Spice box: How to make traditional Indian dishes from 10 key spices

As the book suggests, each recipe is based on Cyrus Todiwala's spice box, which he has whittled down to 10 of his favourite spices. From firey red chilli to lighter notes from coriander, he bases more than 120 recipes around these few ingredients to create innovative dishes such as prawn and crab masala omelette and saffron and cardamon creme brulee.

The chef is best known for the way he combines spices, styles and flavours from the West with India's.

Traditionally, this dish is made in a tandoor oven, but these are few and far between in British homes. Not to worry – these prawns can be cooked in conventional ways too. The saffron must be toasted and soaked before use, so build time for this into your preparation.

Serves 3 as a starter or light lunch

12 large tiger prawns, peeled but heads left on and deveined
 2.5cm (1") piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped, then crushed in a mortar
½tsp red chilli powder, preferably Kashmiri
Lime or lemon juice from ½ lime or lemon
¼ tsp ground white or black pepper 
Salt
Butter to serve

For the marinade

Pinch of saffron threads
1tbsp warm milk 
100ml (3 ½ fl oz) thick Greek yogurt. 
½tsp  cardamon 
½tsp ground mace 
1 small, fresh green chilli, very finely chopped
1tbsp vegetable oil 

For the salad

½tbsp sunflower oil, 
½tsp black mustard seeds 
6 curry leaves, preferably fresh; if using dried, soak in water for 10–12 minutes, and dry thoroughly before adding
2cm (¾") piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2 large carrots,  grated
4tbsps freshly grated coconut 
4 or 5 mint leaves,  shredded
Juice from half a lime

Rinse the prawns and drain well. Combine the ginger paste, chilli powder, juice, pepper and some salt in a bowl and mix well. Add the prawns and toss lightly to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, start the marinade. Heat the saffron threads in a warm small frying pan over a gentle heat until crisp, then transfer to a small bowl. Cover with the warm milk and leave to infuse for 15–20 minutes. Put the yogurt and remaining marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the saffron and its liquid and whisk to form a smooth paste.

Add the prawns to the marinade and stir to coat, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Make the salad just before barbecuing. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and sauté until they release their aroma. Add the ginger and stir for a few seconds, then take off the heat and set aside to cool. Put the carrots and coconut in a serving bowl and add the cooked ginger mixture. Stir in the mint leaves.

Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt. Light a barbecue, heat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9 or heat a grill to high. Thread the prawns on to metal or presoaked bamboo skewers, pushing the tip through the head and tail of each one. Suspend the skewers above the barbecue rack or over an oven tray (to prevent sticking) and cook for about 6–7 minutes, until the tail part becomes dark and the meat changes colour. Take care that the prawns don’t overcook and become rubbery; test by slitting one open to see if the meat is opaque. Brush with butter and serve with the salad.

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When I was growing up in Rajasthan, it was normal to buy live wild quail, grouse and partridge in the local markets. Often the birds would be taken home and fattened up before being prepared for the table, and this quiet time allowed the stressed muscles to relax, making the flesh more tender. Most of the time the birds ended up in a hot red masala, then were either quickly grilled or slowly stewed for hours. Present-day farmed birds are plump and ready to eat, which allows the use of more delicate marinades, like the one given below. It is rich and creamy with just a hint of spice. Several items in the ingredients list need to be marinated and/or rested before use, so do allow for this in your preparation time.

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as starter

8 whole boneless quails, about 100g (3 ½ oz) each
Salt and fresgly ground black pepper

For the marinade

6 green cardamon pods, lightly crushed
3–4 blades mace, broken into pieces
100g (3 ½ oz) blanched almonds 
1tbsp ginger and garlic paste  

1-2 fresh green chillies, coarsely chopped
150–200ml (5–7fl oz) thick Greek yogurt
2-3tbsps extra virgin rapeseed oil
100g (3 ½ oz) mature cheddar cheese, grated
125ml (4fl oz) double cream

To serve

Green salad
Lime halves
Naan

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Skin the quails, trim off any gristle or sinew and chop each bird into 4 pieces. Place in a dish, rub with salt and pepper, then cover and chill until the marinade is ready. Put the cardamom pods and mace on a baking tray. Place in the hot oven, switch off the heat and leave inside for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool and crisp up. Meanwhile, put the almonds in a bowl, cover with warm water and leave to soften for 10–15 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking water, and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Put the cardamom and mace in a blender along with the almonds, Ginger and Garlic Paste, green chillies, yogurt, oil, cheese and some of the reserved almond water. Puree to a fine paste, then blend in the cream. Drain any water out of the quail dish, then add the marinade to the meat a bit at a time, until every piece is well coated. Cover and chill for up to eight hours, but no fewer than two. Any leftover marinade can be saved for another recipe – simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Alternatively, use it to marinate some chicken legs along with the quail meat.

When you’re ready to start cooking, heat the grill until medium hot. Thread the meat on to metal or presoaked bamboo skewers, or place on a rack with a drip tray underneath, and grill for about 4–5 minutes, until well coloured on one side. Turn and cook the other side for about 4–5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through (check by piercing a thin knife into the meat near the bone. If the juices run red, cook for a few more minutes and then try again). Serve with a green salad, lime halves to squeeze over and some warm naan.

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A raita is simply a yogurt-based accompaniment, ideally served with pilau and biryani dishes, but also with fried and grilled foods. Sometimes it is simply mixed into cold boiled rice and eaten as A light meal. The ingredients listed below can be added to as you wish, so feel free to include roasted chopped peanuts or cashew nuts, diced boiled potato, deep-fried okra or anything else that takes your fancy. (Anything deep-fried should be added at the last minute so that it remains crisp.)

Serves 4

200ml (7fl oz) thick Greek yogurt 
1 small red onion, finely chopped
7.5–10cm (3-4") cucumber, finely diced or grated
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1 fresh green chilli, finger-type, finely chopped
8–10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½tsp red chilli powder 
1tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed (see below)
Lime juice, to taste
Salt
1tbsp chopped fresh coriander to garnish (optional)

Place the yogurt in a deep bowl and whisk well. Add all the ingredients, except the lime juice and salt, and mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and a little lime juice. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the coriander, if you like. To toast nuts, seeds or spices, use one of the following methods.

For smaller quantities, put the nuts, seeds or spices in a heavy-based frying pan, place it over a low heat and toast, gently swirling the pan now and then in a circular motion, until the nuts, seeds or spices turn deep brown (not black) and give off a lovely aroma.

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For larger quantities, preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 and spread the nuts, seeds or spices on a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 4–5 minutes, and then turn off the oven, leaving the baking tray inside for a further 30 minutes.

Remove the nuts, seeds or spices from the frying pan or the baking tray and set aside to cool, then crush coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder, or use as required.

Mr Todiwala’s Spice Box by Cyrus Todiwala, published by Mitchell Beazley, £25 www.octopusbooks.co.uk