Masala Dabba / Spice Box

Indian Spice Box

Indian cuisine is known for its variety of spices used which are not only a treat for our taste buds but have numerous health benefits too. Most Indian kitchens have a special container called ‘masala dabba’ to store essential spices. It is typically a round, deep stainless steel container, fitted with seven bowls, each filled with a different spice and the whole box is covered with a glass lid. For any Indian cook, the spice box is one of most prized kitchen essential.

The secret to mastering Indian home-style cooking lies in this spice box. The main idea is that you set the masala box next to your stove so you’re not struggling and looking for different spice containers while the oil is at its perfect temperature. Since timing is the key in Indian cooking, it’s important to add spices in quick succession when the oil is ready to be infused with spices. The oil’s temperature has to be just right so mustard seeds pop, cumin seeds sizzle, and turmeric and red chili powders lose their raw edge without burning. The spice box is the most efficient and practical way of accessing the required spices easily: open one lid and everything you need is right there.

The contents of a spice box  vary from region to region and even from family to family. But for a beginner, a starter masala dabba should include some of the following spices :

Turmeric – the queen of spices and a must in any Indian kitchen.

Cumin seeds – good as such or dry roasted.

Carom seeds / Ajwain – digestive aid, used in stir fries and stuffed flat breads.

Mustard seeds – usually tempered in hot oil to release their aroma and flavor.

Red chili powder – for natural red color and some heat.

Cumin Powder – great over salads, stir fried vegetables or soups.

Coriander powder – an important ingredient for curries.

Garam masala – a combination of 7-9 different spices, a must for sautéed vegetables ( each Indian state has its own favorite recipe for GM)

Important tips about spices

1. Try to buy whole spices and grind them as needed using a spice grinder/coffee grinder. This is mainly because spices in their powdered form start to lose flavor in a few months.
2. Homemade powders are more potent than the store bought ones, so use sparingly. 
3. Store the spice/spice powders in airtight containers away from direct light, heat and in a cool, dry place. 
4. If you are new to Indian cooking , start cooking with only two or three spices like turmeric, cumin and garam masala.

Once you have all your spices in one place, cooking Indian food will seem less intimidating. You can easily buy spice boxes from Amazon, local Indian grocery stores or from Polka Dots and Curry. .

I really hope this brief introductory article will encourage you to try out some Indian spices. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments below.

Did you know we grind fresh spices and spice blends on a weekly basis? And these are available for sale too. Right now we have these in stock :

Garam Masala

Chana Masala

Tikka Masala ( Tandoori Spice)

Fresh Turmeric

Masala Chai Blend

Coriander

Cumin Seeds ( roasted and raw both)

Turmeric recipes:

To help you get started with spices, here are two easy recipes to incorporate turmeric in your meals.

Turmeric rice is  a very convenient way to get used to the turmeric flavor. Make rice the way you make it in your rice cooker/ stove top/ instapot – just add ½ tsp of turmeric for every 1 cup of rice. Turmeric has to added in the beginning when you add water so that it gets fully cooked along with rice.

You can also sprinkle some turmeric over your soups and stews while they are still cooking just to ensure that turmeric gets cooked.

Turmeric Tea :

Another popular recipe for the colder months is Turmeric Tea. It helps build immunity during the flu season and is anti- inflammatory too.

Ingredients for basic turmeric tea

2 cups water

½ teaspoon ground turmeric or ½ inch turmeric root

6 peppercorns,  optional

Other optional Ingredients to enhance the flavor of basic turmeric tea

½  teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder

½ inch ginger root

Basic Recipe: Take two cups of water and bring it to the boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric  or turmeric root and peppercorns. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 5 minutes. Strain this using a fine sieve. Add lemon juice,  or cinnamon powder to taste.

As a variation, about half inch of ginger root can be added along with turmeric  to the boiling water. This is the basic recipe to prepare turmeric tea. You can use different ingredients depending on your specific preferences.

Creamy Turmeric Tea: Use coconut milk or almond milk instead of water in the basic turmeric tea recipe above.

To add honey or not ??

I love my turmeric tea without any taste enhancers. Some people add honey but sugars are inflammatory in action while turmeric is anti inflammatory. So in my opinion these two should not be combined together.

A word of caution ….

Turmeric tea had in excess could cause liver damage in those who are already prone to Liver disease. It could also affect those with gallbladder disease, those who take blood thinner medications, drugs for diabetes or stomach acid-reducers. Drinking excessive turmeric tea can also cause circulatory problems.

If you try any of the recipes, do let me know how they turned out for you.

Happy Almost Autumn !!