good curry recipe book and spices

[boglach]

I want to buy my dh a really good curry recipe book and maybe a couple of indian spices to go with it (not the kind you can get at the supermarket, more unusual ones?). can you order spices online? can anyone help me with ideas? thanks

I don't have it yet (have asked for it for Christmas) but after all I've heard about it, I want Anjum Anand's I Love Curry. Check out the reviews on Amazon- i've never SEEN so many good reviews and so few poor reviews. It seems pretty popular on MN too. And yes, you can get spices online, but sorry, i can't remember sites to recommend.

www.natco-online.com/

I always use these

Anjum Anand's New Indian is also good, as is Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery. Seasoned Pioneers are good for spices, but best of all would be a local ethnic supermarket. Google Indian food supplies or something.

To be honest, I find most things I need in the supermarket, but the packets are bigger and better value in ethnic stores. But don't forget that spices need to be fresh, so sometimes smaller packets are best.

Finally, jars of minced garlic and ginger are essential - no gagging about.

sierra the link I did above is for proper spices,I buy them from asian shops but you can order online too

My first, and most used indian cookery book was one by Madhur Jaffrey. It's a bit ancient now and, when I was looking at it the other day, it was noticeable that she'd compromised some of the ingredients because you couldn't get them at the time. :) I expect an up to date book by her would be great. I also have the 'Curry Club' cookbook which is beautiful but it's written by chefs not cooks i.e. you have to test-drive the recipes and then tweak them.

Would also recommend your local asian grocer for spices, closely followed by one of the bigger supermarkets in an area with a large asian community. My local Morrisons, for example, sells cumin seed in 400g bags for about £1.50... the same price as a piddly little 50g-ish pot of Sharwoods.

Not doubting you at all Tinsel, I have some Natco stuff myself, just offering alternatives :-)

oh sorry sierra was not meant to come across wrong

I love this book Curried Flavours If you can get hold of some curry leaves (can be used from frozen) at your local Indian Grocers, you'll make some exceptional South Indian curries.

The Rasa South Indian Cookbooks are good too but they often have very usual ingredients.

www.amazon.co.uk/Indian-Housewifes-Recipe-Book-Right/dp/0716020785/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323194859&sr=8-1

should have put this up earlier,fantastic book if you want authentic curries not ones that you get in an indian restaurant.I know a lot of indians and can confirm this is an excellent book.

I would of course recommend my own book "Miss Masala: real Indian Cooking for Busy Living"! www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Masala-Mallika-Basu/dp/0007306121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323340572&sr=8-1

It's pretty basic stuff, and a tad girly, but boys love a bit of pink and purple if it's dished up with saag paneer methinks... Enjoy!!

Masalamama I love love love thart book, I use it absolutely tons! Cheers to you!

Anjum Anand's New Indian is also good, as is Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery

I've got both, they're brilliant. Which you pick really depends on whose style (of cooking, and writing) appeals to you most.

Spices: coriander seed, cumin seed, cinnamon stick, green cardamon, fennel seed and turmeric powder are basics and will get him started.

Try and find black cardamom. It's hard, but that stuff is fantastic-like truffles, they have a really earthy odour and wonderful flavour.

We have Indian friends and they rate Madhur Jaffrey as being pretty authentic.

Rick Stein's "India - In Search of the Perfect Curry" gets rave reviews as well

Oh masalamama I have your book, love ,love, love it. Read it cover to cover.
getting all star struck, you really changed the way i think about spices and how to use them, used to chuck everything I had into a dish now i really understand how to make a masala, how to blend flavours.

Get This Book ,its brilliant!

love the funky photos!

I can recommend Zahda's Kitchen dvd by Zahda Saeed. If you google it, you'll find the stockist.

However, the booklet with it does contain some errors, but if you watch the dvd you can correct them - eg, the chicken curry recipe doesn't actually give the recipe for garam masala, but it's shown how to make it on the dvd.

For basic spices, you'd need, chilli powder, cassia bark (similar to cinnamon), green cardomems, black cardomems, cloves, cumin seed, coriander seed, tumeric, panch pooran, pomegranate seeds, nigella seed, ajwain - lovage seed. A coffe grinder is very useful for grinding the whole spices.

I've found this firm very good. The prices that French supermarkets charge for whole spices is horrendous.

Keep the bags sealed with a clipit in a cupboard, and they should last really well. If the taste starts to fade, you can always use a little more.

Some really do last for years...my gf was a pharmacist, and used to make his own pills, when he died in 1958, there was a large brown paper bag - think like a sugar bag, full of whole cloves. In 1992, they were still going strong.