What would be the 7 most essential spices to put in a spice dabba? Do most asian households have more than one dabba? I usually store my spices in a cupboard in plastic cartons that you get from a takeaway, is this good enough?

I suppose a lot would depend on what you make the most as to what you need the most ?

Steve

I don't keep a spice dabba, but the most common things in it in my extended, north Indian, family's dabbas are;

Cumin seeds

Asafoetida/hing; this is kept in it's original small cantainer to sto it's smell migling/overpowering others.

Coriander-ground

Turmeric powder

Chilli powder

Salt

Garam masala or coarsely ground roast cumin or amchoor (dry mango powder).

You can make most vegetarian dishes using these basic ingredients.

Some families keep 2 dabbas, to keep extra spices.

Unless you cook Indian food couple of time a day, every day, as most of Indians do, I wouldn't recomend using these dabbas, because spices are 'open' and loose their aroma quickly.

I have a dabba, but don't use it any more. As Mamta has pointed out, unless one is preparing food every day, the spices can lose their freshness, and become contaminated with the other spices.

For ease of use, I have a small spice rack with twenty common spices in (not all for Indian food) that are stored in large air tight jars, and handy for 'to the second' addition to the food.

I have seen them but never considered buying one. I store my spices in amber glass jars in a cupboard next to the cooker.

I'm glad I asked this question before I went out and bought a spice dabba. You've put me of getting one with your good advice. I buy a lot of my spices in small plastic bags so once open I need to transfer them to a new container. Think I'll stick with the takeaway tubs for the time being. Thank you

Empty jam/ready sauces/pickles/similar jars are good for storing spices, as are empty spice/dry herb jars. Once you have washed and got rid of the original lables and smells, you have an airtight jar on which you can stick your own labels.

I've been using jars as Mamta describes for 40 years (not the same ones!) and can testify as to their usefulness. Saving those type of jars (the ones with a soft seal in the lid) takes little time to build on ones needs (currently about 130 jars!!) and keeps spices perfectly, IMHO, but their contents should be accessed away from the cooking food, or else steam can get into the jars and reduce the shelf life of the contents, especially paprika and amchur.

A couple of years ago I needed a load of jars to make some chutney for Christmas. I ended up buying 30 jars of a cheap and nasty curry sauce that ASDA was selling for 10p per jar. The sauce was vile and the contents of all jars went down the toilet, but the jars were brilliant! ?3.00 for 30 good-sized glass jars was worth it to me.

So what is the morale of Sid's story? Keep an eye out for extra special offers of foods sold in jars in supermarkets. You can chuck out the contents and use the jars, LOL!! You will have a collection of all matching jars at a minor cost. They are quite expensive to buy on their own. Good one sid!

AND the labels came off really easy! There was no need to get the white spirits out. ;o)

I was looking at the price of jars on their own a few weeks ago, and you're right, Mamta, they can work out quite expensive!

Yep, I've bought jars for homemade preserves and usually come to about 50-70 pence a jar.

I have two concerns with buying full jars of cheap cheap supermarket crap (I read a thread on a food board where someone did same with value jam).

1. I'm not sure whether all types of lid give as good a seal the second time around as when first used? And not sure how to find out...

2. I hate the thought of wasting so much food, even if it's crap I'd never eat.

On the other hand, there's NO arguing with the economics!

Sid,

your life seems to revolve around the 'big white telephone' ;?)

The jars I use have had mayo (now home made only!) and a vast variety of pickles (in vinegar) in them. The seals work well, but the tops eventually rust, even when I have painted them (on the outside!)

I would like to know how they can sell something for about 10-15p (I can't remember, but it was cheap)and still make a profit...albeit a small one. I was most probably only paying for the jar. I don't like wasting food either, but trust me, it wasn't nice. The seal worked okay the second time around, but I never used them a third time, so I don't know. I did use a couple for infusing fresh peppermint in vinegar and after a few weeks the lids started to rust.

Me and the 'big white telephone' have an understanding...it only gets to eat the things I don't like. :oD

I once had a 'special offer' from the Co-op. They were selling family sized pies, but there were two offers going on it, one was a BOGOF, and the other I can't remember, but at the checkout, they charged me minus two pence for the pair, I kid you not.

When I got home I thought about it (after eating one of the pies!) and came to the conclusion that it was cheaper to pay me 2p to take them away than it was to pay the council to do it for them!! The pies were excellent, especially for -2p !

These are the jars that I am using for spices (hopefully the link will work: Jars

What I saved on the jars of curry sauce I spent on these LOL!