The ingredient quantity and unit of measure assume ground spices and ground dried herbs. For the best results use whole seeds and pods. Toast them in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes until they start omitting their beautiful aromas. Then grind them in a spice mill. If using seeds or pods increase the volume (tablespoon or teaspoon) by 1/3. So for example if the recipe calls for 1 tbsp of ground sesame, use 1 1/3 tablespoons (1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) of sesame seeds. You can then combine all the seeds and pods and grind them together. Alternatively, grind the spices individually and then measure the ground product according to amount indicated above.