TOP TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS…
NISHA KATONA, broadcaster and founder of Mowgli Street Food (mowglistreetfood.com)
‘Indians at home would always aim to have at least three or four curries, salad, rice and breads on the table. We start with vegetable curries and bread, and only after the veg course are we served the meat curries: big, mouth-flooding flavours served with fragrant basmati rice – always white basmati.’
ATUL KOCHHAR, chef and restaurateur at Vaasu, Marlow (vaasurestaurant.co.uk)
‘Understanding the temperature at which one should add the spices is key to Indian cooking. Heat the oil, ghee or coconut oil to just under smoking point before adding whole spices, as high heat allows for better extraction of the flavours.’
ROOPA GULATI, author of India: The World Vegetarian (Bloomsbury)
‘Ghee adds a rich buttery flavour to curries and heats to a high temperature without burning. Make your own by heating unsalted butter in a sturdy pan over low heat until the milk solids brown, then strain through a sieve lined with muslin.’
TONY SINGH, celebrity chef and owner of Tony’s Supper Club (tonysingh.co.uk)
‘People find it difficult to get the right amount of flavour and heat balance from fresh chillies as, because they are a natural product, they won’t be the same all the time! I recommend sampling a small amount of raw chilli before cooking to get the quantity to your liking.’
SAIPHIN MOORE, co-founder of Rosa’s Thai Cafe (rosasthaicafe.com)
‘Using a pestle and mortar is the best and most traditional way to make curry pastes because it allows you to control the consistency. It’s a great workout, too, but does take a while! To save time (and energy), use a food processor or small blender to make sauces and pastes from scratch.’
VIVEK SINGH, executive chef at The Cinnamon Club, London and Oxford (cinnamonclub.com)
‘Most people don’t think beyond rice or naan to serve with their curries. However, quinoa cooked in a bit of turmeric water is a great healthy alternative, or even couscous or polenta cooked with turmeric, ginger, chilli and curry leaves.’
AYA NISHIMURA, author of Japanese Food Made Easy (Murdoch Books)
‘We serve pickled vegetables called fukujinzuke alongside Japanese-style curries. Made from chopped daikon radish, aubergine, lotus root and cucumber, it is sweet, salty, tangy and has a lovely crunch. You’ll find it at large supermarkets or online. If you’ve never had it, it’s worth seeking out.’