The Spice of Life

Cooking with Spices

Spices are the unsung heroes of the kitchen. They bring life to food and transform everyday ingredients whether you're making a curry, a traditional stew, or baking a cake, using the right spices is essential.

A pinch of the right spice can bring out hidden dimensions of flavour in a dish. In Spiced Lamb Koftas, the lamb is mixed with cumin and coriander, then braised in a tomato sauce infused with cinnamon. Those who traditionally make Delia's Classic Christmas Cake and Home-made Christmas Mincemeat every year say the aroma of the lovely blend of mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg lets them know their Christmas has started.

Light recipes, like Spiced Carnaroli Rice Salad has a balance of cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon without overwhelming the rice, and in baking Spiced Apple Muffins are aromatic with the right amount of warmth to complement the fruit.

Carnaroli Rice Salad

Spiced Apple Muffins

Spices are essential to making a homemade curry, and a great place to start is with to make a batch of Thai Red Curry Paste which is made with coriander and cumin seeds, fresh ginger and hot paprika. Delia describes it as being a 'dark, pungent curry paste', and not only will it take your curry to a new level, but it can be frozen, so if you make it in bulk you can divide it into smaller portions to save wasting the ingredients. It's used in Thai Red Curry Chicken with Coriander Chutney and Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Dipping Sauce below. For all our curry recipes click here

Thai Red Curry Paste

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Thai Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce

It’s not just about knowing which spices to use, it’s also about how to buy and store them properly. Ground spices, in particular, lose their potency quickly if not stored correctly. Light and air are the two biggest enemies of spice freshness, and that’s why Delia recommends a company she uses. In the Delia Online Cookery School, there’s a video where she talks about Seasoned Pioneers, her favourite spice company and explains exactly why she trusts them. Seasoned Pioneers are based in the UK, and sell top-quality spices packed in foil pouches, which protects them from light exposure and can be resealed to keep air out. This ensures the spices retain their full flavour and aroma for longer, something that can make a real difference in your cooking. They also make it convenient for you to source authentic, fresh spices with their online ordering and delivery service.

So whether you're cooking one of Delia's recipes or experimenting with your own, remember: spices are your flavour foundation. And if you want to learn how to buy, store and use them, Delia’s recipes, and her Cookery School video, are the perfect place to start.