Spices

Explore the world of spices

Black Cardamom
Complements: marinades for roast meats, asian soups and stocks, Indian butter chicken, Bloody Mary
Combines well with: chilli, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, coriander seed, turmeric, star anise, pepper, mustard, paprika and works particularly well when the dish is rounded of with a squeeze of lime to cut through the slightly medicinal qualities.
To serve: Try adding a 1/4 teaspoon to a glass of bloody mary.

Green Cardamom
Complements: cakes and biscuits (danish pastries), milk puddings, stewed fruit, rice dishes and curries, coffee, citrus fruit, mango
Combines well with: chilli, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, star anise, pepper, paprika, ginger, cumin, fennel seed, coriander seed
To serve: Add 50g sugar to a pan and gently melt and leave to turn golden brown. Add 100g of cashews with: 1/2 teaspoon of crushed green coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and a large pinch of chilli powder. Pour in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of soya sauce and leave to combine and toast for 3-5 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then.

Chilli
Complements: very popular in Mexican and Asian cooking, used in curries in most cultures, marries well with other cultures
Combines well with: allspice, amchur, cumin, vietnamese mint, star anise, pepper, paprika, bay, cardamom, clove, coriander, cumin, mustard, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, fenugreek
To serve: We are serving them soused in vodka and dipped in dark chocolate – creating a real flavour explosion in your mouth.

Cinnamon:
Complements: cakes, pastries, stewed fruits, curries, preserved lemons, Maroccan tagines
Combines well with: turmeric, tamarind, nutmeg, star anise, allspice, caraway, liquorice, ginger, cumin, coriander seeds, chilli, cloves, cardamom
To serve: Combine 4 tablespoons of plain flour, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme and 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika. In an other bowl, whisk an egg and in the third bowl, add breadcrumbs. Dip chicken thighs and drumsticks into the flour, then egg followed by the breadcrumbs. Bake for 45 minutes in a hot one (200C).

Cloves:
Complements: cakes, pastries, curries, stewed fruit, pickles, Moroccan tagines, preserved lemons
Combines well with: allspice, amchur, star anise, tamarind, turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander seed, cardamom, ginger, liquorice, nutmeg
To serve: Peel and cut a section of oranges and arrange on a plate. Top with ground cloves (using sparingly), fresh thyme leaves and mint.

Cumin:
Complements: Indian curries (almost all red curries), chicken, seafood, rice and vegetable dishes, breads, Mexican spice mixes, orange vegetables
Combines well with: turmeric, chilli, cardamom, allspice, paprika, tamarind, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, fennel seeds, coriander seed
To serve: Marinate beef strips (we used Bavette steak) in 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of garlic oil, 1/4 teaspoon of ground chilli, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of finely chopped coriander. Marinate for 15-20 minutes at room temperature. Thread onto skewers and either pan fry, Barbecue or simply bake in a hot oven. For the sauce, simply combine finely chopped fresh chilli to taste, 1 tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter plus more chopped peanuts for a real crunch, juice from 1/2 lime, 1 tablespoon of date syrup and finally 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Serve as a dip or pour over the skewers just before service sprinkled with chopped coriander.

Ginger:
Complements: cakes, pastries, biscuits, all curries, strong seafood, red meats (having a tenderising effect), pumpkins
Combines well with: allspice, cardamom , paprika, star anise, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, fennel seeds, kefir lime leaves, chilli, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves, cumin
To serve: We are making a version of Singapore chilli crab. For 100g of white crab meat, you will need – 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger, sliced garlic clove, 2 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of light brown sugar and a small dash of toasted sesame oil. Add all the ingredients (apart from the crab) in to a pan and leave them to combine and bubble for 1-2 minutes. Add the crab meat and continue to reduce for another 2 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve hot or at room temperature with a sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander.

Nutmeg:
Complements: Pumpkins, Pates, terrines, cooked spinach, cheese sauces, milk and rice puddings, spicy cakes and biscuits
Combines well with: ginger, cloves, coriander seed, cinnamon, allspice
To serve: Cullen Skink is beautiful soup and the nutmeg really complements the rich and creamy flavours.

Turmeric:
Complements: Asian and Indian curries, Moroccan tagines, chicken, seafood and vegetables, sauces, rice dishes, sauces
this spice is the number one superfood with it’s healing properties
Combines well with a large amount of asian spices and can be used in many dishes from a scrambled egg breakfast to the most complex curry dishes
To serve: Combine and grind the following (use a tablespoon for smaller quantities or any other vessel for large quantities):
1/4 Black and white peppercorns
1/2 Cloves
1/2 Cinnamon
1 Cumin seeds
1/2 Cardamom pods
1/4 Ginger
2 individual Bay leaves
1 Mustard seeds
1 Rose petals
1/4 Amchoor powder (optional)
1/4 turmeric

Galangal:
Complements: Asian curries and soups, seafood, red and white meat, coconut based dishes
Combines well with: tamarind, chilli, coriander, ginger, turmeric, kefir lime leaves, lime, cumin, cinnamon
To serve: We made a deliciously warming Beef Rendang (see our recipe on the blog).

Lavender:
Complements: goats and sheep cheese, lamb, chocolate, coconut – try adding this to macarons, creamy desserts, like panna cotta, lychee, carrots, avocado
Combines well with: mustard, rosemary, thyme, chilli
To serve: we made a goats cheese mousse (see our recipe on the blog).