The Art of Feeding People : North Indian: Spices, Oils, and Other Important Accompaniments.



 

Starting from outer top: Black Peppercorns, Cinnamon Sticks, Poppy Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Star Anise, Cloves, Mace, Nutmeg, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Coriander Seeds, Dried Red Chillies, Starting from inner top: Tej Patta (similar to bay leaf), Dried Ginger Powder.



Before discussing Menus that I use for North Indian dinners I first need to discuss ingredients for those who will want to cook at home. 

The first time I went shopping for the spices needed for all the recipes I had planned to cook, I nearly had a heart attack.  The only access I had was the spice aisle at my local Kroger Store.  Even if I used their Kroger brand I was still looking at a huge bill and that was even before I got the main ingredients.  Luckily Hubby took me to an Indian Grocery Store and I was able to get the basic spices at a better price, but it is definitely a sticker shock the first time trying to have a well stocked spice cabinet.

If you are starting your spice cabinet, I would recommend only purchasing whole spices, their potency lasts longer than ground.  Granted ground spices are easier to use and take less effort, but if you aren’t going to finish them within a month or so of opening, it is better to stick with the whole spices. Invest in a small dry grinder or use the grinder jar that comes with the mixer. Roasting and grinding the spices takes mere minutes. 

If you are starting your cabinet below are the top 12 whole spices I would recommend purchasing first. The first five are absolutely necessary for any Indian cooking.


  1. Cumin (jeera) 

  2. Coriander Seeds (Dhania ke beej)

  3. Whole Dried Red Chilies (Sabut Lal Mirch)

  4. Cinnamon (Dalchini)

  5. Green Cardamom (Harah Elaichi)

  6. Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)

  7. Fennel Seeds (Moti Saunf)

  8. Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Dana)

  9. Black Peppercorns (Sabut Kali Mirch)

  10. Black Mustard Seeds (Kali Sarson)

  11. Cloves (Laung)

  12. Nutmeg (Jaiphal)


Other spices and flavorings I recommend purchasing from an Indian Grocery Store.  Again the first five are what I would consider essential.  For my house I would say even the garlic and ginger are essential but there are many Indian vegetarians who do not eat onions and garlic and some don’t consume any root vegetables.


  1. Turmeric Powder (Haldi) (very common in Indian dishes)

  2. Green Chilies (Harah Mirch) Similar to Birdseye chilies in the West.

  3. Asafoetida (Hing)  (smells horrible, like dirty socks,  but used sparingly makes dishes taste wonderful.

  4. Garam Masala is a blend of spices usually added to gravies at the end of the preparation.  Each house has its own special blend.  Many people use branded blends from the market.  See separate article on Garam Masala with recipe

  5. Cilantro (Dhania ka patte).  North Indians cannot do without their dhania.  Personally, it makes me gag, but I'm in the minority. It is used heavily as a garnish, as well as an ingredient, especially in salads, chutneys, and chat.

  6. Saffron (kesar) (very expensive, has a subtle scent and makes food yellow.  Needs to be soaked into a warm liquid before adding to food)

  7. Dried Mango Powder (Amchoor or Khatai) (adds a tartness/slight tanginess to dishes)

  8. Tamarind (Imli) used to add sourness to dishes.

  9. Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) I use this heavily with a potato gravy and in Mangochi.

  10. Deggi Mirch gives food a bright red color but has very little heat despite the name. (Usually less than 2000 Scoville Units, jalapenos range from 4000-8000.)

  11. Chat Masala used to add oomph to chat, fruits, raw vegetables, and pakoras. Normally sprinkled on top, not used for cooking.

  12. Mint Leaves (Pudina)

  13. Garlic (Lahsun)

  14. Onions (pyaz) The purple/red onions are usually used as they have more of a peppery bite.

  15. Ginger (Adrak)


While there are many more spices/herbs/flavorings.  The above would cover 90% of the normal ingredients. 

When talking about basic ingredients for Indian cooking it’s necessary to talk about the fat used.  Compared to Western cooking there is often much more visible fat on the dishes.  I was once told that it was important to have visible ghee on the dishes to show that the host values their guest.  Another time a group of us went to a dhaba (small restaurant) in Amritsar.  We didn’t know the local customs and when we saw the menu there was a choice between plain chana and chana fry.  Of course we didn’t want plain garbanzo beans so we ordered chana fry - only to learn that plain and fry have the same base.  To make it fry they pour about half an inch of ghee on top.  I can’t lie, it was tasty, but we rolled out of that restaurant.  
Fats I have seen used in India.


  1. Clarified Butter (Ghee) This is quite often used for deep frying, many restaurants will advertise that they only use ghee as many places use a cheaper fat for deep frying that often leaves a coating in the mouth.

  2. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Vanaspati)  It is a cheap fat.  I personally don’t like the mouth feel.  The taste is fine and it has a good shelf life.  I don’t use it although many restaurants do.

  3. Mustard Oil (Sarson ka Tel) It is a cold pressed oil.  When cooking Indian Food this is my favorite fat to use.  It is good for meat, vegetables, and achars. It has a strong flavor that takes some people a while to get used to. Therefore I don’t use it for deep frying.  Problem is that it is illegal to use for cooking/consumption in the US as well as several European Countries due to its high erucic acid content. 

  4. Coconut Oil (nariyal ka tel).  Is mainly used in South India for cooking.  It has a strong flavor and a long shelf life.  

  5. Sesame Oil (Til ka Tel).  I find it has a mild flavor and is good for deep frying. If I’m not using ghee then I use sesame oil where I want the vegetable flavor to shine through.

  6. Peanut Oil (Groundnut Oil).  Courtesy of my child having a peanut allergy this is not used in my home.  However, several of my friends use this for frying instead of sesame oil or ghee. 

  7. Refined Oil. I don’t use this in my house as I believe it  causes my fingers to swell.  When I first moved to India my MIL cooked with vanaspati, it was cheap and easily available.  For health reasons she switched to refined oil. However,  when my hands kept swelling the doctor recommended I shift to cold pressed oils.  I was skeptical, but my hands did stop swelling after we switched.  So it’s often used in Indian cooking for its long shelf life and bland flavor.

  8. Olive Oil is gaining popularity with many Indians.  Personally, while I love olive oil for salads and Mediterranean dishes, I’m not a fan of the flavor mixed with the Indian flavors.  Many disagree with me.  

  9. Butter (Makhan) Butter is usually an add-on or a late ingredient not a cooking medium.  I.e many add white butter on top of their paranthas, this is especially for a stuffed tandoori paratha.  My family often went on trips to Simla and we would often stop at a dhaba called Zhilmil.  While now it is more of a restaurant, in the early days we would often make jokes that the cow that just walked by our table gave us the milk that was in our yogurt and butter that we ate with our tandoori paranthas.  It is also added to popular dishes such as dal makhani and butter chicken. It adds a creaminess to the texture and extra depth to the flavor.

Stuffed Tandoori Parantha with White Butter.  Yummy for the Tummy!


Beyond the main food items there are also the accompaniments that round off a perfect Indian meal.  


  1. Yogurt (Dahi or Raita). Plain yogurt is dahi, yogurt with spices (usually roasted ground cumin seeds and salt.  Some households also add red chili, but I think it defeats the purpose of having a mouth cooling item and then adding chilies to make it spicy)  and vegetables is called raita. In my house we make our own dahi every other day from whole milk.  If we run low we use store yogurt.  The homemade is less sour and if made correctly has just as good texture as store bought. 

  2. Green Chutney (Harah Chutney)  This is normally made with cilantro, green chilies, lemon, salt, and khatai.  Another green chutney is made with mint or mint/cilantro combination.  

  3. Thinly Sliced Onions sprinkled with salt and lemon juice and sometimes a bit of red chili powder, whole green chilies can be added as garnish. 

  4. Kachumber Salad, a mixture of finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.  It is often flavored with salt, cilantro, and lemon juice.  It can also be used to make a “mixed raita”.  

  5. Papad/Papadom - thin crisps that are either roasted or deep fried.  They are usually made from lentils.  Can be eaten with green chutney and or raita, or alone.

  6. Pickles (Achars) Indians pickle just about every vegetable you can think of from raw mango, carrot, cauliflower to things I had never even heard of until I arrived in India.  I have several achar recipes elsewhere on my blog.  Stuffed Red Chilies, Green Chilies with Garlic and Ginger, Lemon and Ginger pickle.  


Sweet and Sour Lemon Ginger Pickle & Instant Green Chili with Garlic and Ginger Achar


Bua ji's Stuffed Red Chili Achar

Mango Pickle

   











There are many other small seasonal accompaniments that can be on the table, but the above are the most common.


The above selections are the starting and finishing blocks of any good North Indian Menu.


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