If you're just getting into Pakistani cooking, you may have felt unsure about the spices you'll need to have to hand. Pakistani cuisine is definitely generous with spices. We have a pretty vast array of spices - powdered, whole, dried, fresh - all of which get consistent use!
Here's a comprehensive guide about spices in Pakistani cooking. This is intended to help you with what's essential and what may not be, so you can stock up accordingly. You'll find the names of the spices, the Urdu translations of the spices in the brackets, a brief description of what the spice is used for and a recommendation for which form to have it in (powdered, whole, dried etc).
Absolute essential, everyday spices
These are spices I use on a near-daily basis for my Pakistani cooking, and would not be without.
Salt (namak)
The backbone of all food, not just Pakistani! There are a variety of different salts - table salt, sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan pink salt (which tends to be less potent than all other salts).
Red chilli powder (laal mirch)
The primary spice used to bring a heat and spice into Pakistani food. This comes in powder form, crushed form and whole, dried form. For daily cooking, just red chilli powder will suffice.
Turmeric (haldi)
Adds an earthy flavour to curries. This is an essential spice used in Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine and a little goes a very long way. Used in powder form.
Cumin powder and/or cumin seeds (zeera)
Cumin is another spice which creates a distinct Pakistani/Indian flavour, although it is also used in other cuisines too. It imparts a warm, nutty and savoury flavour. I feel that both the whole seed and powdered form are essential.
Coriander powder (sookha dhaniya)
Coriander powder has a pungent, deep and earthy flavour. I wouldn’t be without my coriander powder and I feel it really adds so much depth to my food. This is NOT to be confused with dried fresh coriander leaf - coriander powder is made by crushing coriander seeds.
Spices used often in Pakistani cooking
These are spices you should definitely have to hand if you'd like to cook Pakistani food. If you'll be following any of my recipes, these spices will frequent my ingredients list. They may not be used every single time you cook Pakistani food, but they'll definitely be required regularly.
Cloves (laung)
Adds a warm, nutty, slightly sweet and a sharp flavour to foods. A very small amount of this stuff goes a long way; therefore it is important to use this with caution, as too much can spoil the taste of your food. Typically used in: pulao, biryani, korma, nihari. Can also be added to shorba dishes like Aloo Gosht and Chicken Salan for some depth.
Recommended in its whole form.
Cinnamon (dalchini)
Adds a warm, sweet flavour and is very aromatic. Some people also like to add it to their plain white basmati rice for its aroma. Typically used in: pilau, biryani, korma. Can also be added to shorba dishes for depth.
Recommended in its whole form.
Black pepper (kaali mirch)
Adds a spicy and hot flavour to curries, although it is used less frequently than red chilli. Typically used in many day-to-day dishes such as keema, pulao and in rich dishes like korma and biryani. I prefer using coarsely crushed powder - fine powder darkens the curry a lot, which I feel doesn't look good.
I'd recommend having both coarsely crushed powder, and whole black pepper.
Kashmiri red chilli powder (daigi mirch)
This is a very mild but extremely vibrant spice which I primarily use because it makes my food a beautiful hue of red. It contains about a third of the heat of red chilli powder, depending on the brand of Kashmiri red chilli powder. Paprika can also serve a similar function to this.
Green cardamom (choti elaichi)
Adds a nutty, sweet and intensely aromatic flavour to foods. Typically used in many dishes such as korma, pilau, biryani, nihari and it’s also a must-have in all Pakistani desserts. It’s also a very important ingredient in masala chai.
Recommended in its whole form for curries, and powdered for desserts.
Black cardamom (bari elaichi)
Imparts a smoky, cool flavour and is much milder than its green counterpart. Typically used in pilau, biryani, korma, nihari but can also be added to shorbas.
Recommended in its whole form.
Bay leaf (tez patta)
An incredibly warm, soothing and mildly rich herb, bay leaves are used in many rice and curry dishes. It's one of my favourite whole spices to use as I find it adds a delicious depth to the dishes it’s used in. Typically used in pilau, biryani and curries such as korma. It is mild enough to use in your day-to-day curries too.
Recommended in its whole form.
Garam masala powder
A blend of different spices. The exact mix will vary depending on the recipe used, but it usually contains spices such as cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon etc. Can be used in a variety of day-to-day curries for aroma and flavour.
Speciality spices not used often
Here's a condensed summary of speciality spices that are great to have on hand if you're planning on being particularly adventurous in the kitchen, or cook Pakistani food very regularly. They're certainly not essential and you can definitely get by if you don't have them to hand.
Please note, this is not a comprehensive list of every single spice that may ever be used in Pakistani cooking. I may miss some, or omit them because they're used veeeeeeeery infrequently.
- Nutmeg (jaifal) - Nutmeg has a sweet and spicy flavour and is deeply warm. In many cuisines it is used in sweet dishes, however in Pakistani cooking it is used exclusively in richer, savoury curries
- Most commonly used in biryani, but some recipes call for it in nihari, korma etc
- Typically used in its whole and powdered form
- Mace (javitri) - Comes from the same plant as nutmeg. It is sweet and very aromatic – a little goes a very long way.
- It is often usually alongside nutmeg in the same sorts of rich dishes such as biryani, nihari etc.
- Used in its whole or powdered form
- Mustard seeds (raai dana) - has a tangy, pickled sort of flavour. Mustard seeds make a more frequent appearance in Indian and Hyderabadi cooking than standard Pakistani cooking.
- It is used mostly in pickled and tangy curries such as achaar gosht, achaari aloo and can be used in the tadka of a daal for those who enjoy the flavour.
- Used in its whole form.
- Fennel seeds (saunf) - A very refreshing, cool and almost minty spice, fennel seeds are often chewed after a meal to freshen up the mouth and is sometimes used to relieve stomach problems.
- It is most commonly used in pickled curries such as achaar gosht, although some people also add it to their pilau.
- It’s also used in masala chai
- Used in its whole form.
- Nigella seeds (kalonji) - also called onion seeds, it has a nutty, oniony flavour to it and is hailed for its nutrient value and health benefits.
- It goes very well sprinkled on rotis and bread. It’s also often used in tangy dishes such as Achar Chicken. I also use it in my Chicken Karahi recipe.
- Used in its whole form.
- Poppy seeds (khashkhaash) - It imparts a rich and nutty, warm flavour.
- Mango powder (aamchoor) - Adds a zingy, tangy flavour
- The use of this spice is commonly associated with Pakistani street foods such as gol gappay, samosa chaat and various chutneys. It can also be added to curries for a tang.
- Used in its powdered form
- Dried fenugreek (kasoori methi) - adds a warm, sweet and slightly bitter undertone to curries. It is a beautifully fragrant herb and smells delightful when sprinkled over curries. It isn’t used in rice dishes.
- Can be used in many curries, but goes well in soupy based curries best such as aloo gosht and chicken shorba. Also works brilliantly in vegetable dishes.
- Is only used in its dried form
- Pomegranate seeds (anaar dana) - these taste tart and mildly sweet
- Most notably, pomegranate seeds are used in Chapli Kababs. They are also sometimes used in street food type recipes such as gol gappay and aloo tikki.
- Curry leaf (karri patta) - imparts a bitter yet sweet flavour and aroma. Curry leaves are used more commonly in Indian and Hyderabadi cuisine than standard Pakistani
- Kadhi Pakora is one of the more popular Pakistani recipes that uses curry leaves. Aside from this, curry leaves are sometimes used in tangy-flavoured dishes such as achaari aloo, bhagaaray baingan (stuffed aubergines) and may also be used in the tadka for daal.
- Saffron (zaafraan) - this an aromatic, sweet, deep and floral spice
- Saffron can be used in both savoury dishes (think rich flavours, such as that of a biryani, korma, nihari) and also in sweet dishes such as kheers and halwas
- Used in its whole form
- Star anise (badiyaan ka phool) - this is a cooling and fragrant spice - and a little goes a long way! In fact, this can quickly become overpowering if used too much. I use it in my meat-based pilau rice recipes, however I don’t think it is essential and will omit if it I don’t have any.
- It is used in pilau, biryani and sometimes in other rich curries
- Used in its whole form.
- Carom seeds (ajwain) - a cooling and almost minty spice used as a digestive aid, and also in a few recipes such as Chapli Kabab.
- Used in its whole form
- Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) - typical used in Achar dishes like Achar Chicken. It's more common in Indian cuisine than Pakistan,
- Used in its whole form
- Kewra water (kewra ka pani) - this has a sweet, floral fragrance and is very similar to rose water
- Used in rich dishes such as korma and biryani, but also in many desserts such as kheer and sheer khurma
- Used in its liquid form
- Rose water (arq-e-gulab) - has a floral, sweet-smelling and fragrant aroma.
- It is mainly used for its aroma
- Used in its liquid form
Some spice mixes which may be handy to have
- Chicken tikka masala or tandoori masala - a very versatile spice mix! It’s great to marinate a variety of meats and vegetables in for quick baked or air fried dinners, barbecues or even curries like Butter Chicken.
- Bassar powder - this is essentially an all-purpose curry spice mix. Unlike the standard curry powder you get at most supermarkets, bassar powder can actually be used as a stand-alone all-purpose curry spice mix, with only salt needed. Alamgeer Foods does a great bassar powder.
- Biryani spice mix - this is a personal recommendation. I very often don't have some of the whole spices that are used in a from-scratch Biryani (like mace and nutmeg) because they get such infrequent use, so having a Biryani spice mix makes more sense for me. I like the Shan and Laziza Biryani mixes.
If you found this post helpful, I'd love to know so I can continue to write similar posts! Please let me know in the comments below if this guide benefitted you. Thank you!
Whaeed
Salaams Fatima,
Yes knowing what spices to keep is fundamental to joyfull and and hassle free cooking.
So, yes this is very insightful ..........keep up the great work.
For the love of cooking,
Whaeed
Rob
Thank you for the very useful guide, looking forward to restocking our spices after the recent upheavals! Which brand of Kashmir chilli powder do you recommend? The one I used in the past was far too pungent and hot, not to my other half taste!
Shafia Bhatti
Love this! Thank you for organizing our familiar spices so nicely and even suggesting uses for almost each one!