Key facts
| Hindi name | Laung |
|---|---|
| Also called | Lavang |
| Flavour | Strong, warm, sweet and numbing. |
| Heat | Mild |
| Sold as | Whole, ground |
| Stays fresh | Whole: 1 year, ground: 3 months · check your jars |
| Best substitute | A pinch of allspice is the closest swap. |
| Used in | 12 of our blends and 11 of our dishes |
How to use it
Fried whole with other spices for pulao, biryani and meat dishes, and ground into garam masala.
- Use sparingly: two to four cloves flavour a whole pot.
- Remove before serving or warn people; biting one is intense.
Substitute
A pinch of allspice is the closest swap.
Storage
Whole cloves keep for a year or more.
Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tree native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia.
Pairs well with
Dishes that use cloves
Blends with cloves
Garam masala (Punjabi style)
North India
The best-known Indian spice mix: warm, aromatic and only mildly hot. Every household has its own version; thi…
Tandoori masala
North India
A brick-red blend made for marinades; the colour comes from Kashmiri chilli rather than heat.
Biryani masala
Hyderabad and Lucknow
A fragrant blend with more floral spices than garam masala: mace, nutmeg, star anise and rose.
Chettinad masala
Tamil Nadu
A peppery, aromatic blend from the Chettinad region, with stone flower and kapok buds.
Kashmiri masala (ver style)
Kashmir
Kashmiri Pandit cooking relies on fennel, dry ginger and Kashmiri chilli rather than onion and garlic.
Curry powder (British-Indian style)
Britain
Curry powder is a British invention: Indian cooks rarely use one blend for everything, but it is handy and wi…
Frequently asked questions
What is cloves called in Hindi?
Laung. Also known as Lavang.
What can I use instead of cloves?
A pinch of allspice is the closest swap.
How long does cloves keep?
Whole cloves keep for a year or more.
Tips from travellers
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Questions from readers
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