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Geetika Khanna is a contributing writer at Serious Eats. She is a cooking instructor and chef that specializes in Indian cuisine.
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Updated August 10, 2018
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I have said the following a thousand times: Spices are what attract people to Indian food and also what scares them away. When you see a recipe with a list of 20 ingredients, you might flip the page and decide to make a simpler recipe.
I would like to propose that if you buy five spices—along with ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes—you can make a decent Indian dish.
The Essential Five Spices are:
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Black mustard seeds
- Cayenne pepper
- Turmeric
I live in a tiny shoebox-sized apartment; nothing that isn't essential stays. Once you have these spices, you are ready to make both simple and complex Indian recipes. This 30-minute chicken curry is my favorite for a busy weeknight.
