Ingredients: red chilies, coriander seed, cumin seed, black mustard seed, black peppercorn, fenugreek seed, curry or bay leaves, ginger, tumeric

Spice blends, or masalas, are the heart of Indian cooking. There are as many masalas as there are cooks, and Indian families often have their own traditional blends made for them by a spice grinder. The ingredients vary from region to region, north to south. This is a basic mixture, but you could also add or substitute many spices, like cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, or cloves.

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