What to use instead of whole spices
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Toasted and ground into a fresh masala or rub
The oils are sealed inside the seed until you crack it. Toasting drives them out and grinding fresh gives you aroma that a pre-ground jar lost months ago.
Pre-ground versions of the same spicesRan out
1 tsp whole cumin or coriander seed becomes 3/4 tsp ground; one 3-inch cinnamon stick becomes 1/2 tsp; 6 cloves become 1/4 tsp
Flatter and dustier with no toasting stage. They scorch in seconds, so add them in the last minute of frying.
Garam masalaRan out
2 tsp per 1 tbsp of whole-spice blend, stirred in at the end
Already toasted and already carrying cinnamon and clove, so the dish reads sweeter and more finished.
Curry powderRan out
1 tbsp per 1 tbsp whole-spice mix
Turmeric-heavy and much yellower, with fenugreek that a whole-spice blend usually would not have.
What doesn't work: Grinding whole spices raw to save the toasting step. Untoasted seed grinds to a resinous powder that tastes green and slightly bitter in the finished dish, and two minutes in a dry pan is the entire difference.
Whole spices dropped into a braise, pickle or pot of rice
They perfume the liquid slowly over the whole cook, and because they come out whole the sauce stays clear and free of grit.
The ground equivalent in a muslin bag or tea ballRan out
Half the volume of the whole measure
Gives everything up in about 10 minutes where whole spices take an hour, so add it late. The liquid still clouds a shade.
A pickling or mulling blendRan out
1 tbsp per 1 tbsp of your own whole-spice mix
Brings its own balance, usually far more clove and allspice than you would have chosen.
Whole chai masala blendRan out
1 tbsp per 1 tbsp, in a sweet liquid only
Cardamom and ginger dominate, and there is often black pepper in it that shows up in a dessert.
What doesn't work: Ground spices loose in a long braise. They sink, catch on the base of the pot and turn bitter, and they leave the sauce gritty and muddy brown.