Black Cardamom
Just as strong as green cardamom, but the flavors are totally different. While green cardamom has a scent I find faintly reminiscent of eucalyptus, black cardamom is more earthy. In Indian recipes it is mostly used in meat dishes and to make garam masala spice blends. Just like green cardamom, remove seeds unless the recipe specifically says to use whole pods.
Used throughout India, usually by sauteing in very hot oil until they pop. Cooked in this way the flavor is mild. In Bengali cuisine, however, they are also ground raw and added to water to create a very pungent paste. Some American grocery stores have black or brown mustard seeds and those a perfectly acceptable.
Coriander seeds
Along with cumin and turmeric, possibly the most common spice in Indian cooking. The seeds are hollow and have a faint smell of oranges, although the taste is savory. Like many spices, the flavor profile changes drastically when toasted. I recommend buying whole spices whenever possible to keep spices fresh as long as possible, but I also buy coriander ground for convenience because it is used so much and the seeds are hard to grind thoroughly in a regular coffee/spice grinder. That said, buy your ground coriander from an Indian grocery or a good online store to avoid the "sawdust" sold at most American grocery stores.
Cumin
Cumin can be used whole or ground, toasted or raw. Whole, it is often added to hot oil at the beginning of cooking to create the first layer of flavor. I find whole cumin in most grocery stores acceptable, but grind your own or buy ground from Indian grocery stores.
Fennel seeds
At first glance they may look a lost like cumin seeds, but they are slightly greener and the tastes couldn't be more different. I find that fennel tastes a bit like black licorice. It is often the main ingredient in the bowls of mouth freshener in Indian restaurants. For cooking, it is usually used whole or ground into garam masala spice mixes.
Fenugreek seeds
Hard seeds that are used both whole and ground in Indian cooking. Whole and uncooked they have a slightly bitter flavor, but that mellows with cooking.
And expensive but incredibly fragrant and enticing spice used in Indian drinks, desserts, meat dishes, and garam masala spice mixes. Buy whole pods and grind immediately before using because the flavors fade quickly. Never buy ground cardamom! Remove the seeds from the pods unless the recipe specifically says to use whole pods.
Nigella / Kallonji
Hard, triangular black seeds that are less common in Indian cooking, but one of the five spices in the Bengali ponch phoron spice mix.
A famous Bengali five spice mix that is also used in Northern India for making pickles. In Bengali cuisine, the whole spices are often added to hot oil at the beginning of cooking to create the first layer of flavor. This mix can be made at home by mixing equal quantities of cumin, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, and nigella. Pre-made mixes, however, are easily available in Indian grocery stores and online.
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