Book Reviews - A Taste of Spice

We all look for change in January and that includes food – the weather may drive us to comfort food but we also crave lighter dishes and a change of tone that spicy foods from world cuisines can offer. There’s plenty of inspiration to be found in Anjum’s New Indian (Quadrille paperback, €19.50), which offers a welcome contrast to the rich festive fare of recent weeks.

This Easy Mung Lentil Curry is a tasty vegetarian dish that should rest the system and is often served in the homes of Sindhis, in the northern region of Sindh (now part of Pakistan); Anjum says this “Simple but utterly delicious lentil curry… appeals to all”.

Serves 2-3

Click for recipe


Incidentally, it can be difficult to have all the right fresh herbs and spices in stock when you’re in the mood for ethnic dishes; a new range of ‘Fresh Blends’ herbs and spices, grown organically in Australia for the Gourmet Garden (www.gourmetgarden.com) range and sold in a handy 115-120g tube, could be the answer.

Although the carbon footprint for European users must be awesome, they’re not wasteful in use and ideal for busy cooks who don’t want to lose out on flavour - the tubes are stored in the fridge and keep their fresh taste for months, and can also be used straight from the freezer.

The new range reflects the world’s four most popular flavours - Indian, Thai, Moroccan and Mediterranean – and there are nine individual herb and spice blends available in the core range: Basil, Hot Chilli, Coriander, Chives, Garlic, Ginger, Italian Herbs, Lemon Grass, and Parsley.


Ching’s Chinese Food in Minutes (HarperCollins, hardback €25) offers a great selection of appealing, healthy and easy Chinese dishes that use everyday ingredients – and can all be on the table in under 30 minutes, making this a really useful everyday reference for those nights when you’re tempted to resort to the takeaway.

Some good vegetarian dishes are included among the wide range – and red meat lovers would be delighted to see this Garlic chilli pepper beef & mushroom pak choy, which takes only 10 minutes.

Click for recipe