Indian cooking is never complete without curries and spices. There are certain spices that form an integral part of all curries regardless of their origin or taste.
Turmeric and Chili
These spices are used in almost all Indian curries. Turmeric spice is actually a root, which is ground and the sprinkled into the curries while cooking and which provides that distinctive golden color. Red chili is dried and ground into a fine powder to be added to curries as well as many other dishes.
Garlic
Ground or sliced garlic adds its pungent flavor to most Indian curries. Dried garlic is often an ingredient in commercial mixtures of curry spices, including garam masala (see below).
Fenugreek
Known as "methi" in India, fenugreek seeds are yellow and flat. A small amount of this bitter spice adds a distinctive flavor to most curries.
Curry Powder
Most Indians make their own curry powder. Curry powders vary depending on the kind of cuisine involved (North Indian, South Indian, Mughlai, etc). The most basic curry powder involves grinding a combination of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and black pepper. It is then stored in a glass bottle.
Garam Masala
Garam masala is a combination of many Indian spices that could go into a curry, such as ground coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and peppercorns.
Asafoetida powder
This is another Indian spice, crucial to vegetarian dishes, which is made from a relative of the fennel plant. It has a pungent, almost off-putting smell that mellows while cooking and gives an onion-like flavor.
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