Miss Masala - Mallika Basu

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of authentic Indian home cooking. Aunty sent me off with a 20-piece dinner set from the local cash and carry. I returned to my ex-council apartment and promptly made my way to the inventively named ‘Indian Spice Shop’ in Euston.

      The Indian Spice Shop was as much a part of my teenage years as George Michael and Clearasil. Our family summer holidays in Europe always ended with a few weeks in London, by which time the words schnitzel, strudel and steak frites sent a chill down my spine. I happily played bag carrier to Mother as she stocked up on masalas, pickle and ready-made chappatis for our short-let central London apartment.

      But I was alone now. I went round this monument to the art of subcontinental cooking with a rusty basket. Shelves were stacked high with spices, flour, basmati rice, pickles and lentils. I had a list, but it seemed pointless. Where do I start? Where is Mother when I need her?

      The owner came to my rescue. To this guy, a first-time masala buyer sticks out like an unaccompanied man in the M&S lingerie department. He advised me to buy the smallest quantities, as you always use less than you think and the flavour of the spices quickly fades.

      With that tiny titbit, I started building my collection. The dried spices needed for Indian cooking come in two types – whole and powdered – and are known as masalas. The same word applies to a mix of spices. And it can, confusingly, also refer to a paste of dried spices with fresh ingredients, such as onions, garlic and ginger. First I bought the very basics – the ingredients used in many of the recipes I had bookmarked to try.

      WHOLE SPICES

      SIZZLED IN HOT OIL AT THE BEGINNING OF COOKING TO RELEASE SUBTLE AROMAS

      Bay leaves (TEJ PATTA) – Woody leaves of the laurel plant.

      Black peppercorns (KALI MIRCH) – Pungent whole peppercorns.

      Cloves (LAVANG) – Strong and minty flower buds.

      Green cardamoms (ELAICHI) – Fragrant seedpods.

      Cinnamon (DALCHINI) sticks – Sharp and sweet bark of a tree.

      Cumin (JEERA) – Warm and earthy seeds.

      Red chillies (LAL MIRCH) – Long fiery red chillies.

      POWDERED SPICES

      ADDED LATER TO INJECT THE DISH WITH INTENSE FLAVOURS

      Coriander (DHANIYA) – Warm and lemony powdered seeds.

      Cumin (JEERA) – Earthy powdered seeds.

      Turmeric (HALDI) – Bitter and luminous-yellow powdered root.

      Chilli (LAL MIRCH) – Powdered fiery chillies.

      Garam masala – A blend of the whole spices (see above), roasted and powdered.

      The initial stash was going to keep me going for some time, according to Masala Man. So next I stocked up on the fresh ingredients, used in between adding the whole and powdered spices. These perishable ingredients would clearly need to be purchased more frequently, at my local supermarket for convenience.

      FRESH INGREDIENTS

      Root ginger / Garlic / Green finger chillies

      Bunch of coriander leaves / Bag of curry leaves

      Onions / Greek yoghurt

      MISS MASALA HAD ARRIVED. And Keema Mattar was my first recipe of choice. Highly satisfying with some pitta bread, this also appealed because it needed no more skill than a deft hand to jab mince with a wooden spoon. The long list of ingredients had all been duly acquired.

      Gripped with feverish excitement, I set the oil to heat and quickly chucked in the whole spices. Next, I threw in the onions, ginger and garlic and stirred gently, waiting for them to brown. They didn’t for ages. So I lost patience and added everything else. The result was a crunchy onion and mince concoction that was as far away from India as I was from opening my own restaurant.

      I had followed every instruction (almost) to the letter. So I couldn’t have been very far from the real thing. Down but not out, I tried the recipe again the following week. And this time, it came out just the way I remembered from our weekday dinners at home.

      It seemed that the most basic ingredient for Indian cooking was patience. Creating the perfect kebab was never going to be as straightforward as opening a bag of ready-prepared salad. Or as quick. In fact, the word ‘quick’, when applied to Indian cooking, is truly relative. Considering some recipes take up to a day of soaking, chopping and stirring, half an hour to make a mixed vegetable curry is essentially fast food.

      The secret of cooking the food just right lies in timing. Indian cookbooks are full of vague instructions like ‘when the onions are cooked’ or ‘when the masalas are ready’. Knowing when the moment is right is essential, because ingredients are added in stages. A group of spices is added only when the previous lot has changed hue, aroma or texture. But I had to work out for myself when the dish was ready for the next addition, because no one ever explains it.

      I learnt with the keema that I should have waited until the oil was hot before starting to cook. Next, added any whole spices like cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. As they started sizzling, I should have tossed in the chopped onions and fried them until golden brown. It was my job to watch the lot. Which sounds exhausting, but actually is easy to get the hang of. After a few goes, I was on autopilot.

       Minced meat with peas and fresh coriander

      My favourite Pakistani restaurant has the dubious strap line ‘probably the best tandoori restaurant in London’. I once asked the waiter about the ingredients in their Keema Mattar. Beef mince, he replied, helpfully.

      Beef isn’t eaten by Hindus in India. Only the really bad ones like me. After years of blood, sweat and tears (I do like a bit of drama), I finally came up with a recipe that uses more than just mince and less than a page of ingredients. It’s as simple to make as spaghetti Bolognese and chilli con carne but a happy respite from both. You could just as easily use lamb mince for this moist but curry-free dish.

      Feeds 4

      1 large onion

      2.5cm (1in) root ginger

      2 garlic cloves

      1 tbsp oil

       whole spices

       2 bay leaves

       8 cloves

       8 cardamoms

       5cm (2in) cinnamon stick

       10 whole black peppercorns

      1 tsp coriander powder

      1 tsp cumin powder

      1/2 tsp turmeric powder

      1/2 tsp chilli powder

      4 tbsp tomato purée

      2 fresh green finger chillies

      4 tbsp natural Greek yoghurt

      500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced beef or lamb

      1 mug of frozen peas

      1/2 tsp garam masala

      25g (1oz) fresh coriander, roughly chopped

      salt

      1. Peel and finely chop the onion, ginger and garlic. Pour the oil into a medium pan set over a high heat. When the oil is hot, add the whole spices. Within

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