Authentic Indian Cuisine

I’ve had a love affair with India since my teens; it is for me the world’s most diverse and fascinating country … and there is not just one Indian cuisine. And although it would take more space than I have here – and more knowledge than I possess – to do the subject justice, I wish to bring a fantastic new range of products (well, new to me) to your attention.

Now I’m a serious amateur cook when it comes to Indian food and I’m quite aware that many things on British retail shelves wouldn’t get cupboard space in an average Indian kitchen. That’s why I cook most of my curries, for instance, from scratch with fresh vegetables, herbs and spices. But I’ve now found a bit of a shortcut thanks to London-based Curry Tree.

Run by a very pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful gentleman by the name of Savio Azaredo, a native of Goa, Curry Tree imports a fine range of spice mixes direct from Pune in India, as well as offering a superb range of pastes that go under the banner of Casa Azaredo’s Gourmet Foods.

There are a variety of options that help you to put together wholesome dishes from every corner of India with spices, herbs, textures and flavours to lure any diner into the true Indian atmosphere. Indian cooking was never so innovative, fun and easy!

Complete with a recipe on the rear of the packet, Curry Tree spice mixes contain only natural ingredients, which mean no hydrogenated vegetable fat, no MSG, no gluten, no chemical preservatives and no artificial colours. The first one I tried was the Chickpeas Curry spice mix: all I had to do was put the chickpeas in a pan, add 450ml of water and the entire contents of the Curry Tree sachet. When I tasted it, it was like being back in Jaisalmer. That should not come as a surprise, of course, since I was using an Indian product made in India – you don’t get any more authentic than that!

Go on, find out for yourself by visiting www.currytree.co.uk.

ROD MILLINGTON
chief editor