The spice box

Here's something I can't live without - my stainless steel spice box. You'll find one in every Indian kitchen. Growing up, I would watch my mum create delicious meals with hers and when I got married, my mother-in-law gave me my very own masala dabba to fill up with my everyday essentials.

Here's what my spice box contains (starting from the top and moving clockwise):

MUSTARD SEEDS
CUMIN SEEDS (JEERA)
CORIANDER AND CUMIN POWDER (DHANA JEERU)
TUMERIC (HALDI)
RED CHILLI POWDER
ASAFOETIDA (HING)
and in the centre, CINNAMON STICKS & CLOVES

There are no rules about what a spice box should contain - these are just the ingredients I use most often when making a curry. As I only love experimenting with non-Indian cooking too, I do require an overflow area though:

This drawer houses all the extras I may need, such as garam masala, fenugreek seeds, sumac, whole peppercorns, lemon pepper, chilli flakes, dried oregano and of course the all-important salt.

If you love making curry, or want to start, I highly recommend arming yourself with a masala dabba. They're available online or in many Asian grocery stores. Let me know how you get on!

S