as
besan ladoo)—either in ground form or crushed form. Both green cardamom
and black cardamom (known as badi elaichi) are used in curries, kormas,
biryanis and garam masala. (Here’s how to make kheer.)
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Cassia Cinnamon
Your kormas and biryanis would be incomplete without cinnamon or cassia
bark. The cassia bark is rough, has a bark-like structure, and is slightly milder
than true cinnamon. You will nd this at cinnamon bark in savory dishes in
India. Grab some and learn how to make biryani.
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Chili Powder and Dried Red Chilies

It’s hard to nd an Indian kitchen without dried red chilies and red chili
powder There are different varieties of red chilies like the Kashmiri red chilis
powder. There are different varieties of red chilies like the Kashmiri red chilis,
Guntur and manySave on Pinterest Next
Byadgi,
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and gravies. Dried red chilies are also used in curry pastes and spice powders.
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Cloves
Along with cardamom and cinnamon bark, cloves are an integral part of
Indian curry pastes, spice powders, biryanis, kormas and desserts. Cloves add
a distinct avor to kheer/sweet pudding, and masala chai is incomplete
without cloves. Because of its antibacterial and anti-in ammatory properties,
cloves are an essential ingredient in various medicinal concoctions and are

the best home remedy for toothaches
the best home remedy for toothaches.

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Coriander (Fresh, Whole and Ground)

Fresh herbs always enhance the avor of any dish, which holds true with
coriander leaves, too. Adding fresh coriander leaves as a garnish toward the
end enhances the avor signi cantly. Coriander leaves are used in assorted
chutneys, and the most popular one is green chutney for chaat.
The ground form of dried coriander seeds is coriander powder. You will nd
both coriander seeds and coriander powder in Indian kitchens. When making
fresh sambar masala or garam masala, we use coriander seeds, and coriander
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powder comes in handy for all Indian curries and gravies.
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Cumin Seeds
The aroma of cumin seeds sizzling in ghee is exceptional! Most Indian
tempering, or heating spices in ghee, calls for cumin seeds along with
mustard seeds. Both cumin seeds and ground cumin are used extensively in
the Indian subcontinent. Freshly roasted and ground cumin adds amazing
zing to deep-fried snacks and chaat, and many South Indian curry pastes use
cumin seeds as a key ingredient.

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Curry Leaves
This
is one of the moreSave
popular herbs of India. They are also known
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neem leaves, as they look like neem leaves but are darker in color and not as
bitter. Extensively used in South India, adding a handful of curry leaves during
tempering adds a distinct avor to curries and gravies. You can also make
chutneys and spice powders with curry leaves to eat with rice.
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Fresh Dill
You can use fresh dill leaves, popularly known as dill weed, as a avor
enhancer like cilantro. Just small amount of fresh dill leaves in upma, the
South Indian savory breakfast dish, or in atbread will intensify the avor
pro le. You can combine it with spinach and use it along with lentils or other
vegetables to make curries as well.
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Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds or saunf, as they say in Hindi, are a natural mouth freshener, and
you can chew them raw like cloves. Fennel seeds are the key ingredient in the
candied mouth fresheners that you nd in Indian restaurants. Fennel seeds
are sometimes used in tempering, but they are widely used to prepare curry
pastes, especially in South Indian cuisine and other spice mixes.
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Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves

You can nd fresh and dried fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds used in
Indian cuisine. Fenugreek is one of the ve-spice mix or the panch phoron that
is popular in East Indian cuisine. (The others are cumin seeds, nigella seeds,
mustard seeds and fennel seeds.)
Fresh fenugreek leaves can be used like spinach, and the dried ones are used
as avor enhancers and are usually added towards the end. The South Indian
sambar masala uses fenugreek seeds, and we also use it for tempering
sambar and gravies.
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Garam Masala
Garam masala is an all-in-one spice blend that enhances the avor of curries
and gravies. It’s usually made with coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom,
cinnamon, cumin and black pepper—but there is no one set recipe for garam
masala. The ingredients and the measurements vary depending upon the
region. Some roast the spices before blending and some are a raw blend of
spices.
While we can add roasted and ground garam masala towards the end of the
dish for added avor, we need to cook the unroasted blend along with the
veggies. Check out these recipes using garam masala.
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Hing/Asafoetida
Asafoetida is a dried gum or latex extracted from the ferula plant’s sap. It has
a pungent smell, with some calling it “stinking gum” for that reason. In Indian
cooking, asafoetida is added to dishes that are hard to digest, as asafoetida
aids in relieving gaseous problems.
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Kapok Buds
Kapok buds are Indian capers, and they are the dried buds of the kapok tree
or the silk cotton tree. They look like larger cloves but taste entirely different.
Kapok buds are used in the state of Karnataka to make bisi bele baath (a
curried lentil rice with vegetables).
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Mint
The refreshing herb mint
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pudina (the Hindi name) has found
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Indian kitchen in multiple ways. You can nd fresh mint chutneys, raita or
yogurt relish and salads. This herb is also used in biryanis and pulao, and you
can nd different variations of mint pulao or mint rice across India.
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Mustard Seeds
The mustard is a plant with two purposes: the seeds are used as a spice and
the greens are edible. The famous Punjabi dish saag is prepared with mustard
greens. Mustard seeds come in two colors: black/brown and yellow. The black
ones are widely used for tempering; the yellow mustard seeds are among the
panch phoron spice mix’s ve spices.
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Nigella Seeds
Nigella seeds or kalonji (Hindi name) are often confused with black sesame
seeds. Even though they look similar, the avor pro le is entirely different. The
seeds. e t oug t ey oo s a , t e a o p o e s e t e y d e e t. e
seeds have a slight
nigella
Share onion
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tastes to curry and gravy. These nigella seeds are an integral part of the Indian
pickle masala popularly known as the achari masala.
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Nutmeg & Mace

Mace is the lacy outer cover of the nutmeg seed. The dried mace is used as
part of spice blends and biryanis, whereas nutmeg is used in desserts. A small
amount of nutmeg is suf cient for avoring the dishes. This is the tool you
need to grate fresh nutmeg.
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Poppy Seeds
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In India, ground white poppy seeds are popular. The poppy seeds are ground
with other spices and used in korma in South Indian curries. The famous
Bengali dish posto also uses poppy seed paste. Apart from savory dishes, the
ground paste is also used for avoring drinks like thandai.
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Saffron
Saffron is the world’s expensive spice. It comes in small threads known as
saffron strands. Saffron is slightly crushed and soaked in lukewarm water or
milk to release its full avor and color. Like cardamom and cloves, you can
nd saffron being used in both sweet and savory dishes. Be it in Indian kulﬁ
(ice cream), kheer or dum biryani, saffron always adds rich avor and color.
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Sesame Seeds
These tiny oil rich seeds are rich in calcium and you can nd both white and
These tiny oil-rich seeds are rich in calcium, and you can nd both white and
sesame seeds widely
black
Share used in Indian cuisine. What’s the difference?
Black sesame seeds are unhulled, and the white ones are hulled with the
skins removed.
Toasted and ground sesame seeds are combined with jaggery for the famous
Indian dessert laddu. You can nd different variations of these desserts across
India. Learn more about laddus and other food served at Diwali.
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Star Anise
Star anise, the pretty-looking star-shaped spice, is commonly called star anise
seed or Chinese star anise. This licorice- avored spice is used in different spice
blends and also in kormas and biryani.
It even has medicinal bene ts. Star anise is a good source of shikimic acid
used in the manufacturing of Tami u, a u treatment medicine.
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Turmeric
This golden spice is one of the quintessential ingredients in the Indian

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RECIPES DINNER EASY RECIPES SHOP VIDEOS SUBSCRIBE

Home → Recipes → Cuisines → Asia → Indian

26 Essential Indian Spices

The fragrant spices below are an integral part of everyday Indian

Ajwian Seeds or Carom Seeds

Black Stone Flower

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD/GETTY IMAGES

Cardamom (Green and Black)

Chili Powder and Dried Red Chilies

MICHELLE ARNOLD / EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

cloves are an essential ingredient in various medicinal concoctions and are

STEFAN IRVINE/GETTY IMAGES

Coriander (Fresh, Whole and Ground)

BY EVE LIVESEY/GETTY IMAGES

EDUCATION IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Fenugreek Seeds and Leaves

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD/GETTY IMAGES

FRANK BIENEWALD/GETTY IMAGES

YURIKO NAKAO/GETTY IMAGES

Nutmeg & Mace

TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/GETTY IMAGES

RETALES BOTIJERO/GETTY IMAGES

MICHELLE ARNOLD / EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

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