New Delhi, Dec. 6 -- December is my favourite month, and I know I'm not the only one.

Winter is quietly slipping into Bengaluru, work is taking a back seat, the kitchen garden is in happy overproduction mode, my son's birthday is around the corner, and the calendar starts filling with invitations to friends' parties.

And of course, the winter bounty-the produce, the flavours, the dishes-makes every gourmand look forward to the season. Among spices and blends, this is the season when cinnamon, cloves, ginger, chai masala and green cardamom take centre stage in my kitchen. But there's another spice I want to introduce you to this month.

It's a savoury superstar that I rank right at the top for winter cooking. A tiny flavour bomb carrying...