Tandoori Palace

Bay leaves are fragrant and used in dried form in curries and rice dishes. They give off a delicate aromatic scent while offering a mildly bitter flavour. If you are cooking with whole bay leaves, remember to remove them from the dish before serving.

Black peppers are native to India and are extensively cultivated in both India and tropical regions. Black pepper is the world's most traded spice. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the natural chemical it contains called piperine.

Also native to India, cardamom tastes lemony and flowery, with a note of camphor or eucalyptus. Black cardamom looks very different to green cardamom and has a deeper, more smokey flavour. It has been used as a digestive since ancient times.

Cayenne pepper provides the heat for many spicy dishes. While not as hot as chilli, it’s from the same capsicum family. Its bright red colour signals its high content of beta-caratone.

Chillies, both green and red, are present in many Indian dishes. Their heat ranges from mild to super hot. Red chillies contain high amounts of Vitamin C and carotene. Peppers are a good source of most B vitamins, and Vitamin B6 in particular. They are very high in potassium, magnesium and iron.

Chilli powder is extremely hot as it’s made from the hottest part of the chilli – the dried ground seeds. A basic ingredient in Indian dishes, it is used to add flavour, spice and colour. It also has a number of wonderful healing properties.

Cinnamon has a delightful sweet, woody fragrance and taste in both its ground and stick forms. Cinnamon stimulates the senses, yet calms the nerves, and can be used to flavour and sweeten rice and curry dishes. The best quality cinnamon is derived from the thinnest bark.

Cloves have an extremely strong, pungent and aromatic flavour, with warm notes of pepper and camphor. While their taste is fruity, it can be sharp, hot and bitter. In North Indian cuisine, cloves are used in almost all rich or spicy dishes.

Ripe coriander seeds have a sweet, woody, spicy aroma with a subtle undertone of pine and pepper. This is the spice that creates the base flavour for many Indian dishes and is so very popular in all regions of India.

Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world, after black pepper. The distinctive aroma of cumin seeds adds an earthy, warm feeling to cooking, making it a staple in stews and soups, as well as curries.

Curry leaves are used widely in Southern India, where they are used for their aroma and flavour in both curries and soups.

Curry powder is a blend of many spices and this blend varies throughout the world.

Fennel has a sweet aniseed flavour and, used sparingly, adds warmth and sweetness to curries. Fennel seeds are often used roasted and ground up in spices or fried together with vegetables. They have been known to have great digestive properties and are used to cleanse the breath after a meal.

Fenugreek seeds are highly aromatic, with a curry-like smell, and a bittersweet and celery-like taste. They are mainly used in curry powder and have been said to have many medicinal properties such as aiding digestion, assisting in lowering blood sugar levels and relieving respiratory problems.

Garam Masala is a basic blend of ground spices common in North Indian and other South Asian cuisines. Its composition differs regionally across India. The word ‘garam’ refers to the intensity of the spices. Garam Masala is pungent but not hot like chilli pepper.

Garlic is essential in Indian cooking as it helps to bring out flavours. It has been used medicinally for hundreds of years because it is packed with vitamins and minerals (specifically high quantities of Vitamins C, B6 and Thiamin). Garlic also provides protein, carbohydrates and dietary fibre with almost no fat.

Ginger acts as a useful food preservative. Fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for making pulse and lentil curries and other vegetable preparations. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes.

Mustard seeds are high in selenium and a rich source of oil and protein. They have unique healing properties. They are popular in pickles in the South and roasted until they pop, while they are used as a spice in the North.

Paprika is a spice made from the grinding of dried fruits of Capsicum Annuum. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add colour and flavour to dishes. Paprika can range from mild to hot and is very high in Vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Saffron has a pungent honey-like flavour and aroma. Used to colour rice and soup dishes, it is well known as being the most expensive spice.

Tamarind is a leguminous tree, native to India. The brown, bean-like pods contain a tart, sticky pulp that is used to flavour curries and preserves. Sweet and sour in taste, tamarind is high in acid, sugar, B vitamins and calcium.

Turmeric has a peppery, warm and bitter flavour and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger. Best known as one of curry’s key ingredients, it was traditionally called Indian saffron because of its deep yellow-orange colour. It has been used throughout history as both a condiment and a healing remedy.