Toast and grind: a five-minute spice lesson

Toasting whole spices in a dry pan deepens their flavor and makes them easier to grind.

• Heat a dry pan over medium heat.
• Add whole spices in a single layer, such as coriander, cumin, fennel or peppercorns.
• Shake the pan for one to two minutes until the spices smell fragrant and darken slightly.
• Tip them onto a plate and let them cool fully.
• Grind in a mortar or spice grinder and use within a few days.

Watch closely: spices burn fast, and burnt spices taste bitter. Do not toast ground spices; they scorch in seconds.