Every Indian kitchen has a box of masala which contains 7 essential Indian spices and a combination of 7 spices (or herbs) is used in the preparation of most dishes. The masala box contains freshly collected whole spices or powdered spices.
The seven spices include - Dhaniya Powder (Coriander Powder), Garam Masala (Whole Spice Mix), Haldi (Turmeric Powder), Hari Elaichi (Green Cardamom), Lal Mirch Powder (Red Chili Powder) and Sabut Jeera (Cumin Seeds or Shahjeera).
A set of five herbs is also famous in the Indian cuisine and these five herbs are used in certain alternative recipes. These are known as Panch Phoron – that is used in recipes’ prepared particularly to soothe the digestive system and cure indigestion. Panch Phoron includes Cumin, Brown Mustard, Fenugreek, Nigella and Fennel.