Re: Amateur cooks
if you can learn how to make basic masalas for curries and tarka for dhaal's you'll be fine...
Basic Masala's can consist of the following: salt,red chilly powde,haldi, fresh tomatoes, crushed garlic, crushed giner, oil - and then you can add other spices if required.
Tarka can consist of the following: oil, crushed garlic, zeera
Hope that helps.