Garlic and ginger pastes

The recipe is the same for either paste. You can start with whole garlic cloves or ginger root each time, but it is much easier to keep pre-prepar ed jars of paste in the fridge. Home-made pastes will yield a more satisf ying result than supermarketbought (but won’t keep for quite as long). The quantity given below is sufficient for a mini food processor or blender. You can, of course, make more, or less. Providing you start with garlic and ginger that is fresh (not stale or dry), pack the paste into sterilised jars and cover the surface with a layer of oil, these pastes should keep in the fridge for 10 days.

MAKES ABOUT 170g

3 garlic bulbs or 180g fresh root ginger

25ml vegetable oil, plus extra to store the paste

1. Peel your garlic or ginger completely and roughly chop. Using a mini food processor or blender, blitz the garlic or ginger with the oil to a smooth paste. The oil should be enough to loosen the mixture; if it seems too thick add 2–3 tsp water.

2. Place in a clean, sterilised jar and cover the surface with a thin layer of oil. Store in the fridge and use within 10 days.

Garam masala

We use garam masala in almost every savoury dish we make. We give two methods for this spice mix: a quick recipe using a pan, and a longer recipe using the oven. The longer one will yield a richer, fuller flavour. As with all masalas, freshly grinding your spices produces the best results. For an especially rich garam masala, add a large pinch each of saffron and grated nutmeg along with the poppy seeds and rose petals. The garam masala will keep an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a month.

MAKES ABOUT 50g

1 black cardamom pod

4 cloves

5g black peppercorns

2 large cinnamon sticks

10g coriander seeds

5g cumin seeds

4g fennel seeds

2g star anise

1 bay leaf

2g mace blades

10g poppy seeds

2g dried rose petals

OVEN METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 50°C (lowest Gas). Spread everything apart from the poppy seeds and rose petals on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for 2ó hours.

2. Add the poppy seeds and rose petals to the tray, place it back in the oven and turn the oven off. Allow the mixture to cool in the switched-off oven for 30 minutes.

3. Transfer the cooled spice mix to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

PAN METHOD

1. Put everything apart from the poppy seeds and rose petals into a cold, dry frying pan and place over a medium heat to warm, shaking the pan occasionally. Toast for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

2. Add the poppy seeds and rose petals, and let the mixture cool in the pan.

3. Transfer the cooled spice mix to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Dishoom: From Bombay With Love (Bloomsbury, £26)

Photograph: Haarala Hamilton