The spice library
The masala dabba, opened and labelled
Every spice here does a specific job — colour, heat, aroma, sourness or digestion. Tap one to read where it grows and why it goes in when it does.
Shelf by shelf
Warming spices
6 spicesThe garam masala family — bloomed in fat early to build depth and body heat.
Pungent & sharp
8 spicesBite and pepperiness, added with a timer running so they sting without turning bitter.
Aromatics
4 spicesPerfume rather than punch, usually finishing spices folded in at the very end.
Souring agents
2 spicesTamarind, amchur, kokum — the Indian answer to lemon, each with its own tail.
Colour & body
2 spicesTurmeric, Kashmiri chilli and kin, doing the visual work of a curry.
Herbal & leafy
2 spicesLeaves and seeds used fresh or tempered, closer to herbs than to ground spice.