When using spices in cooking, dry roasting is one method for increasing the flavour of the spices. This is an alternative to dry frying.

Items needed

You'll need an oven, a tray or baking sheet and something to line the tray with, such as kitchen foil or parchment paper. This isn't absolutely necessary, it just helps to prevent sticking and extra washing.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
2. Select the spices you need to dry roast.
3. Arrange the spices across the tray or baking sheet. Try to avoid overlapping any.
4. Place the spices in the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until you can smell their particular fragrance.
5. Remove from the oven and use as needed.

Experimentation

Different spices will need different dry roasting times. Hence, it's recommended that you only use one type of spice at any one time and keep an eye on how it is baking. After your first attempt, you'll have a better idea of the time needed for the particular spice you're using. Generally, the larger the spice, the longer it will need but texture and type of spice will also make a difference.