Cinnamon / cassia bark
दालचीनी
Whole Spices
The warm backbone of garam masala, biryani and Kerala stew. Goes into hot oil at the start so the fat carries it through the dish.
- Choosing it
- Most of what is sold as cinnamon in India is cassia — thicker, harder bark with a blunter, sweeter heat. True cinnamon rolls into brittle, papery quills. Either works here; they are not interchangeable by weight, as cassia is stronger.
- Storing it
- Airtight.
Measures
- 1 piece ≈ 2 g
Cups here are the Indian 200 ml cup, not the 240 ml US cup — a common reason a recipe does not work. Weigh where you can; the grams are the figure we cook to.