Indian essentials

Culinary riches

Ask for a chicken tikka masala or Madras curry in India, and chances are you'll draw a blank response. 'Going for a curry' is hardly a South Asian tradition. With literally thousands of vibrant masalas (spice blends), hundreds of rice dishes, and a wealth of regional classics, there's little need to improvise with new-wave flourishes and embrace an entire cuisine under the catch-all of 'curry'.

British-style Indian takeaways may be cheerfully cheap, but the price of using ready-made pastes, as many places do, can mean that authenticity takes a knock in favour of a one-size-fits-all approach to cooking.

The real thing

For a taste of the real thing, check out home-style dishes. Most are made with a minimum of fuss, and use very little oil - a world away from average restaurant offerings. Making an Indian meal is often thought of as a culinary challenge, cloaked in an aura of mysterious eastern promise. The truth is, it's actually a simple affair. Most supermarkets stock the main ingredients and once you've grasped the main cooking techniques, you'll soon be making signature curries from scratch.

Getting started

There are a few bits of hardware that make preparing Indian food easier and less time-consuming. A sturdy karahi or wok should be top of your wish-list. Because of its narrow base, the cooking oil sits in a small pool at the bottom of the pan, which means you use a lot less fat than you would in a saucepan. If you're not a dab hand with a mortar and pestle, use a coffee grinder for grinding spices. A micro-plane grater makes light work of grating ginger.

A beginner's spice box

Spices are to India what basic stocks, sauces and dressings are to the West. Whether familiar or exotic, they add warmth, pungency, heat, and subtlety to dishes. Cooks are judged on their skills in blending seeds, powders and pastes. Extravagant chefs may juggle a dozen or more spices in one dish, but most home cooks do a fine job with around six mainstays, although you may want to keep other spices handy for adding extra flavour dimensions to particular dishes.

Essentials

• Cardamom pods, small
• Chilli powder
• Cumin seeds
• Garam masala
• Mustard seeds
• Turmeric powder

Handy spices

• Black peppercorns
• Cinnamon or cassia sticks
• Cloves
• Coriander seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Fenugreek seeds
• Nigella seeds
• Nutmeg and mace
• Dried red chillies

Buying and storing spices

Spices are at their best when used within three months of purchase. To ensure maximum freshness, buy whole spices rather than powders, and grind only what you need. Buy spices from an ethnic grocer rather than a supermarket. Prices are surprisingly low and quality is top-notch. Store whole spices in tightly lidded jars or in the freezer.

Cooking with spices

Toasting whole spices before grinding them intensifies the flavours. To toast, or dry-fry, heat a griddle over a moderate heat, add the spices, and shake the pan until you catch a warm, nutty aroma - it doesn't take long, about 30 seconds. Similarly, dropping whole spices into a spoon of hot oil also releases essential oils. And, if you like the sharpness of chillies, but can't take fiery heat, remove the seeds and white pith before use.

Key ingredients

Every region has its favourite ingredients. South Indian cooking celebrates the versatility of rice, coconut and curry leaves. These three ingredients pop up in various tasteful guises in almost every meal. Dishes from this part of India tend to be made with wettish spice pastes, moistened with water, while north Indian dishes are more often based on dry spice additions.

North India

A cook from north India stakes his or her reputation on stacks of flatbreads such as chappatis and parathas. Earthy, creamy lentils, vegetables made with onion-ginger-garlic combinations, and yogurt-based marinades for meaty kebabs are other winners.

Vegetarians have their own set of dietary requirements. Many don't cook with onions, garlic and eggs, but their pickles and relishes are packed with flavour and are famed throughout India.

West India

Gujarati cooking, from India's west coast, has its own distinctive character. Jaggery is often added to sweeten spicy staples such as chilli-flecked lentils and to add a sweet-sour tang to vegetable preparations.

• Coconut - Used grated or ground, mainly in south Indian dishes. Coconut milk and cream are available in cans and cartons from supermarkets.
• Coriander leaves - Coriander leaves and seeds have very little similarity in taste. The citrus-like fresh flavour of fresh leaves makes them an invaluable garnish and flavour enhancer. When ground to a paste with mint leaves, it's used as a popular base for fresh relishes.
• Curry leaves - Aromatic leaves used mainly in south Indian dishes. Available from ethnic grocers. They freeze well.
• Fresh ginger - Although dried ground ginger is used in a few north Indian dishes, it's more usual to cook with fresh ginger root. When buying, look for unwrinkled roots.
• Ghee - Used across the Indian subcontinent, ghee is clarified butter, which can be heated to a high temperature without burning. It's often used at special celebrations such as wedding feasts and prayer meetings. Because it's so indulgent, vegetable oil is the preferred cooking medium for everyday meals, and is a healthier option.
• Gram flour - Chickpea flour, used for bhajis, yoghurt-based curries and sweetmeats.
• Jaggery - Sweetening agent made from cooked-down sugar cane juice. Muscovado sugar works well as an alternative.
• Saffron - Dried stigmas of crocus flowers, noted for its deep auburn colour and sweet flavour. Used in biryanis. Soak in water before use.
• Tamarind - A tart fruit used as a souring agent. Available in pods, blocks, or as a concentrate.
• Yoghurt - A cooling contrast to spicy dishes, and a palate cleanser.

Expert advice

Follow a few simple pointers, and you'll find that making an authentic Indian meal is rewarding, and much less of a grind than you originally thought. Simple steps, such as making sure pastes are really smooth, browning onions to a deep russet colour and using freshly ground spices make all the difference between an average meal and a memorable experience.

1. Flour is rarely used as a thickening agent in India. Many dishes depend on pastes such as cashew nuts, onions and coconut to thicken sauces.
2. Practise toasting spices. You can't miss the acrid aroma of spices as they catch and burn on a griddle. If this happens, best to dump them and start again. Similarly, if spices are not cooked enough before grinding, you'll miss out on their full-bodied, almost nutty-tasting flavours.
3. When making a paste, grind ingredients such as onion, ginger and garlic with a dash of water. This ensures a silky-smooth finish.
4. For lighter curries, swap the cream for whipped Greek yogurt or crème fraîche. Instead of ghee, use groundnut oil for cooking.
5. If you like a smooth-textured dhal, blend plain-cooked lentils in a liquidiser before returning to the pan.

Browned onion paste, added at the end of cooking to thicken and add depth of flavour, is a cook's best pal. To make it, finely slice a couple of onions, lightly salt, and leave on one side for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper. Deep fry in hot oil until russet brown, before draining. Tip into a food processor, moisten with hot water, and process until smooth. Freeze in ice cube trays and use from frozen when making dishes such as kormas.

Recipes

There is no single 'right' way to cook all Indian dishes, nor is there a single 'proper' way to serve an Indian meal. The recipes below are made using a variety of techniques - experimentation and practice are the keys to success. (Serving suggestions can also be found below.)

• Mango curry by Madhur Jaffrey
• Spicy coconut potato shakuti by Reshma Martin
• Sweet and sour red lentils by Madhur Jaffrey
• Vegetable pullao by Madhur Jaffrey
• Cabbage with mustard seeds by Roopa Gulati
• Goan coconut chutney by Madhur Jaffrey
• Quick chicken korma by Madhur Jaffrey
• Tandoori-style chicken (video recipe) by Madhur Jaffrey from Get Cooking
• Boatman's Curry by Madhur Jaffrey
• Pork with vinegar and garlic (video recipe) by Madhur Jaffrey from Get Cooking
• Creamy chicken korma with almonds (video recipe) by Madhur Jaffrey from Get Cooking
• Spicy lamb by Madhur Jaffrey

Feasting Indian-style

Britain may be a nation of tikka masala lovers, but the finer points of cooking and serving Indian dishes elude many of us. Here are a few pointers on how to put together an Indian meal and some recipe ideas to get you started.

There is no single 'correct' way to serve an Indian meal. In fact, each state in the Indian subcontinent has its own culinary etiquette. In some regions, such as Rajasthan, poppadoms are eaten only at the end of a meal, and never at the beginning, as happens in most British restaurants. Also, serving mango chutney with poppadoms is very much a British invention.

In India, a well-made biryani would be accompanied with nothing more than yoghurt and a fresh, crisp salad. Serving it with a vegetable curry, as is often done in the UK, doesn't do it any favours.

Having said that, there are no hard and fast rules about serving Indian food, but by following a few guidelines, such as the pointers below, you can plan your Indian-inspired feast to perfection.

How to put together an Indian meal

In the Indian subcontinent, most dishes are served at the same time, and brought to the table in large bowls. Each person then helps themselves to individual portions. Soupy lentils or sauced items go into small bowls, and dry-cooked accompaniments are placed directly on the plate.

'Thalis' - steel plates, with smaller dishes arranged around the rim, are a good way of ensuring a balance of flavours, colours and textures. Thalis may be lavish or simple everyday affairs. In traditional homes, thalis often include a steel dish filled with a milk-based dessert, such as a cardamom-scented rice pudding.

North Indians enjoy their meals with flatbreads such as chappatis, naans and parathas. Deep-fried breads such as puris are popular too. In the south, rice is the number one staple.

If you're eating with your hands, best to try to eat with your right hand, and leave the left one free to pick up the water glass without leaving 'masala smudges' on the glass.

In pricey restaurants, wines are carefully chosen to complement and contrast dishes. This is a new phenomenon in India, where chilled water remains the most usual choice. Lassi (churned yoghurt) is rarely ordered with a full meal.

Desserts aren't often served with everyday meals - they're usually reserved for special occasions. Most people prefer to have seasonal fruit instead.

How to choose your dishes

Dishes are chosen for variety and contrast. At its most basic, a traditional meal is usually made up of the following:

• Dhal, a dish of lentils cooked until tender with spices
• Dry-cooked vegetable dish
• Yoghurt, often plain low-fat yoghurt, or a raita

In India, yogurt is rarely bought - most people make their own. It's usually served plain, or as a simple raita made with grated cucumber, mint or coriander leaves, and toasted ground cumin seeds. There are many types of raita - experiment by adding chopped tomatoes, crisp-fried okra slices or spring onions.

• Rice and/or breads such as chappatis, naans, parathas, puris, plain-boiled rice, pullao
• Salad, such as diced cucumber, red onions and tomatoes, dressed in lime juice and toasted cumin powder
• Pickles and relishes

Shop-bought pickles that you can buy in India are much sharper in flavour than British equivalents. The most popular varieties are mango, lemon, and mixed vegetable pickles. They're usually preserved in smoked mustard oil, and flavoured with chillies, ginger, and regional spices.

Home cooks also often like to serve a dab of own-made fresh mint and coriander chutney on the side of a thali. Some ethnic shops sell these chutneys ready-frozen.