Spotlight on Spice: How to Build an Indian Pantry

basic indian spices of Turmeric, Cumin, Red Chili Powder, Dry Whole Chili, Coriander, Mustard Seeds, Garam Masala, Fenugreek Seeds
 "The Workhorse Spices" for Indian dishes

With all the wonderful flavors in each dish, it is easy to have an appreciation for Indian food. However, this appreciation usually does not reach beyond eating at an Indian restaurant (or for the lucky ones, at an Indian friend’s house for a home cooked meal). Apprehension keeps us from the kitchen. All those ingredients; all those spices…

Luckily, Tanvi grew up next door to a friend who represents pretty much all of us – someone overwhelmed at the idea of cooking Indian food, but craving the home cooked flavors enough to give it a try. Of course, with a little help from an expert. 

On her new blog, ‘The Hathi Cooks’, Tanvi takes us beginners through a Culinary & Cultural journey of Indian cooking with her four-part series – How to Build an Indian Pantry:

Part 1 – Dry Spices
Part 2 – Garam Masala
Part 3 – Fresh/Wet Spices

She not only provides a thorough guide for any cook ready to take that first step into making Indian food – with the maze of colorful spices – but also represents her culture through the stories she shares, like the history of her family’s homemade garam masala recipe.

homemade garam masala with nutmeg, coriander, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin
Homemade Garam Masala

On Season with Spice, these are the stories we want to highlight. And therefore, today, we are launching, Spotlight on Spice, where we will select a fascinating article or idea to share with you.
 
And what better place to launch Spotlight on Spice than from a kitchen full of Indian spices?  So the next time you have that Indian food craving, take a break from your favorite restaurant, and head over to where The Hathi Cooks.

All images in this article are courtesy of The Hathi Cooks