Topic: What are the Essential BIR Spices and Ingredients?

[Cory Ander]

Hi All,

I thought it might be helpful to compile a list of essential spices and ingredients needed to produce a decent British Indian Restaurant (BIR) type curry.

I reckon the following spices and ingredients are all that are really required to make a decent curry base, a decent pilau rice and a variety of decent main-dish curries.  If pushed, I'd probably consider all of the whole spices as non-essential (accept for making pilau rice) and some of the other ingredients too.

Of course the list is not definitive and is no doubt debatable!  The list of non-essential ingredients is endless of course! 

Ground (Powdered) Spices:

• Coriander
• Cumin
• Tumeric
• Chilli
• Paprika
• Good quality medium curry powder or paste (or spice mix)
• Good quality tandoori masala or paste
• Good quality garam masala

Whole Spices:

• Cardamom pods (green)
• Bay leaves
• Cloves
• Cinnamon sticks (or cassia bark)
• Cumin seeds
• Fennel seeds

Vegetables and Herbs:

• Fresh onions (white)
• Fresh garlic (and/or pureed bottled)
• Fresh ginger (and/or pureed bottled)
• Fresh coriander (leaves)
• Fresh red and green capsicums
• Fresh red and green chillies
• Fresh tomatoes
• Tinned tomatoes
• Dried fenugreek (leaves)

Others:

• Chicken, meat, fish or vegetables of choice
• Basmati rice
• Vegetable oil
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• Fresh cream
• Plain yoghurt
• Lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• Creamed coconut (and/or coconut milk powder)
• Dessicated coconut (fine)
• Almond meal
• Food colourings (red and yellow)
• Sugar
• Salt

Hope this helps! 

Regards,

[Jethro]

I think you covered it all CA, I might add curry leaves in the herbs section and maybe fenugreek in the whole spices bit, but then these are not typical BIR ingredients so much as the others you have listed.
Well done.
Jethro.

[CurryLoverTX]

I am a newbie to the site and new to Indian cooking.  Just have one question that would help out.  What is the difference between chilies and capsicums?  Chiles = jalapenos, Thai chilies, etc?? Capsicum = Bell Peppers??? Being a Yank (actually a Texan) we have all kinds of chilies and peppers in everything. 

[Cory Ander]

Hi CLTX,

Welcome to cr0! 

Yes, you are correct CLTX.  "Chillis" are the hot jobbies (commonly cayenne, jalapenos, serranos, birds eye, kenyan, scotch bonnets, etc) and "capsicums" are the very mild (no heat) "bell peppers" (commonly red, green and yellow) often used in salads.

[jiminternational]

What about ghee? Is this not a pretty essential ingredient?

I'm a newbe, so forgive me if I'm wrong.

[SnS]

Ghee is not an essential ingredient, although 'butter' ghee (as opposed to veggy ghee), may be nice to use in some of the mild creamy coconut type curries.

SnS 

[mickwood]

Hi,

I'm new to the site and just wondered whether the

"Good quality medium curry powder or paste (or spice mix)
Good quality tandoori masala or paste
Good quality garam masala"

Can be created from scratch from individual spices? I'd love to cook from scratch and the idea of buying 'curry powder' etc seems....like cheating??

Cheers

[Roti]

"Good quality medium curry powder or paste (or spice mix)
Good quality tandoori masala or paste
Good quality garam masala"

Can be created from scratch from individual spices? I'd love to cook from scratch and the idea of buying 'curry powder' etc seems....like cheating??

Cheers

Check here mick and welcome http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?board=28.0

[JerryM]

Roti's link is the right place to start and learn.

i've found over time that i can't get close to the BIR taste using "made" powders for curry powder and tandoori masala (any of the branded powders are what u need - i buy rajah, Leena, TRS for example).

i do think it essential to make your own spice mixes though (listed in Roti's link, typ  for me in order that i've used them - LB, Kushi, BE and Derek Dansak's).

i think with a bit of experiment u can also successfully make your own garam masala (i've not actually tried the bought though).

[rapscalli]

What is the best method for storing spices?

Currently i seal the bags with those food bag clips from ikea, and chuck all the bags in a large sealable box in the cupboard away from the light?

Also i see that cloves have been changed to a strikethrough, are they no longer an essential spice?