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Balti masala paste is a one-of-a-kind category: it's made from pre-ground spice powder (Balti masala) rehydrated with vinegar and oil, creating a consistent base for curries. The vinegar preservation technique allows this paste to be made in large batches and jarred for months of storage. The paste's mild spice profile makes it a foundation that cooks build on with additional ingredients. This is British-Indian cooking at its most practical and efficient.
A sweet and tangy paste used in Pathia and Chasni curries, combining mango chutney, tomato ketchup, and lemon juice for a vibrant flavor base.
Essential base for dopiaza curries, biryanis, and marinades. Fried onions add rich flavor and texture; the cooking oil can be reused in curries for extra taste.
Green Balti masala paste combines Indian spices with fresh herbs, creating a vibrant paste used in British-Indian curries. Unlike Thai green pastes, this one includes fenugreek (for nutrition and earthiness), fresh mint (for cooling contrast), and turmeric (for color and warmth). It's preserved with vinegar like Balti masala paste, allowing batch preparation and long refrigerated storage. The color is striking and the flavor is complex, earthy from spices, bright from fresh herbs.
Madrasi masala paste represents the very hot end of British-Indian curry pastes. It's made by toasting and grinding dry spices (mimicking the South Indian cooking technique) then combining them with fried aromatics. The vinegar and oil preservation technique allows batch preparation. The color is deep reddish-brown from the dried chillies, and the aroma is unmistakably fiery. This paste requires careful heat management during cooking and creates genuine sweat-inducing curries.
Spice-heavy paste for massaman curries, with Muslim roots. More spices than other curries; requires pounding for smooth texture.
Milder, sweeter than red curry paste, with roasted peanuts. Key ingredient for Panang curries; adjust spice and sweetness as desired.
These are the little salt-cod fritters you'd order at a marble counter in Lisbon, sitting with a glass of vinho verde while the bartender slides a plate across with no ceremony. The recipe itself is simple, dry mashed potato through flaked bacalhau with onion, garlic, parsley and egg, then a brief fry, but it does start the day before because the salt cod wants 24 to 36 hours of cold water soaks to draw the salt out. That step is the one thing you cannot shortcut. Once the cod is desalted, everything else is an afternoon's work: simmer the cod, flake it through warm potato, shape into the three-sided football "quenelles" that are the Portuguese signature, and fry until amber. Eat them warm with a wedge of lemon and a dish of piri-piri on the side.
Pastéis de nata are Portugal's answer to a cup of coffee, and you would never have one without the other. The puff pastry shells are rolled thin, brushed with butter, rolled back into a tight cylinder, then sliced into pinwheels and pressed into the cups of a deep muffin tin (the swirl of the slice becomes the spiral shell). The custard is a hot sugar syrup whisked into milk thickened with cornflour and tempered into egg yolks. Filled three-quarters full, baked at the hottest temperature your oven will go (the original Belém bakery uses 290°C). The blackened, blistered top is the signature, the custard underneath is silky and only just set, and you eat them warm with a dusting of cinnamon and a strong espresso at eleven in the morning.
Chile's summer corn cake, the layered casserole made when fresh sweetcorn is at its peak and the asado has yielded leftover meat. You cook the pino first: onions softened slowly with cumin, paprika and oregano, beef mince browned in, raisins and olives folded through with a splash of stock to keep it moist. Chicken pieces poach separately and shred. The corn topping is the star: fresh sweetcorn (or a kabocha-corn mix in winter) blends with milk, butter and fresh basil into a thick batter. Layer in clay dishes (or one large baking dish): pino, shredded chicken, hard-boiled egg slices, corn batter poured over the top. A heavy dust of sugar finishes it, which caramelises under the grill into a sweet crusted top. Eaten with ensalada chilena on the side and a glass of red wine.
All-butter puff pastry (homemade if you've the patience, shop-bought all-butter if you don't) is rolled out, cut into squares, topped with a slab of guava paste and a chunk of cream cheese, then sealed into a parcel or topped with a second pastry square. Brushed with egg wash, baked at high heat until golden and puffed. While hot, brushed with a simple sugar syrup for the shiny finish.
A simple paste made from soaked raw cashews, used to thicken and flavor curries. Adds creaminess and richness without cooking.
Tandoori masala paste is unique: it's designed to be diluted with yogurt to create a marinade for the tandoor clay oven or modern broiler. The spices are warm and earthy (coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika) with just enough chilli for gentle heat. The color is spectacular, bright orange-red from paprika and turmeric, making the resulting marinated meat unmistakable. This paste is more aromatic than fiery, with cardamom and clove adding sophistication. Unlike Madras or Balti pastes, this one includes a balance of turmeric and paprika in the aromatics themselves.
Spicy paste with green bird's eye chillies. Adjust chillies for heat; taste and balance flavors. Use fresh for best results.
Thai green curry paste combines fresh green chillies (not reduced in heat like Thai red paste), fresh herbs including cilantro and lemongrass, and aromatic spices. The "green" comes from fresh coriander and green chillies, not fromprocessing. This is one of Thailand's most iconic curry pastes. Unlike red curry paste which is often toasted-spice based, green relies on fresh ingredients for its character and building, sustained heat.
Masaman curry paste is perhaps Thailand's most complex paste, reflecting its multicultural origins at the Malaysia-Thailand border. It combines fragrant aromatics with toasted warm spices (cloves, cumin, coriander), creating a rich, almost stew-like curry base quite different from the bright green or red curries. The flavor builds with slow cooking, developing layers of warmth and spice. This paste is essential for classic Masaman curry made with beef and potatoes.
Common Thai curry paste with moderate spice. Adjust chillies for heat; add more spur chillies for vibrant red color.
Thai red curry paste is a balance of heat from chillies, brightness from citrus, and umami from shrimp paste. Toasting the coriander and cumin seeds before grinding awakens their essential oils. This paste forms the flavor foundation for authentic Thai red curries. Made fresh, it's noticeably superior to commercial versions, vibrant in color, aromatic, and with cleaner flavor.
A classic British cheese sauce, creamy, tangy, and rich with mature Cheddar, that's baked until bubbling. While traditionally spooned over toast, this versatile preparation also works beautifully over smoked haddock or vegetables. The silky sauce coating crispy bread is pure comfort food elevated to bistro standards.
Versatile paste with yellow color from turmeric. Use fresh turmeric for better flavor and moisture; it stains, so be careful.