Twelve Essential Herbs and Spices for Making the Perfect Curry

When it comes to cooking Indian food, spices are essential. They add a delicious, pungent warmth to a recipe, not to mention a very distinct aroma and flavour. There are many different types of Indian curry recipes and Kris Dhillon, bestselling author of The Curry Secret, is back with another masterpiece, The New Curry Secret, with guidance on how to make everything from an easy chicken curry recipe to an extravagant beef curry recipe, plus straightforward instructions on following a simple curry sauce recipe. Fire up your ovens!

1) Coriander leaves
Fresh coriander leaves contribute to taste and aroma, as well as working well for a chutney base when ground to paste. Want that full flavour without nipping to the shops? Coriander leaves can be easily grown at home and used as needed.
2) Curry leaves
The bright green leaves add an authentic ‘curry’ flavor to dishes. Used fresh or dried, they also freeze really well.
3) Fenugreek leaves
Just like coriander, fenugreek can be grown at home from a seed. It is a great addition to bhajis, pakoras and curries.
4) Ginger
Fresh ginger is very popular in curry dishes, adding a delicate flavour.
5) Chillies
Varying in heat from mild to extremely hot, chillies add a kick to a curry. Generally, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it will be. As with the fenugreek leaves and coriander, chillies too, can be grown from home. Just remember to wash your hands after chopping chillies for use in curries!
6) Chat masala
A mix of roasted cumin and coriander seeds, chilli, ground black pepper, ambchoor and salt, this is the most commonly used spice mix for an Indian refreshment.
7) Tumeric and Paprika
Indian curries are distinctly red, yellow or green. Food colouring is widely used, but tumeric and paprika spices work just as well (and of course, they are much more flavoursome than simply using food colouring!).
8) Saffron
Traditionally used in biryanis, saffron has a deep orange colour and sweet aroma. It can be expensive to buy, but has a really wonderful taste that definitely justifies its price tag!
9) Jaggery
This is a raw, unrefined sugar. Can’t get hold of jaggery? Muscavado or even dark brown sugar works well as an alternative.
10) Garam masala
Garam means ‘hot’ and masala a ‘mixture of spices.’ These spices include cloves, cinnamon, black cardamoms and nutmeg, which are ground into a fine powder and used in curry dishes for adding plenty of flavour.
11) Dried coriander and cumin
A lot of Indian curry recipes require these two spices. Having them both ground into powder before starting on your curry will save time and make life a lot easier.
12) Extra spices
Ingredients such as turmeric, chilli powder, paprika, cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves are common in Indian cooking, so ensure you have small amounts available at all times for throwing into a dish to add flavour.