Adding ground spices directly to a wet mixture gives flat, raw flavour. Blooming — frying ground spices in oil or butter for 60 seconds before adding any liquid — activates the fat-soluble aromatic compounds that carry most of the spice's flavour and fragrance. The spices should sizzle gently and become intensely fragrant; if they smoke or catch, the heat is too high. This brief step transforms a spice mix from dusty and muted to deep, complex, and fully integrated into the dish. It is fundamental to South Asian cooking and applies to any recipe using cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, or similar ground spices. Without it, the filling will taste of spice but not of flavour.