Open an Indian kitchen cabinet today and you’ll probably find neatly packed masalas. A few decades ago, those spice mixes were made at home. Whole spices like coriander, cumin, cloves, black pepper and dried chillies were roasted carefully until fragrant, then ground into powders in small batches. Every family had its own recipe, often tweaked over generations. Some preferred a stronger kick of pepper, while others added more cardamom for warmth. It meant that the same curry could taste completely different from one home to another.