Masala dabba: what to put in an Indian spice box

A masala dabba is the round steel spice box that sits beside the stove in most Indian kitchens: seven small bowls under one lid, so the spices for a tadka are open in a single move while the oil heats. This guide covers what to put in it, how to use it, and whether to buy one empty or ready-filled. Every product below ships from our US stock in 1–2 days, duties included.

Filled or empty: which to buy

The starter kit is the simpler gift: it arrives ready to cook with, and the recipe card tells a beginner what to do with each bowl. Buy the empty box if you already keep spices, or if you want to fill it with single-origin spices from the list below.

The classic seven

Most families fill the dabba with the spices they reach for every day, so there is no single correct set. The seven in our starter kit are a common North and West Indian set:

1. Turmeric – a pinch goes into almost every dal and sabzi for colour and an earthy base. 2. Red chilli powder – heat and colour, added once the onions or tomatoes go in. 3. Cumin – kept whole in most dabbas; the first thing into hot oil for most North Indian tadkas. 4. Mustard – kept whole in most dabbas; the first thing into hot oil in South and West Indian cooking; wait for the seeds to pop. 5. Coriander powder – body and a mild citrus note, added with the other ground spices. 6. Garam masala – a warm finishing blend, stirred in near the end of cooking. 7. Fenugreek – a bitter-savoury note for dals, pickles and curries.

Upgrading the bowls

Once the basics run low, refilling with single-origin spices is the easiest way to taste the difference. These refills all ship from US stock:

• Lakadong Turmeric, 250 g ($16) – grown by farming families in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills, with a deeper colour than most supermarket turmeric.
• Byadgi Chilli Powder, 200 g ($9, GI-registered) – deep red with gentle heat; it gives tandoori its colour without food dye.
• Stone-Ground Garam Masala, 150 g ($12) – cumin, coriander, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaf, stone-ground in Old Delhi's Khari Baoli market and packed within a week of grinding.
• Kasuri Methi, 100 g ($6) – dried fenugreek leaves from Nagaur, Rajasthan; crush a pinch between your palms over butter chicken or dal makhani.
• Compounded Hing (Asafoetida), 100 g ($8) – from Hathras; a tiny pinch in hot oil before the dal. It is blended with wheat flour, so it is not gluten-free.

Many cooks swap one bowl for a whole spice: Alleppey Green Cardamom ($15, GI-registered, 8 mm pods) for chai and biryani, or Malabar Tellicherry Black Pepper ($14, GI-registered) for rasam and pepper fry.

Regional variations

• South Indian dabba: mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dried red chillies, turmeric, hing and curry leaves (kept fresh in the fridge rather than in the box). Add Chettinad Spice Blend ($10) – black pepper, kalpasi, fennel, star anise and red chilli from Karaikudi – for Chettinad curries.
• Chaat and snacks: swap fenugreek for Old Delhi Chaat Masala ($7) and coriander for Amchur ($6), sun-dried raw mango from Malihabad.

How to use it

• Keep the dabba within arm's reach of the stove and open it before you heat the oil; a tadka moves fast and seeds burn in seconds.
• Use the small spoon for ground spices and your fingers for seeds, so wet hands never go into the powders.
• Refill little and often. Our ground spices are best within 9–12 months and whole spices within 18 months, so keep the backup packs sealed and top up a bowl at a time.
• Hand-wash the steel box and bowls, and dry them fully before refilling.

As a gift

A filled dabba is one of the few Indian gifts that gets used every day. Pair the starter kit with a 2 g vial of Kashmiri Saffron ($24, GI-registered) for a cook who has everything, or with a Steel Tiffin Lunch Box ($29) from the same steel town of Jagadhri. For more ideas see our Diwali gift boxes guide, Thanksgiving hostess gifts and all gift collections.