Where do reader's questions get answered on the site?
Anjali's answer:
Reader's questions posted to Anjali are answered here, within this section of the site
If a dish is too hot how do i cool it down?
Anjali's answer:
The best way to cool down a dish is to add some yoghurt or cream. I prefer to serve a Raita on the side, or even the popular yoghurt drink 'lassi'.
How long can i keep my fresh spices for?
Anjali's answer:
Spices start to lose their flavour once they are ground and so I would recommend to grind them yourself if you can. I keep my whole spices for up to 6 months and if I have ground spices then I prefer to use them up in 2 months.
Does it matter if i used fresh tomatoes or tinned?
Anjali's answer:
Fresh tomatoes are a little more acidic than tinned tomatoes and so I always add a pinch of sugar when I am cooking with them. They have a coarser texture than tinned tomatoes but this gets broken down the longer you cook them for. I prefer to use a blend of both as tinned tomatoes add a deep red colour to the dish and fresh tomatoes add some texture.
Hi,
I note from the label that Patak's Balti Curry Paste should not be consumed uncooked.
Could you tell me what the risk is please, and what cooking is required to make it safe (if it's not used in a traditional curry) ?
I'd like to be able to use it as a flavouring in other dishes - in particular, I'd like to try it as a pizza topping.
Anjali's answer:
The reason why we recommend to cook the Patak's paste range is because the spices used are not processed before being added to the various pastes. This is because, when you process spices to kill off any potential bacteria, you have to heat them, and the heating process can lead to a reduction in the flavour of the paste.
We recommend frying the paste for at least 3 minutes before consumption to kill off any potential bacteria but yes you can definitely use it as a marinade (as the paste will be cooked when you cook the meat/vegetables) or as a pizza topping if this is going in the oven and not added after cooking.