Basics and Measures

Ginger Paste

Makes about 6 tablespoons

175g fresh ginger, peeled

5 tablespoons water

Chop up the ginger and process it to a paste with the water in a food processor or blender. The paste will keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Garlic Paste

Makes about 6–8 tablespoons

175g garlic, peeled

5 tablespoons water

Chop up the garlic and process it to a paste with the water in a food processor or blender. The paste will keep for 1 week in the fridge, but if you substitute oil for the water it should keep for 2 weeks.

Ginger-Garlic Paste

Makes about 10 tablespoons

100g fresh ginger, peeled

100g garlic, peeled

175ml of water

Chop up the ginger and garlic and process them to a paste with the water in a food processor or blender. The paste will keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Boiled Cashew Nut Paste

Makes about 400g

200g cashew nuts

a blade of mace

1 green cardamom pod

300ml of water

Soak the cashew nuts in enough water to cover for 10 minutes, then drain. Put them in a pan with the mace, cardamom and water, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Blend to a smooth paste in a food processor or blender with 100ml of water. The paste will keep for 4 days in the fridge.

Garam Masala

50g coriander seeds

50g cumin seeds

20 green cardamom pods

10 cinnamon sticks, about 2.5cm long

2 tablespoons cloves

10 blades of mace

10 black cardamom pods

½ nutmeg

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

4 bay leaves

Put all the ingredients on a baking tray and place in a low oven (about 110°C/90°C Fan/Gas Mark ¼) for 3–5 minutes; this intensifies the flavours. You could even dry the spices in a microwave for 20 seconds or so. Allow to cool, then grind everything to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Sift the mixture to remove any husks or large particles. Store in an airtight container and use within 2 weeks.

Bengali Garam Masala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

seeds from 4 green cardamom pods

Heat a small heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and dry-roast the cumin, coriander and cinnamon for a couple of minutes, then add the green cardamom and stir for 30 seconds or so until aromatic. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chaat Masala

Makes about 7 tablespoons

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

¼ teaspoon ajowan seeds

1 teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon rock salt

2 tablespoons dried mango powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon tartaric acid (optional)

½ teaspoon dried mint leaves, crushed

1½ teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between your fingertips

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon icing sugar

Heat a small heavy-based saucepan and dry roast the cumin seeds lightly over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes until the flavours just begin to release. The cumin should not be allowed to change colour or become too roasted. Allow it to cool down, then add all the other ingredients. Grind them in a spice mill and pass them through a sieve. Stored in an airtight jar, this will keep for months.

Crisp Fried Onions

Makes about 100g

600g onions, sliced

at least 600ml vegetable or corn oil for deep-frying

Deep-fry the onions in medium-hot oil until golden brown, then remove and drain on kitchen paper. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Dhansak Masala

Makes 220g

1–2 teaspoons vegetable oil

5g cinnamon stick

5g green cardamom pods

20g black peppercorns

100g coriander seeds

25g cumin seeds

6g royal cumin seeds

5g black mustard seeds

5g poppy seeds

5g fenugreek seeds

5g cloves

5g curry leaves, ideally fresh

5g dried bay leaves

5g dried orange peel

5g dried lime peel

2g ground turmeric

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a frying pan and roast each of the ingredients separately for just a couple of minutes until the aromas are released. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil as necessary. Let the mixture cool, then grind it and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Botal Masala

Makes 180g

30g dried Kashmiri red chillies

1cm piece of cinnamon

2 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

½ star anise

4 whole allspice

a blade of mace

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

1½ tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon chana dal

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon wheat grain (or bulgur wheat)

¼ teaspoon royal cumin

1/8 nutmeg, grated

a sprig of black stone flower

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Slowly dry roast all the ingredients except the turmeric separately, until they start to give off an aroma.

Starting with the dried red chillies, begin pounding the largest spices first, then adding the small ones as you go along. Finally add the turmeric and pound everything into a fine powder. It is believed that pounding by hand is best as blending in a machine causes the volatile oils to be lost due to the generation of heat.

Store in clean, dry beer bottles. Pack the spice in as tightly as you can, to ensure as little air as possible remains in the bottle. This will help to prolong the flavour. To use, simply use either a barbecue skewer or knitting needle to release as much spice as you need. After use, place the lid back, and store in a cool, dark cupboard until next required.

Conversion Tables

Weights

Metric	Imperial
15g	½oz
20g	¾oz
30g	1oz
55g	2oz
85g	3oz
110g	4oz / ¼lb
140g	5oz
170g	6oz
200g	7oz
225g	8oz / ½lb
255g	9oz
285g	10oz
310g	11oz
340g	12oz / ¾lb
370g	13oz
400g	14oz
425g	15oz
450g	6oz / 1lb
1kg	2lb 4oz
1.5kg	3lb 5oz

Liquids

Metric	Imperial
5ml	1 teaspoon
15ml	1 tablespoon / ½fl oz
30ml	2 tablespoons / 1fl oz
150ml	¼ pint / 5fl oz
290ml	½ pint / 10fl oz
425ml	¾ pint / 16fl oz
570ml	1 pint / 20fl oz
1 litre	1¾ pints
1.2 litres	2 pints

Length

Metric	Imperial
5mm	¼ in
1cm	½in
2cm	¾in
2.5cm	1in
5cm	2in
10cm	4in
15cm	6in
20cm	8in
30cm	12in

Useful conversions

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

1 level tablespoon = approx. 15g / ½oz

1 heaped tablespoon = approx. 30g / 1oz

1 egg = 55ml / 55g / 1fl oz