When it comes to cooking, a touch of spice is rather nice
I’m very partial to a touch of spice in my cooking. For a quick and simple way of adding a touch of curry to some normal chicken breasts, try my Curried Chicken with Watercress.
Nowadays, most of the ingredients you need for Indian cookery are widely available in supermarkets, so it’s very simple to cook Indian food at home.
I always like to have a nice piece of fresh root ginger in my store cupboard, as this, together with onions and garlic, is the starting point for many Indian dishes.
For convenience, you can simply use a commercially-produced, ready-mixed curry powder, made from a mixture of spices. On the other hand, if you buy a few key spices you can then make up your own curry powder mixtures and adapt them to the dish you’re making.
Here are a few key spices I’d recommend getting for your store-cupboard. Store your spices in airtight containers in a cool, dark place – that way they’ll keep the best.
Cardamom pods: These green pods have an incredible perfumed fragrance and are used in both savoury and sweet dishes. When choosing these, look for the brightest green pods you can find, as they’ll be the freshest. Cook with the whole pod or, for a more intense cardamom flavour, crack open the pods, discard the papery husk and crush the tiny black seeds inside – which can be used in a paste, spice powder or marinade.
Chillies and chilli powder: Red and green, fresh and dried, whole and ground – chillies are widely used in Indian cookery to give a piquant heat. If you don’t like chilli heat, then it’s very simple; don’t use them in your cooking.
Spicy food doesn’t have to be chilli hot food. As I always say, let your palate dictate.
Cinnamon: Made from the bark of a tropical tree, both whole cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon are used to add a sweet, subtle flavour to a whole range of dishes, including basmati rice pilaffs.
Coriander: This warm, fragrant spice is available in both seed and ground form, while leafy fresh coriander is a popular herb, adding a tangy freshness.
Cumin: Used widely in both its whole seed and its ground form in Indian cookery, this adds a mild, sweet flavour and is a key ingredient in curry powder.
Saffron: Made from the stamens of the saffron crocus, this is the world’s most expensive spice, available in stamen form or ground. It adds a distinctive, subtle bitter flavour and pale yellow colour to dishes such as pilaff rice. To use it, simply soak the stamens or saffron powder in a little warm water before adding it to the dish.
Turmeric: Ground turmeric adds both a distinctive yellow colour and flavour to food. Use with discretion as it has a powerful flavour and handle it carefully as it does stain.
