the masala dabba in a browser Β· 30 most-used spices.
The Indian kitchen's identity is in its masala dabba β a circular steel box with 7 little cups of spices. Below: the 30 most common spices, grouped by role. Whole spices get tempered in hot oil (tadka/chhonk). Ground powders layer later. Some do both. A good cook knows when to bloom a spice and when to hold back.