Introducing “My Spice Sage” for all your spice needs!

Here at GitaDini we love spices! The inspiration behind the GitaDini Yin Yang Storage Bin Set was the traditional Indian Spice Box a.k.a. Masala Dabba. Pretty much every Indian household owns at least one Masala Dabba, this is where the spices for everyday cooking are kept. The typical Masala Dabba is round, made from stainless steel and holds about 6-7 spices.

Gita, our designer at GitaDini decided to spice things up a little (pun intended) and create a modern Masala Dabba that holds more spices, looks great on every counter top and through its Yin Yang shape reminds the cook that balance and harmony are two great ingredients to every dish.

The GitaDini Yin Yang Storage Bin Set comes with 12 small stainless steel containers to store your spices in. All you have to do is to decide which 12 spices you’d like to add!

Every Indian cook has their own spice mixtures and their own preference when it comes to filling their Masala Dabba, very often these are secret recipes and mixtures passed on from generation to generation

This article has been created to give you an idea what you could put into your Spice Box and where to get hold of these spices.

We’ve teamed up with My Spice Sage, a fantastic company that made it their mission to  make spice shopping as easy and enjoyable as possible. They have more than 500 spices, herbs, seasonings and ingredients in their online store and ordering is easy and hassle free. My Spice Sage even offers FREE Shipping on all orders & a FREE spice promotion each week. In addition you receive 1 ounce of spice as a free sample with every order and you get to choose what you would like to try!

Together with My Spice Sage we’ve created a list of fab spices that would work well together in your GitaDini Yin Yang Storage Bin Set.

The name of the spices links directly to their website, so you can start shopping straight away if you see something that catches your eye. My Spice Sage ships to the US and Canada.

And as you probably know: spices don’t just add flavour to your cooking they also offer a lot of health benefits. You’ll find more information on this under the links of the spices below.

So, without further ado, these are the 12 selected spices we recommend to add to your Masala Dabba:

1. Coriander Powder

Coriander Powder has a mild, sweet and pleasant taste. Whereas fresh coriander leaves have a light citrus taste the aroma of Coriander Powder could be described as nutty.

2. Whole Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds have a nutty, peppery flavor and a warm and powerful aroma. We recommend to get the whole seeds and toast and grind them as you need it. This really enhances the flavor even more.

3. Whole Brown Mustard Seeds

This spice is also know as Black Mustard or Indian Mustard. It has a strong, sharp taste and a hot aroma. Again we recommend to get the seeds. Powder is of course also available.

4. Red Chili Powder

There is only one word that describes the taste and aroma of Red Chili Powder: HOT! So depending on your taste buds and what you are accustomed too, use sparingly or dive right in… Red Chili Powder is even claimed to speed up the metabolism.

5. Ground Turmeric

Ground Turmeric is used in almost all curry mixtures and gives a lot of curries their distinctive yellow color. Its taste and aroma can be described as strong, warm, peppery and almost earthy.

6. Whole Cloves

Cloves lend a wonderful warm and sweet aroma to any dish and its aroma is very powerful. This is also a spice we recommend to purchase whole and grind yourself when you need it.

The above spices really make up the basics. They fit nicely in one side of the Yin Yang Storage Bin Set. The second side could be used to store regional and/or personal favorites. The below spices have been selected by our designer Gita, this is what she likes to keep at hand when cooking (and everyone who’s tasted her cooking will agree that it is absolutely amazing, so go get these spices!)

7. Tandoori Spice

This is a spice blend made up of Coriander, Cumin, Nutmeg, Red Pepper, Garlic, Paprika and Onion. This is a unique mixture that is both mild and also adds a little bit of spice to your tandoori dishes.

8. Garam Masala

Garam Masala is also a blend of spices. A lot of Indian cooks make their own Garam Masala: a range of whole spices are lightly toasted together and then ground. For days when you are a bit pressed for time we recommend this ready made Garam Masala consisting of following spices: Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cloves. My Spice Sage describes this blend as pungent, warm and strong.

9. Mango Amchur Powder

Mangoes are a beloved fruit all over India. This spice is made from unripe green mangoes. It can be used similar to lemons, it gives food a tangy, sour taste however it doesn’t add moisture. With its tart flavor it can be used as a souring agent.

10. Vindaloo Curry Spice

Vindaloo is a very popular dish of authentic Indian Cuisine that has also become popular in the rest of the world. The spice blend is being described as hot, powerful, warm and intense. It is a mixture of following spices: Coriander Powder, Cumin, Red Pepper, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves and Turmeric.

11. Cardamom Seeds

Cardamom seeds or pods are a favorite ingredient for a steaming cup of Masala Chai. It is also being used widely in a number of Indian dishes and sweets and it can even be used as a mouth freshener by just chewing cardamon seeds after dinner.

12. Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds are a great, almost multifunctional spice. It can be used for cooking, brewing Masala Chai, chewed as a mouth freshener and it even gets rid of flies. It is said to aid the digestion system. In India Fennel seeds are boiled and steeped in water, which is then strained and given to babies as a colic-reliever. Its taste can be described as sweet and delicate, similar to Anise Seed.

We hope you like our selection and we are curious to hear what YOU would put in your GitaDini Yin Yang Storage Bin Set. Your comments are welcome!

Disclaimer: all spice images are ©My Spice Sage and have been used with the permission of My Spice Sage