Indian Spice Box

My Indian spice box or masala dabba  

For the past year or more, I've been looking for an authentic, Indian-style spice box.

For years we've been making do with a plastic version and I was just about ready to toss it into the recycle bin.

We tend to cook a LOT of desi food at home and I craved for an efficient and attractive spice box that would make all the difference.

So I looked high and low in Southern Illinois shops and online storefronts, but was unable to find the aluminium or steel spice box my heart desired.


When I did finally find it, on EBay of all places, the spice box was so overpriced I backed off, horrified.

Its almost ironic, how this spice box (or masala dabba as we refer to it back home) is so easily available all over India, but almost impossible to find in small-town America.

Shiny new spice box

Then two days ago, I was in St. Louis on immigration-related work and happened to stop by World Market.

If you've never been to World Market, this is an awesome place to find all kinds of treasures from around the world, for bargain prices!

And within ten minutes of walking in, I saw it. The spice box I've been looking for all this time!

Delicate hammered design on the outside

Seven small steel cups resting in a stainless steel bowl, covered with a glass lid. Delicate hammering produced an intricate hammered design on the outside.

This was it!

The spice box of my dreams.

And it cost me only $9.99. A bargain, I tell you.

Desi spice box

I brought it home, washed and dried it and carefully filled the cups with fresh, fragrant chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, black gram , mustard seeds, garam masala, and cumin seeds.

I then cooked up a storm!