This winter has been an especially long one for us at the Joy Kitchen. I suppose that’s reassuring… every winter outstays its welcome by early March. Yesterday brought us a picturesque reminder that Spring has yet to come: snow. Despite freezing temperatures all winter long, this is only our second snowfall of the year, and the only one to stick around for any length of time. Well, winter, two can play at this game. Time to ward off the cold and break out the Dutch oven, chilies, and whole spices.

There is something uniquely comforting about Indian food. The heat level, the complexity of flavor, the textures and aroma… For the longest time I could not decide which of these characteristics I found more fulfilling. Long-simmered lamb saag, fragrant pulao, a nicely appointed thali platter, dhosas with sambhar… when prepared well, what do they all have in common? The answer: fried whole spices.

Frying cumin, coriander, and black mustard seed, causes the complexity and character of those spices to change and deepen. While flavors subtly change, the oil becomes infused with the spices, aiding in their dispersal throughout the entire dish.

Fried spices can be added at the beginning or end of the cooking process. When added first, they can be done in the same pan as your curry. Just add them to a few tablespoons of clarified butter or vegetable oil and cook over medium-high heat until they begin to darken and the seeds start popping (approximately one to two minutes). When they are ready, add onions, garlic, ginger, etc. and stir (this stops the spices from scorching) and continue with the recipe. Alternatively, you can always fry the spices in a small skillet and add them in their oil to the dish ten minutes before it is done cooking.

This simple technique enables you to experiment with a large number of dishes. Start by taking some of your favorite curry recipes and adding fried spices in addition to or in lieu of the seasonings called for. Dal, pilaf, biryani, even long-cooking braises can be improved with the delicious, head-scratching complexity of a nice fried-spice blend.

Just in case you can’t think of a dish to apply this technique to, I give you a modified version of the Punjabi classic channa masala (also known as masaledar cholay). This tangy tomato-chickpea curry was the perfect antidote for our last (hopefully) snowy day of the year. Note to meat-eaters: this is very satisfying… do not let the lack of meat keep you from enjoying this as a main course.