Indian Spices?

angie_baby

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Why not look at the ingredients for a few recipes you would like to try, and buy the spices you need for those? Then add to your collection as required, when you start to branch out to other recipes. After all, there's no point buying something you might never get around to cooking with.

As others have said, most spices are much cheaper from ethnic supermarkets or the "World Foods" section of some big UK chains (we're talking 200g bags for the same price as a tiny jar from the supermarket's own brand, and half the price of Schwartz). You will find that most items are available in pretty much any ethnic supermarket (not just Indian ones), but there will be the odd one or two which you'll have trouble finding if you can't get to an Indian shop. I live near Peckham where you can buy nearly anything African, Caribbean, Chinese or Turkish, but there are very few Indian people locally so no Indian shops either. I had to go all the way to Brick Lane to find black cardamoms.

I make a lot of curries these days, and the things I use most of are:

Ground Coriander
Ground Cumin
Ground Turmeric
Cinnamon Shards/Sticks
Cloves
Green Cardamoms
Garam Masala
Black Mustard Seeds
Dried red chillies

Oh yes - and tinned coconut milk. Aldi have it for 47p at the moment.

You will also find that there are certain fresh ingredients which are in nearly everything: onion, garlic, green chillies, root ginger and fresh bunched coriander. Because I make a lot of curries I tend to keep these in the house at all times. (Fresh bunched coriander is much more flavoursome than the potted supermarket stuff, and will keep for up to a fortnight in the fridge with the cut stems in a jug of water.)

Incidentally, the Anjum Anand recipe books are excellent. I am gradually working my way through them!

Hi :hello:

I work in Peckham! I have just gone to have a look in one of the shops and found the prices great. As you said though, not many indian spices. I live near to Thornton Heath though so should find some there.

Thanks for your help!

angie_baby

Thanks everyone, will be searching the net later for recipes that should good and will go from there.

I did buy black peppercorns/garam masala/Bay Leaves/big bag of popping corn and lentils plus 2 blocks of creamed cononut for a grand total of £4.05!

The lentils were a great price!

daska

I used to buy my spices from Pat Chapman - he of Curry Club fame. He doesn't sell much any more but there are several supplier listed on his website including some 'household' names (well in my household anyway!). patchapman.co.uk/page/ingredients-suppliers

whu

angie_baby wrote: »

Thanks everyone, will be searching the net later for recipes that should good and will go from there.

I did buy black peppercorns/garam masala/Bay Leaves/big bag of popping corn and lentils plus 2 blocks of creamed cononut for a grand total of £4.05!

The lentils were a great price!

The other thing to buy in indian stores are papdums - so cheap compared to the price you pay in a restaurant- just buy some mango chutney and make a dip of youghurt mixed with mint sauce and it's great to have as a snack with a drink

Stephen_Leak

All of my curry recipes use fresh ginger, hot chillli powder (you use less than mild so it goes further), garam masala spice mix, ground turmeric and sometimes ground cumin.

Bargain_Rzl

angie_baby - now I know roughly where you live I'd suggest the best local source of specifically Indian/Pakistani spices would be Tooting. Loads of Pakistani shops round there.

StressedSteph

Hiya

We did the same as you, we used to have a weekly Friday night indian takeaway that used to cost about £25.

So I bought all the spices people above have mentioned and even though it seems like alot of money (probably under £25) they have lasted me ages, and these were just bought from Tesco. If you could find an indian supermarket then it would be loads cheaper.

Also, some nights when I am in a hurry I use Pataks Madras Paste. It is about £1.80 for a jar and it makes about 4-5 curries, as you only need to use two tablespoons in a curry for two people. It tastes pretty much the same as the madras curries I was making from scratch. (I find it a good cheat when I am too tired to be grinding spices and chopping ginger :rolleyes: )

I also make my own naan bread from a Videojug receipe, its not quite as good as takeway ones, but it is good enough for hubby and me.

Best of luck, this has saved us a fortune over the months and we still get our spicy weekly curry.

Lv Steph xx

LittleMissAspie

Here's the homemade spice mix from my book (Cooking Like Mummyji by Vicky Bhogal). It's a huge quantity but I'm sure it can be scaled down. I've always meant to try this.

2kg coriander seeds
500g black peppercorns
2kg cumin seeds
250g cassia bark
100g large brown cardamoms
handful of bay leaves
100g cloves

Rinse them in cold water then put in oven on gas 3 until you can run a fork through them and they don't stick. Then cool and grind.

This is pretty much the basis for all the recipes in the book. Then for individual recipes she adds things like turmeric, coriander, chilli, garlic, ginger etc.

Bongedone

angie_baby wrote: »

Hi :hello:

I work in Peckham! I have just gone to have a look in one of the shops and found the prices great. As you said though, not many indian spices. I live near to Thornton Heath though so should find some there.

Thanks for your help!

The shop opposite the chip shop near the Thornton Heath station has a big range (the place with the fruit and veg on the pavement).

The Chinese supermarket in Electric Avenue, Brixton does also. A few of the Halal grocers on Peckham High Steet also sell them. You will need to go in to see them.

As Bargain Rzl says, Tooting is the place for massive choice. There is an Asian supermarket opposite Primark that has everything. I had to go their to get to get fenugreek seeds.

More4me

Near Thornton Heath pond there are several indian stores and you will also get fresh veg and herbs (coriander) too.