Know Your Curry: 5 Essential Ingredients for Indian Cooking (Schoolofwok)

The average Briton spends a whopping ?30,000 on Indian food during their lifetime, according to the 2013 Cobra Good Curry Guide, with the majority coming from eating out at the 9,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.

However, a large amount of people still wouldn't know where to start when making their own Indian dishes from scratch.

At School of Wok, our Indian cookery classes give customers a well-rounded introduction to the cuisine, spreading our knowledge of an overwhelming array of exotic spices to simplify south Asian food, meaning that you'll never need a takeaway ever again!

After learning about the essential ingredients, we'll teach you to replicate your favourite Indian curries in the comfort of your own home - you'll wonder why you ever spent so much money on takeout food.

RICE
It goes without saying: rice is a key component and a staple of Indian cuisine. Over 120 million tonnes of rice were produced in India in 2010, making the country the second-largest producer in the world after China. It is an essential ingredient of any India kitchen, being a fundamental part of nearly every meal, being the perfect accompaniment to any curry or spicy dish. After remembering just a few simple cooking steps, you'll be able to cook perfect, fluffy rice every time.

GHEE
Ghee is a type of clarified butter and widely used as a cooking fat in Indian cuisine. It differs from normal clarified butter as it is heated for longer until the milk solids begin to brown, producing a stronger, nuttier, more fragrant flavour with a higher burning point, adding richness to curries.

TURMERIC
Turmeric is an essential ingredient in a vast amount of Indian curries. Referred to commonly as 'Indian saffron', it is what gives dishes their bright yellow colour, as well as an earthy, slightly bitter and peppery flavour. Turmeric is also celebrated for its medicinal benefits, used for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and pain-killing properties.

CUMIN
Cumin is an oblong, stripey, dried seed of the cuminum cyminum plant (member of the parsley family) and used in both its whole and ground form. It has a distinctive, strong, earthy flavour and used in most curries, being a common ingredient of the garam masala blend of spices. Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.

CORIANDER:
Coriander, one of the most common ingredients in Indian food is used in the seed, ground and leaf form. The seeds are light brown and have a slight lemony fragrance and flavour when crushed and are used in the garam masala blend of spices. It is a good source of dietary fibre and contains vitamin C, calcium and iron.

If this has sparked your appetite and tickled your taste buds, why not book yourself into an Indian cookery class at School of Wok to learn the basics of Indian cuisine.

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