At a glance
You're creating a fragrant homemade spice blend that beats anything store-bought – the magic happens when you toast whole spices to release their incredible aroma, then grind them into a fine powder. The key trick is cooling the spices right after toasting (which locks in that amazing smell) and watching them carefully so they don't burn.
1/5
Prep the spices in the pan
Pour the star anise, allspice, anise, fennel, cloves and coriander into a dry, cold pan. Pop out just the black seeds from the cardamom pods and add those too. Add the Ceylon cinnamon sticks, breaking them into smaller pieces right in your hand.
For this step
0/82/5
Toast until fragrant
Only now put the pan on low to medium heat. Toast the mixture for about 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until everything smells wonderfully fragrant. Watch it closely – the spices mustn't burn, or they'll turn bitter.
3/5
Let it cool – don't skip this
As soon as the spices are fragrant, tip them straight from the hot pan onto a cold plate. Let them cool completely. Don't skip this step – warm spices would steam up in the grinder and lose their true aroma.
How it went
Nobody has tried this recipe yet
Be the first to say how it went.
Want a recipe like this every Thursday?
One recipe worth heating the oven for, and one tip that saves you time. Nothing else.
