The 12-Spice Pantry That Cooks Almost Anything

Most spice racks are museums. Jars bought for a single recipe sit for years and lose everything that made them worth buying. A smaller collection that you use often is better in every way.

The twelve

• Cumin. Earthy and warm. The backbone of chilli, curry and roasted vegetables.
• Coriander seed. Citrus and floral. Lifts anything cumin is in.
• Smoked paprika. Instant depth for eggs, beans and potatoes.
• Chilli flakes. Heat you can control by the pinch.
• Black peppercorns. Always whole, always freshly ground.
• Turmeric. Colour and a gentle bitterness for rice and dals.
• Cinnamon. For baking and for savoury braises alike.
• Dried oregano. One of the few herbs that is better dried.
• Bay leaves. Quiet background for stocks and stews.
• Fennel seed. Sweet anise notes for pork, sausage and tomato.
• Ground ginger. Warmth for bakes and marinades.
• Garam masala. A finished blend, stirred in at the end.

Buy whole where you can

Whole spices keep their oils for a couple of years. Ground ones fade within months. Cumin, coriander, pepper and fennel are all worth buying whole and crushing as you need them.

Wake them up

Toast whole spices in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant. Bloom ground spices in hot oil for 30 seconds before adding liquid. Both steps take almost no time and change the result completely.

If a spice no longer smells of anything when you open the jar, it will not taste of anything in the pot.

Store them properly

Heat, light and air are the enemies. Keep jars in a drawer or cupboard away from the stove, not on a shelf above it. Write the month you opened each one on the lid.