6. spices
click here for the spice pairing table pdf download
Week 6: Key Takeaways
Just like herbs - a really simple way to make things taste super yummy!
If you know what spices you like and have a sense of what they go with, then you can pretty much make anything taste incredible with what you have to hand
Like last week we will start with the most simple way to use spices, just taking our whole dried spices and combining them with our cooking methods, and thinking about how different evoke different experiences:
Fresh vs. dried spices give quite different flavours and vibes
Hot vs. aromatic spices too
More often than not you will use fresh and dried spices together (at least I do), and then also with herbs!
You don’t have to toast spices before using them but I would recommend it
Wakes them up and brings out the aromas - particularly helpful if your spices are a little old
If you toast your spices before grinding them then you can use them raw as well as cooking them and still get loads of flavour
Always do it for spice mixes especially ones going in curry
Don’t burn them!
Sometimes I won’t toast spices in advance (usually if I’m roasting them as they tend to see enough dry heat to bring out their flavour, particularly if it’s just one or two spices
But if i have a pre-made spice mix (dukkah, garam masala) then it’s always toasted and then always ready to go in any situation
Judging quantities
Think about relative amounts - use the stronger (e.g. very hot or very sweet or very pungent spices) ones sparingly relative to more aromatic ones
Use your nose and eyes - does it smell overpowering? Does it look drenched in spice?
Iterate intuitively - taste mindfully and next time you’ll naturally adjust the things that suit your palate
Choosing and combining
Go-to pairings for me are on the PDF table download
Using all your senses and intuitive signals, and also vibes! Hot, sweet, aromatic, tart are all things you can achieve with spice and what you use will depend on your mood/state
How to use spices intuitively
Cook them into the base of stuff (e.g. a curry)
Sprinkle them on cooking stuff (e.g. veggies for roasting or BBQ)
Use cooked mixes to season cooked stuff (sprinkle on top of e.g.: sauces, salads, cheeses, yoghurts, dips, layered dishes)
Spice mixes
Curries / dhals will all start with a spice mix so make your own fresh and never look back!
Watch for burning!
Add nuts and seeds (like dukkah)
Dukkah Spice Mix
Cumin, coriander, chilli flakes, peppercorns, cinnamon, hazelnuts and sesame seeds, toasted in a pan over a medium heat (do the nuts and sesame separately). Let it all cool, then grind the spices to a powder, add the nuts and seeds and blitz until just ground up and not releasing the oils from the nuts and seeds. Chunky is preferable to oily!
Suggested uses: sprinkled over eggs, avocado or potato wedges. Use to jazz up roasted veggies like cauliflower, parsnips, sweet potatoes, greens and carrots. Turn hummus, yoghurt, labneh or mild soft cheeses into next-level dips with a bit of dukkah and some high grade oil over the top. Even yummy just mixed with oil as a bread dipping situation. Use as a ready to go soup or salad topper for a bit of oomph. Turn smashed avo on toast into an exotic adventure with a little sprinkle of dukkah and some toasted seeds!
Week 6: Exercises
Pick some of your favourite spices and next time you roast a veggie of any sort, think about some simple additions of spices or an on the fly mix you could whip up to add to it
Make your own house ‘garam masala' and knock up an intuitively cooked curry using the method for the potato and cauliflower curry
You could work with different:
Base: onions, tomatoes or just one of the two?
Spices (dried or fresh or both - your house garam masala for sure will be unique to you!)
Main ingredient(s) - consider whether it needs to go in cooked or raw
Cooking liquid - tomatoes (tinned/passata), coconut milk, stock, or even just water