There's a load of reasons that we think Gunpowder is one the best Indian restaurants in London. But we'd be lying if we didn't admit that one of those reasons was the careful balance of spicing prevalent in every dish on the menu. With just enough kick to keep a cold at bay without blowing your head off, this Gunpowder spice mix makes the ideal addition to a range of Indian dishes. Dal need some zhuzzing up? Lamb chops in need of a bit of oomph? This mix should sort you out.
Gunpowder’s spice mix
Ever wanted to add some pizzazz up your Indian dishes at home been unsure of what medley of spices to use? Gunpowder's signature mix is a fragrant and aromatic store cupboard essential
Peter Cassidy
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 85g idli rice
- 170g urad dal
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- 7 whole dried Kashmiri Chillies
- 15 dried curry leaves
- 10g asafoetida
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Seeds from 3 green cardamom pods
- 2 table black pepper
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- A pinch of salt
Method
- Set a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the idli ice, urad dal and chana dal and dry roast for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture turns light brown in colour. Transfer to a plate, spread out evenly and set aside to cool.
- Add the chillies to the same pan and dry- roast for 30 seconds.
- Remove the chillies and add to cool with the toasted rice and dal. Mix the dried curry leaves in, spread out the mixture evenly and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and grind to a slightly course powder – store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 6 months.
Recipe from Gunpowder: Explosive Flavours from Modern India, by Harneet Baweja, Devina Seth and Nirmal Save. Published by Kyle Books
