Nutmegs are best bought whole, rather than powdered, so that it keeps its flavour. When needed they can be scraped on a grater or ground in a coffee mill. Whilst mace and nutmeg are similar, they tend to be used differently in Indian cooking – mace is more commonly used in savoury dishes, whilst nutmeg is used in sweet or slow cooked dishes. It is not considered an essential Indian spice, but it is used across India, and is sometimes one of the spices in garam masala.
