The Essential 7: Stocking Your Indian Spice Cabinet

I swear I don’t get a kickback for pushing sales of Anupy Singla’s Indian Slow Cooker book.

But when I make her recipes and share, I get a lot of questions about the book. I think the biggest hurdle is getting the spices organized in advance. No matter how good the ethnic section of my local Chicago area groceries, none carry everything I need for even the most basic recipes in the book. And getting even the essentials at a Penzeys can be pretty pricey.

The best strategy is to make a shopping list and get to an Indian market. Be sure to write down the Indian names of the spices. I had to go back and get the book to finish shopping the first time I went out. Lesson learned the hard way.

If you haven’t settled on a recipe and just want a basic pantry, Anupy created a video she posted on her blog – Indian as Apple Pie – to explain which seven essential spices you need for most North Indian dishes.

I’m now stocked up with these seven and then some.

I need to plan a trip to Patel Brothers. When I go, I’ll for sure restock spices (the ground coriander goes fast). I’ll also be sure I have a good list for lentils and other specialty items I can’t get at the corner grocery.