Every Indian home kitchen runs on a masala dabba - a round steel tin holding the seven or eight spices that do the daily work. In Britain the phrase "curry powder" flattens them into one jar. At home they are kept separate, because each one has its own job. Here is what sits in the tin at Saakshi's Kitchen, and what each spice actually does in the pot.
Key takeaways
- A masala dabba is the steel spice tin at the heart of every Indian home kitchen.
- The everyday staples are haldi, jeera, rai, dhania, hing, ajwain, methi and garam masala.
- Each spice has a distinct job in the pot - there is no single curry powder doing all the work.
- Home cooking is spiced, not hot: the spices are there for depth, not for burning.
- Saakshi's Kitchen cooks with these staples in Brighton and delivers the finished dishes frozen across UK mainland.
What is a masala dabba?
A masala dabba is a round stainless-steel tin with small open bowls inside, one for each everyday spice. It lives within arm's reach of the hob, because Indian home cooking seasons in stages - some spices go into hot oil at the start, some midway, and some right at the end. The dabba is the reason a home cook never has to rummage through a cupboard mid-tadka.
The spices in our tin
| Spice | What it tastes like | What it does in the pot |
|---|---|---|
| Haldi (turmeric) | Earthy, faintly bitter | The golden base colour and warmth of almost every dish. |
| Jeera (cumin) | Toasty and warm | First into hot ghee or oil - the opening note of a tadka. |
| Rai (black mustard seed) | Nutty once popped | Crackled in hot oil for sabzis and kadhi. |
| Dhania (ground coriander) | Citrusy and mild | The body of a masala - it rounds and thickens the sauce. |
| Hing (asafoetida) | Deeply savoury | A pinch in dal gives the savoury depth home cooks swear by. |
| Ajwain (carom seed) | Sharp, thyme-like | Kneaded into paratha dough and pakora batter. |
| Methi (dried fenugreek leaf) | Bitter-sweet | Crumbled over buttery sauces right at the end. |
| Garam masala | Warm and sweet-spiced | The finishing blend, added last so its aroma survives serving. |
How the spices are actually used
Order matters more than quantity. A tadka - jeera, perhaps rai and hing, bloomed in hot ghee - is poured over dal right at the end, the way dal is finished at home. A masala for rajma or chole starts differently: onion, tomato, ginger and garlic, bhuno'd down until the oil separates, then dhania and haldi, then the dish simmered on top. At Saakshi's Kitchen the spices are ground and blended in our own kitchen - not one generic curry powder doing all the work - and the masala is built from scratch every batch.
Spiced, not hot
The commonest misreading of Indian food is that spice means chilli. In a home kitchen the chilli sits well back, and jeera, dhania and haldi carry the flavour instead. Our dishes are milder than a typical restaurant curry - spiced for eating, not for showing off - which is what makes them everyday food rather than a dare.
From our dabba to your table
You don't need to stock a spice tin to eat like this. We cook the household repertoire - dal tadka, rajma, chole, kadhi, seasonal sabzis - in our FSA 5-star kitchen, freeze each meal, and deliver it frozen across UK mainland. Keep it in the freezer, then cook or reheat straight from frozen until piping hot, following the pack instructions. Rated 4.6 stars from 800+ verified reviews.
Curious about the other kind of dabba - the stacked lunchbox the spice tin shares its name with? The dabba, explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is a masala dabba?
A round stainless-steel tin with small bowls inside, one per spice, kept beside the hob in Indian home kitchens. It holds the everyday staples: haldi, jeera, rai, dhania, hing, ajwain, methi and garam masala.
Do Indian home cooks use curry powder?
Generally no. The spices are kept separate and added in stages, so each dish gets its own masala built from scratch rather than one blend doing every job.
Is food cooked with all these spices very hot?
No - spiced and hot are different things. The chilli sits well back in home cooking; the other spices are there for depth and aroma, at a heat level the whole family can eat.
Where to go next
- This week's menu - taste what the dabba does.
- Build your own box - choose a freezer-full of dishes.
- Check your postcode - where we deliver.
- How one FSA 5-star kitchen delivers across UK mainland - the delivery story.