Hot Spice Mix
Description
This homemade Hot Spice Mix is a cornerstone of Indian cooking, delivering a complex layer of heat, earthiness, and floral notes to your favorite dishes. By dry-roasting whole spices like cumin, black peppercorns, cardamom, and dried red chiles, you unlock essential oils that create a far more vibrant flavor profile than pre-ground powders. The addition of cinnamon and fenugreek adds a subtle sweetness and bitterness that balances the heat. This versatile blend is ideal for enhancing dal, vegetable curries, marinades, or simply sprinkling over roasted vegetables. Freshly ground, it offers an intense aroma and a kick that elevates any meal from ordinary to extraordinary. Store it in an airtight container to preserve its potency for up to two months.Ingredients
Directions
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Place cumin seeds, dried red chiles, black peppercorns, cardamom seeds, broken cinnamon sticks, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
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Dry roast over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the spices are fragrant and slightly darkened.
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Remove from heat and allow the spices to cool completely to room temperature.
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Transfer the cooled spices to a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle.
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Grind to a fine powder, scraping down the sides as needed, until the desired consistency is reached.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 927.3kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 5.6g9%
- Saturated Fat 0.7g4%
- Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
- Sodium 7.5mg1%
- Total Carbohydrate 230.0g77%
- Dietary Fiber 17.1g69%
- Sugars 201.1g
- Protein 5.0g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Storage: Store the spice mix in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. It will retain its flavor for up to 2 months. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tip: Ensure the spices are completely cool before grinding to prevent moisture from clumping the powder.
Variation: Adjust the number of dried red chiles to control the heat level. Remove seeds from the chiles for less heat.
Ingredient Note: If you cannot find loose cardamom seeds, you can use whole green cardamom pods, but reduce the quantity slightly as the pods contain husk.