Five Spices I Can’t Live Without

One day, a few years ago I came across an Indian cookbook in the library and brought it home. It was a chance encounter that changed so many of our cooking habits and I am forever grateful. Not only did it familiarize us with the foundations of Indian cooking it also introduced us to a whole new world of spices and cooking techniques. I’ve spoken before about how Yotam Ottolengi changed how we use fresh herbs (he often calls for astonishingly large quantities of cilantro, parsley and basil). Well Indian cooking changed how we bought and used spices.

Our spice collection is a thing of joy for me. Its not an instagram worthy spot in our kitchen. Spices are decanted into a mishmash of salvaged mason jars and repurposed olive and jam jars but I love it all the same. It brings me so much pleasure to have and use all those spices. Its what some might call “my happy place”. So I thought I’d talk a bit today about some of my favorite not-so-common spices that I think you should have in your kitchen.

Cardamom

This is quite possibly my all time favorite. I love cardamom so so much. It is a pretty common spice to use in Indian cuisine but it is phenomenal in baked goods. It works well with apples, cinnamon, pears, and oranges. It’s good to have in in ground form but also nice in its whole seed form. Leave the pods intact and use them to infuse tea or a simple vanilla custard for a lovely cardamom ice cream.

Cumin Seed

Ground cumin is a very ubiquitous ingredient in most kitchens but less common is cumin seed. This is a fun one to have on hand. When comparing ground cumin to cumin seed, the seed retains a slightly more floral taste. Also, The crunch of the seed adds a lot to a dish. You can, in some cases, substitute it for ground cumin but once you start using the whole seed, you won’t go back. It is great to add to curries and is an important ingredient in my Spiced Breakfast Potatoes.

Nigella Seed

This is one that I’ve discovered quite recently and am now addicted on. It is a jet black little seed that has a subtle smoky quality to it and could be compared to the flavor of an everything bagel. Its good sprinkled on bread and added to curried lentil soups but I simply love to sprinkle some on my eggs for breakfast.

Sumac

This one was such a fun discovery. Not only is it a beautiful looking seed, it has such an unexpected bright and zingy flavor. It is reminiscent of lemon juice with a slightly sour acididity to it. It is the main ingredient in Za'atar which is also a fun spice blend to have on hand. It is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and similar to salt, it brings out the natural flavors of the foods it is cooked with. Our favorite thing to do with it is sprinkle it on top of sweet potato fries cooked with smoked paprika and garlic. It’s the best. Try it on oven roasted chickpeas or sprinkled on top of soups.

Coriander

Ground or whole, coriander is a special one. It is used in Latin cuisine as well as European, Asian, and Indian. It is the seed of the cilantro plant but they are not interchangeable. Cilantro has a more astringent sharp quality while coriander feels light and has a subtle lemony floral taste to it. Because of this flavor profile, I’ve been trying to find a way to inject it into different sweets, specifically an orange cake. Grind it up and add it along with cumin and lime to some refried beans to make an irresistibly good bean dip.