Raan Patialashai

Use the same weight; younger and tenderer, so reduce cooking by 10–15 minutes.

Use the same weight; more fat, so cook 15–20 minutes longer and skim excess fat.

Use the same weight; stronger flavour and tougher, so cook 15–20 minutes longer.

Use the same weight; nuttier and keeps better. Reduce salt if the butter was salted.

Use 80% of the weight; no dairy flavour and less richness. Good for frying, less good for finishing.

Use the same weight; adjust salt in the dish if your butter was salted.

Use the same weight; blend peeled green papaya. Very close, but may be slightly weaker as a tenderiser.

Use the same weight; blend peeled unripe papaya. Similar, with a little more sweetness.

Use the same weight; peel, deseed and blend to a paste. Fresher and stronger than a stale paste.

True cinnamon: thinner, papery quills, milder and sweeter. Use about 1.5 times the weight, and taste.

Use about a third of the weight (0.5 g ground for a 2.5 cm piece), stirred in with the ground spices rather than fried whole, since the powder burns quickly.

Use 60-70% of the weight; stronger and more peppery, so taste before adding more.

Grind the same weight; remove the pods first for a cleaner, stronger powder.

Grind the same weight of the seeds from green pods; discard the husks for the best flavour.

Use the same weight; it is the same spice and works directly.

Use 1.5–2 times the weight; it has a similar warm pungency but is milder and rounder, so the dish loses clove’s sharp medicinal heat.

Use the same weight; it gives warmth but is sweeter and lacks clove’s strength, so use only if the amount is small.

Use the same weight; fennel is the closest everyday match, slightly sweeter and milder.

Grind the same weight freshly; the aroma is stronger, so add it near the end.

Use about 50% of the weight; it is much more powerful and slightly liquorice-heavy.

Dry-roast briefly and grind finely; use equal weight (1:1). Imparts an even punchier, nuttier, toasty aroma than pre-ground cumin.

Use equal weight (1:1). Adds mild, lemony sweetness rather than cumin's smoky, earthy bite; curries will taste lighter and less savoury.

Grind finely; use 60% to 75% of the weight. Produces a darker, more complex, smoky-herbal flavour suited to rich gravies.

Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Grate whole nutmeg finely on a microplane; use 80% to 100% of the weight. Freshly grated nutmeg has significantly more aromatic oils and a more vibrant aroma.

Use 100% to 120% of the weight. Mace is nutmeg's outer husk, providing almost identical warmth but with a lighter, slightly more delicate, floral edge.

Use 75% of the weight. Adds comparable warmth and sweetness, though it lacks the musky, nutty undertone of nutmeg.

Use 300% to 400% of the weight (e.g. 3–4 g paste for 1 g ground). Fry in oil alongside onions; provides a juicy, pungent kick rather than a dry, baking-spice heat.

Peel and grate finely; use 300% to 400% of the weight. Add to the hot oil early; delivers bright, peppery warmth rather than the mellow, woody heat of dry ginger.

Use 50% of the weight. Imparts a warm, spicy undertone in rich gravies, but lacks ginger's fiery, sharp zest.

Use the same weight. The names are used interchangeably; check seasoning.

Use the same weight. It is thick enough for marinades and raitas, with a slightly sharper taste.

Use about 175% of the weight and strain through muslin for 3–4 hours to get the same thick weight.

Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Use the same weight, deseed if wanted, and grind with 1 tbsp water; fresher and brighter.

Use the same weight; may be red and hotter, so adjust.

Use 75–80% of the weight; changes colour and heat.

Use about 30–40% of the paste weight, mix with water to a paste and add gradually; it is drier and hotter.

Blend deseeded fresh red chillies to the same weight as the paste; fresher, sharper heat and more moisture.

Use the same weight mixed with water; gives good red colour but much less heat, so add cayenne if needed.

Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Milder and sweeter than ground cassia: use about 1.5 times the weight.

Grind the same weight of cassia bark in a spice mill until powdery, or simmer a piece whole and lift it out before serving.

Use 40 to 50% of the weight; offers a delicate, sweet, woodsy fragrance that complements rich curries without dominating.

Use equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.

Use 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.

Use 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.