Spice Substitutions Chart For Common Indian Spices
Home » Indian Cooking Blog » Spices » Spice Substitutions Chart For Common Indian Spices
Don’t let the lack of the right spices stop you from making your favourite Indian curry. This list of 26 commonly used Indian spice substitutes chart makes it easier for you to find an alternative spice.
When it comes to cooking any regional cuisine the right ingredient is what makes a dish authentic.
Do you skip making a dish after going through the list of ingredients just because you don’t have it?
Does the question of ‘What can I substitute for ……. ?’ comes to your mind in case you run out of the ingredient or your nearest supermarket does not stock them?
The good thing about working with spices is that they are not always a MUST have ingredient.
In most cases there are spice replacement to be found or the option of omitting it completely from the dish as long as it is not the main spice used to make the dish.
There is a way around to finding the right spice, yet maintaining authenticity without compromising the taste.
This post will come handy for answering all the above question. I highly recommend book marking this post for future reference.
Why Do You Need To Look For Spice Substitutes
Indian cuisine is synonymous with the use of spices.
After all, can it be an Indian food without cumin powder, coriander powder or turmeric?
Would you not then make a curry because you don’t have one of the spices listed or may be intolerant to a spice or simply dislike a particular strong spice?
The average Indian dishes have a minimum of 7-9 ingredients, out of which 3-4 may be just spices.
The good news is that you DO NOT need all the spices to cook a curry.
You can start by keeping just these 5 essential Indian spices that can also be used to make other dishes and not just Indian.
In fact you will only need the essential spices to make a basic Indian base sauce.
Given that there are different components that go to make an Indian dish, it effectively gives you the flexibility to use alternative spices.
This can only be possible if the ingredient, in this case, the spice to be substituted is not the key or the main element of the dish such as pepper for making pepper chicken or mustard for a mustard-based gravy.
As long as the spice substitute has some of the characteristic elements of the listed spice it is absolutely safe to either find an alternative or omit them completely from the dish.
It is, however, important to note that few spices have a characteristic flavour profile which may be a challenge to replicate.
In this case, the dish will tend to lose a degree of its authenticity.
How To Substitute Spices & Herbs Correctly
Although you have the option of going for an alternative substitute for a particular spice but it may come at the cost of compromising the taste? SO
how do you substitute the amount and type of spice correctly?
Or what is the correct way of finding the alternative spice substitutes?
This question is a bit tricky to answer since there are many factors that depend on what should be the correct replaced amount.
Few things to consider when it comes to looking for spice substitutes are:
1. The type of spice substitute
Not all spices have the same level of taste or flavour.
Some spices have a stronger flavour profile compared to others.
If your chosen substitute is stronger to the actual spice then you will need to use that in less quantity while a spice with subtle taste may need larger quantities to be added.
Understand the taste and the flavour quotient of the spice you will be using as a substitute before you add to balance the taste.
2. Using fresh spice substitute instead of powder
Sometimes similar flavour can be derived from using fresh ingredients such as onions, ginger, garlic or fresh herbs.
Not all spices can be substituted with another spice. In this case using the fresh alternative is a better option.
When you use fresh ingredients, you are likely to use them less in quantity in the dish to balance the required taste.
3. The quantity you are cooking
We do have a tendency to overlook the proportion of the number of heads we are cooking for when following a recipe.
The quantity of raw material used should represent the number of people you are making the dish for.
Ensure that the amount of raw material to spice replacement is in proportion as well.
4. Health and personal reasons to look for suitable alternatives
Few may also need to look for spice substitute because of an eating lifestyle, intolerance/allergy or simply a personal dislike to a particular spice.
Having the alternatives and substitute works in their favour so that they do not have to compromise on the taste or try the dish.
It is a good idea to choose alternatives which suit your purpose.
A Spice Substitutes Chart For Popular Indian Spices & Herbs
Keeping the tips of substituting spices & herbs while retaining the originality of the recipes, here is a list of spice substitutes for some of the most commonly used spices.
Thanks to the convenience of online shopping, you can easily buy the original spices in a click.
You can buy most spices from the online store The Spice House.
I have made it even easier for you to buy the spices just by clicking on the images below.
So here is the detailed description of substitute spices that are most commonly used in cooking Indian food.
- Substitute for Asafoetida
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Asafoetida is a gum resin with a very strong flavour. Use sparingly in dishes.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Onion and Garlic powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Shallots, Fresh Garlic or leeks
2. Substitute for green cardamom
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Floral, citrusy with robust flavour. A very popular spice in Indian dishes.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Cinnamon and Cloves
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Cinnamon and nutmeg (just a pinch)
3. Substitute for Caraway Seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Belongs to the cumin seeds family, mild and sweet in flavour
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Roasted cumin seeds
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Dill
4. Substitute for Carom Seeds or Ajwain
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking –Similar to caraway seeds with a liquorice undertone.
Spice Substitute Option 1 –Dried Thyme
Spice Substitute Option 2 –Roasted cumin seeds
5. Substitute for Chat Masala
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking –A street food seasoning that is sour in taste
Spice Substitute Option 1 –Dry mango powder/Lemon juice
Spice Substitute Option 2 –Sumac powder
6. Substitute for Chilli powder or Kashmiri chili
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking –Spice that renders heat and sometimes colour to the dish
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Omit from the dish or use paprika
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Green chilli/ pepper powder
7. Substitute for Cinnamon
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking –Woody smoky undertones used in savoury and sweet dishes
Spice Substitute Option 1 –Nutmeg/Allspice
Spice Substitute Option 2 –Mace
8. Substitute for Cloves
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – A bud with a robust strong flavour
Spice Substitute Option 1 –Nutmeg/Allspice
Spice Substitute Option 2 –Cinnamon
9. Substitute for Coriander leaves
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Fresh herb added for extra depth of freshness to the dish
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Omit completely
Spice Substitute Option 2 – A small mix of Parsley, tarragon and dill leaves.
10. Substitute for Coriander powder
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Popular ground spice with a mild taste
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Cumin powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – If not already used in the dish Curry powder
11. Substitute for Cumin Powder
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Coriander powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – If not already used in the dish Curry powder
12. Substitute for Fresh Curry Leaves
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Mild ground spice to add taste to the dish
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – A very important Indian herb with a lemony flavour.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Lemon zest
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Kaffir lime leaves
13. Substitute for Curry Powder
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Popular Indian spice blend made with different ground spices
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Garam Masala powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – A mix of coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric.
14. Substitute for Fennel Seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Liquorice in taste. Adds a distinctive flavour to the dish
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Dill
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Star Anise/ caraway seeds
15. Substitute for Fenugreek Seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – A popular whole spice used in many Indian dishes. Has a slight bitter tone.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Mustard seeds
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Curry powder
16. Substitute for Fresh Ginger
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – A popular aromatic used for making sweet and savoury dishes.
Spice Substitute Option 1 –Ginger powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Allspice powder
17. Substitute for Garam Masala
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Popular Indian spice blend used in most Indian spices.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Curry powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Allspice and cumin
18. Substitute for Mace
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Robust and strong pungent spice. Use sparingly in the dish.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Nutmeg
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Allspice
19. Substitute for Mustard paste
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Pungent and sharp. introduces heat and smoothness to a dish.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Dijon mustard sauce
Spice Substitute Option 2 – A small portion of horseradish or wasabi paste
20. Substitute for Black Mustard Seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Normally used as a tempering or pickling spice.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Caraway seeds
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Nigella Seeds
21. Substitute for Nutmeg
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Strong yet delicately flavoured spice with a sweet woody tone.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Mace
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Cinnamon
22. Substitute for White Poppy Seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Used whole or as a paste to give texture to the dish.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Chia seeds
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Melon seeds (for paste only)
23. Substitute for Pasanda Seasoning
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – This is a popular spice blend that is used to make pasanda style dishes.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – A mix of Garam Masala powder and caraway seeds
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Use a mix of ground cinnamon, cloves and cardamom
24. Substitute for Pomegranate seeds
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Souring agent to add tartness to dish
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Sumac powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Lemon juice
24. Substitute for Saffron
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – A flavouring and colouring agent with a strong sweet taste.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Rose essence and turmeric
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Cardamon
25. Substitute for Star Anise
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Woody and earthy it adds a distinctive flavour to the dish.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Chinese five spice powder
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Cinnamon/ fennel seeds/ Aniseed
26. Substitute for Turmeric
Type of Spice and Use in Cooking – Mainly used as a colouring agent to give the dish a yellow appearance.
Spice Substitute Option 1 – Tomato paste
Spice Substitute Option 2 – Curry powder
Spice Substitutes Chart
Here is a pinnable image of a list of Indian spice substitute chart for your instant reference.
I have made it easy for you to embed the above infographic on best spice substitute. Simply copy and paste the code below to your website.
I will be very grateful if you credited my website for the supplied info.
Share this Image On Your Site
Use the spice substitutes chart above as a starting point as most of the substitute mentioned are easily available in your local supermarket.
Why Find a Suitable Alternative For Uncommon Spices
A way of understanding if you like a recipe or a particular substitute or not, is by giving it a try.
Before you give up on making a dish because you do not have a particular ingredient, I would suggest finding a suitable alternative.
You will realise that the alternative does the job as long as you follow the rules of replacement mentioned above.
Start with a substitute you think is the best match or easy to find.
Trying new combinations will widen your culinary skills making your kitchen life so much easier.
It may not work each time but from my personal experience of using substitutes, I can guarantee that it will not be catastrophic as long as you have the right balance of taste and correct amount used.
Do you have any spice substitute?
Spices are indeed a flexible cooking ingredient to work with which makes them easy to either omit or replace if needed.
What are some of the alternatives or food substitutes you have tried using? It’s always so good to learn from each other.
And if you think that the post and the spice substitute list will help others then I would really appreciate a share by clicking the share or save button below.
Thankful for every click to share:
Related Posts
This guide has the tools and steps to help you discover the perfect spot for...
5 1 vote Article Rating Beef liver—it’s probably not the first thing y ...
1 1 vote Article Rating A staple in South Asian cuisine, the uses of cloves... ...
To rate click on stars
Related Posts
This guide has the tools and steps to help you discover the perfect spot for...
5 1 vote Article Rating Beef liver—it’s probably not the first thing y ...
1 1 vote Article Rating A staple in South Asian cuisine, the uses of cloves... ...
This post is so helpful! I love to cook and usually do without if I do have the right ingredients. Now I know what I can use instead! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Lucy! The great thing about spices is its flexibility!Glad you found the article useful!
This is awesome! I always feel intimidated by recipes with lots of different spices because I don’t want to go to the store for a bunch of one spice if I’m not going to use it often. Your list is genius! Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for your kind words Jenna!Hope this gives you an idea of what to do with leftover spices! Please do feel free to share it with your friends ;-)!
This is so helpful! I usually dont find good substitutes for Indian spices. Definitely bookmarking this.
I am glad you found the post helpful!Enjoy spicing it UPP:-)
Wow this is some seriously useful info, thank you so much fro sharing. I cook at home quite a bit but never really thought about this.
Thank you Ruksana! Glad you found the info useful.