My kitchen is … incredibly tidy. Spices, knives – everything is ordered. I need to know where everything is, and there are certain things I’ll always have to hand – coriander, fennel and cardamom seeds; a bowl of pistachios and almonds … It’s the best way for me to create.
My favourite kitchen tool is … My tawa – a kind of rimless frying pan that I use to toast my chapatis, wraps and pitta. I’ve taken to doing open chapati sandwiches – there’s nothing like a really hot chapati.
My storecupboard staple is … gram flour. I’m never without it. And cardamom powder. I’ll often make my young son a lassi with almonds, pistachios, whole milk and a dusting of cardamom powder. But he never gets close to it – I’ve always finished it before he sees it.
When I’m starving I … head for my own seasonal hummus. I always have chickpeas in the house, and something that needs to be used up. This week it was butternut squash.
My culinary inspiration is … my family. I grew up around fabulous food. Travel is also a big influence. Recently, I’ve been developing recipes inspired by some South African game I sampled while on a tour of the country last year – Durban, the Cederberg mountains, Cape Town. I’ve been playing around with ostrich fillets paired with Indian spices – lime, cumin seeds, coriander seeds...
My best-kept kitchen secret is … the power of beetroot. Most of the time, the red hue of a tandoori marinade is achieved through food colouring. I’ve taken to using beetroot powder instead, which gives the right colour, and lends a natural earthy sweetness to the mix. I also use it in my mango lassi – it takes on a peach melba appearance, and keeps people guessing with the flavour.
My current obsession is … chaat masala, a spice blend made with black salt, which has this great pungency and kick and is so versatile. It works well as a rub or when making fries, but also naked – scattered on a salad with a squeeze of lemon just before serving.
Everything tastes better with … stories. Food is always best when it’s shared, and the story of the dish, or the recipe, or where the ingredients have come from or the story of the person who’s cooked it makes it taste so much better .
When I go shopping I … prefer ethnic or independent grocers to the supermarket, because the turnover is really high. I’ve just come across Pakistani carrots, which are bright crimson in colour. I’m always excited by the potential of trying something different.
For dinner tonight … I’m making a mango and cardamom-essence parfait. My little boy adores ice-cream, and so do I. My tooth gets sweeter the older I get, and I’ve given in.
Urban Rajah’s Spice Academy Masterclass will run on 27 March at School of Wok, Covent Garden, London; urbanrajah.com
