Notes from the masala dabba.

Heat a little oil or ghee, drop in a few cumin seeds and wait. Fresh jeera sizzles right away, darkens in a few seconds and fills the room with a toasty smell. Old jeera hesitates, smells flat and sometimes tastes a bit bitter.

Whole seeds hold their flavour much longer than ground cumin, so if you cook a lot, buy whole and grind small amounts when you need them. A cheap mortar and pestle is one of the best kitchen upgrades you'll ever make.

Start with the fat — ghee or oil — and let it get properly hot. Mustard seeds go in first, because they need the most heat and will tell you when they're ready by popping. Then cumin, which only needs a few seconds.

Hing and dried red chillies come last, and only for a moment, since both burn quickly. Ground spices like haldi and chilli powder usually go in after the onions, with a splash of water if the pan is too hot. Pour it all over your dal and listen to the sizzle. That's the sound of a good dinner.

Some families lean on cardamom and cinnamon, others on black pepper and cloves, and a few swear by a pinch of mace or star anise. There is no single correct version. Regional cooking, personal taste and whatever the grandmother had in the cupboard all shaped it.

What most blends share is the idea of warmth: spices that are roasted, ground and added near the end of cooking, so their aroma stays bright. If you're curious about the wider history of the blend, the Wikipedia page on garam masala is a pleasant rabbit hole.

Use dry, airtight containers and always a dry spoon. One wet spoon in the chilli jar and you'll have clumps by next week. Keep the main stock in a cool cupboard and fill only a small dabba for daily use.

If a jar does clump, a few minutes of gentle dry roasting on a low flame can rescue it (let it cool fully before closing the lid). For general guidance on Indian spices and quality, the Spices Board of India is a good place to start.

Asafoetida is a resin, and a little goes a very long way. A pinch the size of a grain of rice is enough for a whole pot of dal. Add it to hot oil for a few seconds, then quickly add the rest of your tadka.

Keep it in a tightly sealed container, away from other spices, or the smell will wander through your whole cupboard. Many families use it to make heavy lentils and beans easier to enjoy, which is why you'll find it in so many kitchens.