All chillies have a fantastic flavour, but they can be fiery! As a general rule, the smaller they are the hotter they are. Use red or green for instant heat, and dried red for background warmth. I love to use ground dried red chillies as the second layer of flavour in my masalas.

From the same family as green cardamom, but with a distinctly different colour and taste that comes from being smoked after drying ( hot tip- they can’t be subbed for each other). The woody, smoky flavour makes it perfect for savoury recipes like marinades and lentil dishes.

My favourite spice! Look for dark green plump pods with sticky white seeds inside. These are the freshest and will last the longest. The camphor-like scent perfumes everything it touches (don’t add too many) and tastes fantastic in sweet and savoury dishes, and especially fresh masala chai.

The bark of the cassia tree can be sweet or savoury, depending on whether it’s the inner or outer bark. I love to use the woody earthier outer bark right at the beginning. It has a fantastic rich flavour and won’t break up during cooking. You can also grind it to a fine powder to add sweetness.

Use in almost all regions of India. This spice has a firm place in my spice box. The flavours are released once the spice is heated and they’ll jump out of your pan when you fry it in hot oil. I prefer the brown or black seeds, as they look great in my masalas and add a wonderful nutty flavour.

This is one of my favourites and is so incredibly versatile! Use the seeds whole or ground, and the fresh leaf to add extra flavour and freshness. It loses flavour quickly, so store it whole and grind as you need it. Paired with cumin, it’s the perfect flavour base for my masalas.

Known as the spice that stains, so watch out! It’s bitter, earthy flavour when raw becomes almost nutty when heated. It has endless medicinal properties and is a natural antiseptic. Add the ground powder at the beginning of cooking along with your whole spices or the root in a raw juice.

A member of the Myrtle family, whole cloves add a deep flavour and are incredibly strong when you bite into them so you may want to push them to the side when eating. Look out for large, dark, plump pods (they’re the unopened flower buds of the clove tree) and add to dishes early.

Cumin seeds play an important role in my Spice Box. With a fantastic earthy flavour, this seed tastes amazing when used whole, ground or even toasted. I love to pair it with coriander to create the perfect base for masalas. I call this my ‘first layer of flavour’.

A spice I feel is so underrated! Whole mace is the dried outer layer of nutmeg, and it has a perfume scent and flavour. You can find it as a ground powder or whole. It tastes best when ground and used in masalas, or added whole to dishes like rice that need a delicate flavour.