Recipes

These recipes show how Indian spices behave in a pan: jeera in ghee, mustard in oil, garam masala at the end. They are cooking notes, not diet advice. Quantities assume whole or freshly ground spices — old supermarket dust will taste flatter.

• Jeera rice

  North Indian — Basmati tempered with cumin seeds.

• Dal tadka

  North Indian — Lentils finished with a spice tempering.

• Biryani

  Indian — Layered rice; spices vary by region.

• Everyday Indian curry base

  Indian — Cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli as a starting masala.

• Masala chai

  Indian — Tea spices; recipes vary by household.

• Sambar

  South Indian — Lentil-vegetable stew with tamarind and mustard tempering.