Learning the Indian Spices

Welcome to my spice cabinet.  You'll notice that everybody is in a matching container. I've employed the same organizing design principle to my spices that I've used in my freezer: Using standard sized containers saves space! 

Now, meet the Indian spices. From left to right: Madras Curry Powder, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Coriander, Cumin, Cardamom Pods, and Black Mustard Seeds. Don't be scared.

Lets take them one by one. 

• Madras Curry: I use Sun Brand, which lists the ingredients as Coriander Seeds, Turmeric, Chilies, Salt, Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Black Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Cloves, Anise, and Mustard. This spice is piquant and peppery, so go slow when you add it.
• Turmeric: This spice comes from another plant in the Ginger family, which is dried, oven roasted and ground into a powder. This spice has a pungent flavor, and is used as a dye, so be careful not to spill (or use wooden utensils) because it will stain. I use small amounts.
• Garam Masala: In Hindi, garam means "hot" and masala means "mixture". Garam Masala is a mixture of a number of other spices and the variation varies from north to south in India, and from family to family. Typically, garam masala includes black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, black, green and brown cardamom pods. These are roasted together and ground. We've tried several brands but keep coming back to Williams-Sonoma's version (believe it or not). Your local Indian grocery will likely have several varieties to try.
• Coriander: Coriander is the dried, ground seeds of our favorite herb, cilantro!
• Cumin: The cumin plant grows from the east Mediterannean to India, which explains it's appearance in a variety of cuisines. The Spanish brought it to the Americas, which led to our preference for it in our modern day chili recipes. Cumin also has a peppery, pungent flavor, so add to taste.
• Cardamom Pods: Cardamom is often used in sweet dishes and appears in Nordic baked goods. I first had cardamom in a Finnish easter bread. We add it to our spicy chick peas where it helps bring out the sweetness of the sweet potato along with the rich flavor of the garam masala.
• Black Mustard Seeds: According to Wikipedia, four of the major religions include references to mustard seeds. Mustard seeds have the sharp flavor of our common mustard. I use only a few, and heat them in oil till they pop.

Now you've met the spices - time to experiment!