Dhania Jeera
A simple roasted coriander-cumin spice blend with mild dried chilli and bay leaf. It tastes warm, earthy and lightly smoky, and is used to season Indian dishes.
Dhania jeera
47 gDry-roasted together in the pan (step 1)Method
- Put 30.6 g coriander seeds, 12.6 g cumin seed and 5 g dried kashmiri chilli in a frying pan over a low heat.
- Roast without oil for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and slightly darkened.
- Take the pan off the heat and leave the spices to cool.
- Add 1 g bay leaf and grind everything to a fine powder.
- Store the dhania jeera in an airtight container.
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Ground corianderUse 75% of the weight; stir in along with wet masala or tomato purée rather than frying in hot oil, as the fine powder burns instantly.
Cumin seedUse 50% of the weight for tempering in hot oil. Lacks the floral, sweet citrus flavour of coriander, introducing warm, pungent earthiness instead.
Fennel seedUse 50% of the weight in tempering; provides pleasant aromatic sweetness, though noticeably aniseedy rather than citrusy.
Ground cuminUse 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.
Black cumin seedsUse equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.
- Fennel seed
Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.
Dried kashmiri chilliUse the same weight; soak in hot water and grind if a paste is needed. Same mild heat and deep colour.
Mild dried red chilliUse the same weight but deseed; taste first as heat varies. May be hotter and less fruity.
Kashmiri red chilli powderUse half the weight, e.g. 1 g powder for 2 g whole; add with liquid. Good colour, less whole-chilli texture.
Cinnamon stickUse a 2 cm piece (about 1 g) for every 1 to 2 bay leaves. Fry in whole-spice temperings; provides the cassia-like warmth typical of Indian tejpatta.
Ground cinnamon (cassia)Use 0.5 g per leaf. Stir into the sauce during simmering; gives the same warm woodiness but darkens the colour slightly.
Similar spice mixtures
- Same: Talela Bangda shares coriander seeds, cumin seed, and dried chilli with this dish as part of its spice base.
- Different: Talela Bangda adds tamarind pulp, ground turmeric, whole mackerel, vegetable oil, salt, and lime, and it is coated in a paste and shallow-fried, while this dish is only a roasted coriander-cumin spice blend with bay leaf.
- Same: Kane Kari shares coriander seeds, cumin seed, and dried chilli with this dish.
- Different: It adds fish, turmeric, vegetable oil, curry leaves, onion, garlic, grated coconut, and salt, and it is simmered as a wet curry rather than roasted as a dry spice blend; it lacks bay leaf.
- Same: Lauki ke Kofte shares coriander seeds and cumin seed with this dish, and both include a chilli element.
- Different: Lauki ke Kofte is a full dish of bottle gourd and chickpea flour dumplings fried in ghee and simmered with onion, tomato, yogurt, ginger, garlic, green chilli and salt, while this dish is only a dry roasted spice blend of coriander seeds, cumin seed, dried Kashmiri chilli and bay leaf.
- Same: Poshto Maachh shares coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and dried red chilli with this dish.
- Different: Poshto Maachh is a fish curry with poppy seeds, mustard oil, turmeric, green chilli, curry leaf, sugar, and salt, while this dish is only a roasted coriander-cumin spice blend with Kashmiri chilli and bay leaf.