Chef’s Guide: 7 Classic Indian Spices and How We Use Them at Colonel Saab

Cardamom is the quiet star of many of our dishes, both sweet and savoury. We use it in the Rasmalai Milk Cake where it perfumes the cream, and in dishes like Paneer-E-Pukhtan, bringing balance to the rich, shahi-style sauce. It is also blended into the cardamom-saffron sauce for Chef Sohan’s Confit of Cauliflower, a delicate but deeply aromatic dish.

Try this at home: Add a crushed green pod to your morning porridge or rice pudding and let it bloom in milk.

Turmeric is used in nearly every Indian kitchen, not just for colour but for its grounding, earthy base. At Colonel Saab, it is layered into our Old Delhi’s Famous Lamb Curry and Gutti Vankaya aubergines, building that familiar golden warmth. We toast it lightly to bring out its depth before combining it with onions and tomatoes for curry bases.

Home tip: Always cook turmeric in oil to unlock its flavour. Never add it raw to a dish at the end.

Whole mustard seeds bring that unmistakable pop, both literally and in flavour. You’ll find them in our Sarsoi Ajwaini Fish Tikka and in the tempered oil of our lentil sides like Daal Tadka. When they hit hot oil, they burst open and release their punchy aroma. That’s how you know something good is coming.

Home tip: Heat oil first, then add mustard seeds and let them crackle before adding anything else.

We roast and grind cumin fresh every day, and the difference is unmistakable. You’ll taste it in our Cumin Potatoes, in the base of our Chicken Chettinad, and even delicately in some of our chutneys. It is one of those spices that quietly anchors a dish.

Home tip: Dry roast cumin seeds until fragrant, then crush. This simple step can change your cooking.

Ajwain is strong and a little goes a long way. In the Sarsoi Ajwaini Fish Tikka, it pairs beautifully with mustard and green mango salsa to cut through the richness of the fish. It is a spice I reach for when I want to add boldness and aid digestion.

Home tip: Add a pinch to paratha or savoury pastry doughs for a digestively friendly kick.

Used sparingly, hing can transform vegetarian food. We use it subtly in our Chole Kulche, Amritsari-style chickpeas, where it replaces onion and garlic but still brings that savoury depth. It also features in some of our tempering oils for dal and pickles.

Home tip: Always cook asafoetida in hot ghee or oil. Never add it raw, and just a pinch is plenty.

Before chillies, India had black pepper. Our Beef Pepper Fry is a tribute to Kerala’s Thellicherry black pepper. We toast it whole, crush it coarsely, and use it generously. It is also a quiet player in our Ghee Roast Kori, balancing the buttery richness.

Home tip: Invest in whole peppercorns and grind fresh. Pre-ground loses its kick too quickly.