Here’s a checklist of things to remember when it comes to dealing with Indian food, whether you’re cooking at home or in a restaurant.

Before cooking any recipe regardless of whether it is Indian, Italian or English, have all your ingredients, utensils and equipment in front of you. It will make cooking a much more pleasurable experience and lessen mishaps.

Turmeric and Saffron are not the same

Never substitute turmeric for saffron. Their properties are quite different. They have different aromas and tastes. Turmeric is slightly bitter and astringent and saffron has a sweet, clinging aroma with a delicate taste. It is also the most expensive spice in the world but fortunately a little goes a long way. It adds a rich golden colour to rice dishes. Saffron is the dried red stigma of Crocus sativus, an autumn-flowering plant. More than 75,000 crocus blossoms are needed to produce just a pound of saffron.

Curry too hot

If you find that your curry is too chilli hot in taste, try eating yogurt or any milk based product that will neutralise the acidity of the chilli heat. If you’re in a restaurant, ask the waiter for some plain yogurt. Beer or water doesn’t do the trick.

Rooting for Ginger

If the recipe requires root ginger, try not to use ginger powder. Ginger powder is much sweeter than fresh root ginger because

Rice and Easy

If you’re cooking basmati rice, soak the grains in cold water for 20 minutes before cooking it. The grains actually begin to expand as they are soaked. This speeds up the cooking process. The ratio of rice to water is 1:2, but check on the packet for instructions as different basmati rice brands work differently.

If you’re planning to cook rice in bulk, do not cook all of the rice in one pot. You may end up with burnt rice at the bottom and uncooked rice at the top. Cook rice in batches to be on the safe side. This should ensure that you will achieve good results.

Some like it hotter

After handling chillies, wash your hands thoroughly. It is also advisable to wash the knife and chopping board also. The seeds and internal vein down the length of the chilli has the most heat so if you remove them before cooking, your dishes will turn out less hot. The vein that lines the inside of a chilli is where capsaicin, the heat source of the pepper is most concentrated.

The general rule of thumb when it comes to chillies is that the smaller the chilli, the more intense the power of the heat.

Spice me up

If you plan to grind whole spices in a coffee mill, make sure you clean it out thoroughly or else your coffee will taste of spices! Grind some uncooked rice in the mill and then wipe with kitchen paper. Alternatively, have a separate grinder for spices.

Spices need to be heated up before they are edible. This is known as tempering. Heating spices releases their aroma and flavour.

You say eggplant and I say brinjal

Refrigerating aubergines speeds up their deterioration. Store them in a plastic bag in a cool spot. Try to use them on the same day you buy them.

Curry too salty

If your curry is too salty, add a peeled uncooked potato to the curry and then remove and discard it before serving. Hopefully, the potato will have absorbed the excess salt. 

Waiter!

When ordering an Indian meal at a restaurant, try to take into consideration the flavours of each dish. Try not to order too many flavours. For example, ordering a peshwari naan which may be full of nuts and coconut may clash with a creamy korma that may also have nuts and coconut. So basically your meal would be a nut and coconut overload. It might be nice to try a plain basmati rice dish with an aromatic and rich curry or a stuffed (keema- mince) naan with a lentil or dal dish. Attempt to order dishes which compliment one another.

Glug, Glug

If you’re planning to have wine with your meal, avoid an extremely expensive bottle. The spices in the meal may clash with the tannins in the wine and you may be spoiling not only your food but the taste of the wine. Keep that special tipple for a separate occasion when you’re able to savour and devote yourself to the aroma and palate of the wine. A medium priced wine is acceptable.