South Asian Spices
Fresh, flavoursome and full of aroma, our selection of hand-blended South Asian spices are perfect for the adventurous cook looking to experiment in the kitchen.
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(heat 5/10)
Biryani is a wonderful celebration dish that can be served with chicken, lamb or vegetables (see our Cook’s Notes). The fried (burnt!) onion is a very important ingredient of Biryani, so don’t skimp! You must also wash the rice VERY thoroughly – at least 3 changes of water – to remove the starch. The rice will absorb all the cooking water, and washing stops the dish from being sticky. The rose water is a lovely addition introduced to us by a restaurant-owner friend, but it is not essential to the flavours nor to the traditions of the dish.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 2/10)
Here is the recipe for the 1970s curry you didn't know you had missed! The perfect army curry too. Also great for mulligatawny soup, kedgeree, Katsu curry or any of those other dishes where a hint of curry is required!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 5/10)
Our version of chana masala. A very popular combination which heats up nicely next day should you have any leftovers! Or see our Cook’s Notes for turning it into a soup.
(heat 5/10)
A tangy but creamy South Asian curry using very traditional regional spices and flavours. The sauce is made from coconut and tomato with a hint of lemon. We suggest adding chicken with vegetables and beans, but it is also perfect as a vegan curry, or with fish.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 2/10)
Everyone loves a Dhansak, and our version is healthy as well as tangy and tasty! This Parsee curry is very mild as it stands, so do add those optional chillies. If you enjoy a curry-house Dhansak we give you the recipe for that, too. Also take a look at our Malabar curry recipe which uses these spices but is a slow-cooked dry lamb curry.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 3/10)
This is a classic Indian curry, the green coming from the fresh coriander in the recipe as well as the mint in our blend. Unusual but creamy and delicious (40g net). Try with chicken or prawns, or a firm fish like monkfish, or make our ‘green tandoori’, Cafreal.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 9/10)
This is a very hot tomato-based curry, inspired by Portuguese explorers many years ago. This is our version of a Vindaloo, which itself is a version of the Portuguese dish Carne Vinho e Alhos. Using vinegar, paprika, potatoes and chillies, it is one of few curries where pork is an option, although chicken is probably the most popular.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 5/10)
A delicious medium curry, traditionally for lamb, with a bit of a bite from the Kashmiri chillies. The lime and spice marinade works beautifully as a bbq marinade (see BBQ recipe ideas). Also lovely with chicken!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 3/10)
Not often found on a menu, many Indian restaurants will serve it if you ask (probably because it's what the staff ate!). A great spicy alternative way of cooking lamb (or beef) mince.
Serves: 4
(heat 4/10)
A tomato-based curry which works well with beans (legumes), chickpeas, green beans and cauliflower. In fact just about all vegetarian/vegan options! We have even added rhubarb chunks! But also, dare I say, lovely with beef or lamb!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 5/10)
A simple and delicious mixture of rice and pulses. Lovely on its own as a vegan dish or served with other curries. Perfect as the base for kedgeree (see our full recipe for this and other ideas). serves: 4
(heat 1/10)
This is the traditional lentil accompaniment to Indian food. A very simple, non-spicy side-dish, a traditional tarka dahl would have whole spices fried and stirred in at the end, or you can add them at the start as we suggest.
Serves: 6-8
(heat 7/10)
This is the classic restaurant curry, fairly hot but not lethal! Adding tomatoes towards the end of cooking gives a certain freshness to the sauce. Feel free to add your own chillies if you feel it is too benign to be a true madras!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 6/10)
Our North Indian Meatballs spice mix contains dried mint, which adds a lovely flavour when combined with the fresh coriander - another vital ingredient. If you’re not a fan of too much heat (or cooking for the family), hold back some of the spices and use a plain tomato sauce made with our secret sauce, water, tomato puree and coriander. The flavour of the meatballs will filter through the sauce but the heat won't, making it much more child-friendly. Also a delicious vegetarian option (see our Cook’s Notes).
Serves: 4-6
(heat 1/10)
Practising till we were sick of the sight and taste of them, we have finally perfected our onion bhajis. The trick is to mix the onions with the flour and spices a good hour before cooking. This gives the onions sufficient time to 'sweat' and create enough liquid to bind it together (an attractive image, I know!). Also, flattening them against the bottom of the pan or wok when they first go in helps to hold them together.
Serves: 4-6
(heat 1/10)
For the perfect pilau rice! Our recipe gives you the spices to make a huge feast's-worth in a mix of white and yellow.
Serves: 20
(heat 6/10)
A lovely vegetarian main course or side dish - spinach and potato are a great combination. Also makes a delicious Mauritian curry for lamb and chickpeas!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 8/10)
This is supposed to be a really hot curry made with coconut milk and lime juice. Add the extra chillies if you enjoy a really hot dish, although most people will find this about right! Perfect with chicken or fish, and see below for a jackfruit curry! And use these spices for a Goan Lamb Xacutti curry
Serves: 4-6
(heat 3/10)
Needs no introduction! Don’t expect it to be red, as we don’t add food colouring! Lovely with chicken or prawns.
Serves: 4
(heat 2/10)
We felt this had to be in our repertoire, and it has been a hit, presumably because it's quite a safe option! The blend is excellent for bbq marinades, mixed with yoghurt and lemon juice (see our BBQ recipes). Or see our Chicken Chilli Masala recipe for a much hotter version!
Serves: 4-6
(heat 2/10)
We include this in many of our spice blends. A vital part of many South Asian dishes, you can add just a spoonful to soups, mayonnaise, sauces and grilled food. Buy it in one of our special pots, or also available in a refill bag if you have your own container.
(heat 3/10)
A simple fresh blend which is ideal for chicken and potatoes, as well as livening up warm salads and grilled food. Sometimes you’ll just need a spoonful to really lift a dish! Available in our usual 30g cartons, or buy 150g in one of our special storage pots or refill bag.
Can’t decide? Get four fabulous spice blends all together in one lovely storage tin.
The perfect way to try out our spice range!
The perfect way to try out our spices mixes, including the Dhansak, Sri Lankan Curry, Cochin Curry and Indonesian Sulawesi Curry.
Four of our hottest curries spice mixes from South Asia and South-East Asia - Sri Lankan, Goan Red, Indonesian Padang and Malay - packaged together as a team.
This family-friendly tin contains a selection of our mildest curry spices including our Korma, Dhansak, Bangladesh and Seletar Yacht Club curries.
Discover our South Asian Recipes …
Chaunke or Chunke Matar is basically a pea and onion dish. We use our Chaat Masala blend to great effect here - the tangy flavour of the asafoetida and mango powder, together with lemon juice, go really well…
Lamb and Potato curry (keema aloo if you must!) is a lovely simple, warming dish everyone will love! We used our Keema Peas spice blend and added fresh chillies to add a burst of heat…
If you like Keema Peas (minced meat with peas), then this version replacing the peas with baked eggs is also for you! It was a popular street food in Singapore…
Bashing new potatoes and grilling or roasting them is a very popular technique these days, and not surprising as they are delicious! But have you thought about sprinkling with spices and serving as part of a curry feast or spicy barbecue?
This dry lentil curry is delicious scooped up and eaten with a roti or chapati. Its flavours really pack a punch if you add plenty of chillies, lime juice and salt to taste.
This Sri Lankan curry is a great vegan option, either as a main or side dish. Check the seasoning as it may well need extra salt, as well as a final squeeze of lime juice. If you don’t have curry leaves at home, don’t worry: it will still be delicious!
This Goan chickpea and spinach curry is the perfect side dish, light lunch, vegan option and a filling for a samosa! Add some fresh chillies if you like to add some heat, and serve with a hard-boiled egg if you want to add protein
A dahl made with chickpeas is really just a lentil and chickpea curry by another name, but it’s a soothing dish, filling, healthy and suitable for every diet.
This tangy recipe is more of a paste than a sauce, and has so many uses! It will keep in the fridge for a few days, but the best way of keeping it is to make ice cubes. This way you can defrost a small amount, perfect for many recipes.
A lovely version of a curry-house favourite, this uses our Bangladesh spice blend to create a healthy and delicious meal!
This vibrant and delicious pilau rice is perfect on its own as a vegan meal or served with other dishes. Add some egg for extra protein and some mild chillies for an extra zing!
We can’t pretend we have created a new genre of cooking with our Spicy Veggie Soup! But this is a delicious warming version, perfect for the whole family, with either coconut milk or a creamy dairy version.
Kerala, in Southern India, is well known for its vegetarian and fish dishes, and we normally suggest cooking our Keralan spice blend with a combination of pulses and vegetables. Here we have also created a delicious version with lamb meatballs.
Bhuna Keema is a minced lamb recipe where the meat is cooked with spices, garlic, ginger and lots of onion. There are lots of variations of what is a fairly simple dish, but the meat is cooked in its own juices with very little extra liquid added.
Chooza Makhani is a Tandoori version of that curry-house favourite, Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani. The smoked paprika and other spices add a rich flavour to the simple sauce. We prefer to keep the dish light with a little oil and thick yoghurt, and avoid the heart attack-inducing levels of butter and cream normally associated with this dish! But we do give you the quantities if you want the richer version!
Halim is a north Indian recipe which, like dhansak, has Persian origins. An English name for it is mutton porridge, which says it all really! Try making it with our Dhansak blend, although any spices will work well, adding some cayenne and fresh chillies to pep it up.
(heat 3/10)
This Bangladesh Curry contains fennel seeds and fenugreek leaves, as well as black cardamom and whole nigella and black mustard seeds to give it a very distinct taste. The tomato-based sauce needs a long slow cook to release the flavours, but the end result is incredibly versatile and works with all meat and vegetables.
Serves: 4-6