How To Get The Best Results With Our Blends
MAXIMISING YOUR MRS BALBIR SINGH COOKING EXPERIENCE
We're excited that your blends are on their way to you, or perhaps you’ve recently received them. Here are some tips for making sure you're cooking super-authentic and memorable Indian dishes with consummate ease.
1. Have Everything On Hand:
We include our easy-to-follow recipe cards in the box. But if you'd like to get a little head start on making sure you have everything you'll need or need to refer to the ingredients while out shopping, head over to our blend-related recipes. You can also filter that list by collection should you wish to only see the recipes related to what you've purchased.
Once you have everything on hand, and you're ready to start cooking the best way is to have a quick read through of the method first. Then make sure you have everything prepped, chopped, measured and organised. Also known as mise en place. Then simply follow the steps on our cards.
2. Tips For Measuring:
Measuring the Spice Blends: we recommend either using a weighing scale which shows weight in 1g increments OR it's even easier using level measuring teaspoons. Do try to make sure that it's measuring spoons that you use. Either way, the amounts are shown on our recipe cards.
TIP: the inner shaker/sprinkler lid on our curry blends can be popped out for you to use your spoon more easily, it can then be refitted or discarded.
Other Measurements: where we mention cup measurements for some of the ingredients you can use 240ml.
3. Spice Levels:
Each of our blends have a slightly different level of heat, but most are around a medium. Mrs Balbir Singh believed that the true art of Indian cookery lies not in having the highest level of chilli heat in a dish, but the delicacy and expertise of the spicing. The result is dishes packed with flavour. We suggest, if you enjoy a little more heat you can add some chopped green chillies with or without the seeds, or a touch of good quality red chilli powder, to your taste.
4. Swapping Proteins:
Our recipes are very adaptable. So feel free to change up the main ingredient from time to time. That could mean using prawns or paneer instead of chicken in recipes like the Shahi Chicken Masala and the Butter Chicken. Or indeed using chicken in the Rogan Josh.
5. Other Diets:
All of our blends are vegetarian and vegan friendly. In fact, as they are only made of spice and have no artificial ingredients, additives, colours or fillers, they are also completely plant-based.
The good news is, if you are following a vegetarian, vegan, or whole foods plant-based diet some of the recipe cards such as the Chana Masala and the Dal Palak are already fine for you. However, all of our recipes can easily be adapted to use your preferred ingredients. Whether that be ingredients such as tofu, Quorn®, tempeh, or jackfruit (which by the way works a treat in the Rogan Josh!) as the main protein. And of course there's lots of meat-free or plant-based meat alternatives available in the supermarkets these days.
You can also use the the widely available dairy-alternatives for things like cream, milk or yoghurt. And when using oils we like to use sunflower oil, but rapeseed oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or your preferred oil instead of ghee will work too.
Mrs Balbir Singh says:
"Preparing Indian food in the correct way and then sharing it with your loved ones is an unforgettable experience. The delicious curries and stunning grilled dishes will haunt one's memory forever: and the mere mention of the likes of a Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken or Chana Masala will make your mouth water."
Mrs Balbir Singh
Award-winning godmother of Indian home cooking, and author of Mrs Balbir Singh's Indian Cookery, as featured in "The Best Indian Cookbooks Ever, as Judged by the Experts" - The Telegraph (UK)
