Coriander powder is the quiet one. It rarely leads a dish, but it is in most of them, adding a mild citrus warmth and, just as importantly, body to a gravy.

It is a thickener as much as a spice. A tablespoon into a curry base does as much for the texture as for the flavour.

Use it in curry powders and masalas, in marinades, in dal, and anywhere a recipe wants volume without heat. It is one of the few spices you can be generous with.

On the spice shelf at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.