Indian is one of the most popular cuisines in Britain, with nearly 25% of the population in the UK saying a curry is their favourite takeaway.

If you want to start playing around with Indian flavours at home, here are some of the essentials for your store cupboard. 

Madhur Jaffrey’s 100 Essential Curries is a fantastic place to start with Indian cuisine. In an interview with Martha Stewart, Madhur lists these 10 herbs and spices as the essentials you need for Indian cooking. 

• Dried red chillies 

• Cinnamon sticks

• Fenugreek seeds

• Cayenne pepper 

• Coriander seeds

• Cumin seeds

• Brown mustard seeds

• Ground turmeric

• Asafoetida 

Here’s a brief overview of some of those harder to find herbs and spices and where you might get them: 

Asafoetida

Let’s start with the herb I for one had never heard of. It’s essentially a gum extracted from a ferula, a herb in the celery family and is found as a coarse yellow powder that smells like boiled eggs. Despite its pungency, a small amount of Asafoetida (also spelt asafetida) can bring out the flavours of other spices, much like salt. 

To cook with it, add it to your other spices after you’ve tempered them to let it dissolve for about 30 seconds before adding your veg and protein. 

A word of warning, make sure you store it carefully, in an airtight container, so that its aromas don’t permeate everything else. 

I found that the Vandevu asafoetida powder came highly recommended and it’s available on this great Asian supermarket Red Rickshaw. 

Dried red chillies 

The red chillies used in Indian cookery tend to be hotter than you might find in Mediterranean cuisine. If in doubt regarding the spiciness of the chilli and your (or who you’re cooking for’s) tolerance, it’s best to err on the side of caution. 

When using dried chillies you can use them whole to flavour a dish and remove prior to serving or grind them to create a powder. 

Again, Red Rickshaw has some really reasonably priced options. 

Not enough room for all these spices? 

If you don’t have the real estate to invest in new herbs and spices there are loads of kits available to help you make your favourite fresh curry or dish, without having surplus herbs and spices leftover. 

Tastesmiths create individual spice packs to make cooking Indian dishes, and a range of other cuisines, as easy as possible. 

Their Indian Street Food Box provides the flavours you need to create a masala, onion bhajis, tikka, and a dhal. You just need to add vegetables and your choice of protein - simple! 

Ready to get cooking?

Share any of your Indian-inspired recipes with us by tagging the City Girl Network Instagram! 

Disclaimer: We have an affiliate deal with Waterstones, Red Rickshaw and Tastesmiths to keep City Girl Network Magazine running. You can also support us via Patreon or a one-off donation.

By Alice Louise Hargreaves 

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