CONNOISSEUR:Green Saffron mixes are an authentic and speedy way to spice up dinner
ETHNIC CUISINE IS a challenge for many of us. We may – or may not – have an inherent understanding of what Irish stew should taste like, it being part of our national cuisine. But do we know what an Indonesian sambal should taste like, or a Thai tom yam kung?
Jars of ambient pastes promise you a perfect Thai green curry, all you need to do is scoop, slop and stir, but the reality is rarely rewarding. Even with the recipe on the jar, you end up with such a vague approximation. Easy cooking can be taken too far.
So it was with some trepidation that I recently picked up a packet of Green Saffron Madras Spice Mix and its attached recipe. Being stuck on what to cook that evening, the idea of a lamb curry was tempting. That the attached recipe told me I needed only tinned tomatoes, lamb, onions, ginger, garlic and coconut milk served to make the decision easier.
The complexities of Indian food have held a life-long fascination for me and, as with all great cuisines, balance is such an integral part of cooking it successfully. That part of this strain is removed by the provision of a well-executed spice mix seems a perfect interpretation of “easy”. An idea so simple it could hardly be called radical.
The age of spices, where they are sourced, and how they are packaged is crucial to whether you experience something enticing, exciting and complex, or an experience that is dull, flat and unexceptional. If you want the latter, then head for the spice rack in any supermarket and buy them ground and mixed. If, however, you are in search of the former, you should find a specialist supplier.
To cook the Green Saffron recipe, I fried onions as I had been instructed. I then added ginger and garlic and the Madras spice mix. Suddenly my kitchen filled with the sweet, sun-baked, spice-laden air of India. It was heady and aromatic, enticing and fruity, and appetising. So much so that my two children appeared, inquiring with real wonder about what they were getting for supper.
I added lamb, a tin of tomatoes, a tin of coconut milk, and seasoning, which was not easy to do as tasting involved a mouth-filling, spice-laden explosion of flavour. Then the whole assembly was left to simmer at the merest blip.
If I had done this dish with chicken – as pointed out in the recipe – we would have been eating inside half an hour. As it was, an hour later we sat down to convenience food of a decidedly superior kind. Okay, so I had to chop an onion or two, but far rather that than use gloop from a jar when the result can be this satisfying.
For those keen on more than the occasional blast of authentic Indian food, there are more than 10 Green Saffron blends to choose from and three “two-step wonders”, the latter involving a slightly more complicated technique. I paid €4.69 for my packet of Madras mix, but you can buy them for €3.50 at farmers’ markets, or from www.greensaffron.com (plus PP).
harnold@irishtimes.com