I don't know about you but come end of August/September I immediately think of Winter, but every cloud does have a silver lining, as Winter is the time to start cooking again (it's been known that I hardly do any kind of cooking during the summer months...unless a barbecue is involved). The dark, chilly afternoons are the best times to have lots of ingredients laid out with great big pan heating up (with a hot chocolate/mulled wine of course - delete as appropriate). So with this in mind, Spices of India, the UK's leading online Indian grocery store, has only gone and created a spice starter pack for us curry enthusiasts inspired by the ledge that is Rick Stein. Who needs Brick Lane ay?
Following the huge success of Rick Stein’s India TV series and cookbook, Spices of India, has pulled together a selection of the harder-to-find spices to create the Rick Stein’s India Starter Spice Gift Set (£39.50). It has been designed with home-cooks in mind, looking to recreate authentic Indian flavour in their kitchen.
The set includes a hardback copy of Rick Stein’s India together with 11 Indian spices and ingredients, which feature extensively in many of the recipes in the cookbook. For more information just visit www.spicesofindia.co.uk The set includes:
Amchur (Mango) Powder, adds a pleasing sourness to many Northern Indian dishes.
Asafoetida powder – Hing Vandevi, a pungent ground resin which tastes like garlic and onions.
Black Salt (Kala Namak powder), often sprinkled over nuts and snacks.
Black Cardamom, often used in rice and dal dishes and has a smoky flavour.
Kashmiri Chilli Powder, milder than most chillies and adds a rich deep-red colour to many curries.
Millet (Bajra) Flour, the key to making authentic flat breads.
Kokum, a dried fruit which has the same flavour-balancing technique as adding vinegar or lemon juice.
Mustard Oil, very hard to buy in the west and is essential for truly Indian chutney’s.
Mustard Seeds, often used at the spice tempering stage of most curries.
Screwpine (Kewra) Water, a fragrant essence of the pandan leaf which is often poured on rice to perfume it.
Tamarind, used to add a sweet tartness to many dishes.
Spices of India is listed in Rick Stein’s India as a supplier of spices and ingredients, including the harder-to-find ones that feature in the book and the programme, such as black salt, black cardamoms and chapatti flours, which can be bought online. It's as easy as that.
Also, check out BBC Good Food for a hearty potato and pea curry.
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