A canning jar with a beige - yellow Masala paste and a description tag held by two hands.

A sea of deep red and bright red dried chillies.

Marvellous multi-purpose masala paste

This is a hugely versatile spice paste that can be used as a base for meat, fish, and vegetable recipes. By preparing a big batch in advance, you can save time and effort when cooking up your favourite recipes.

It has an excellent depth of flavour and brings a gentle welcome warmth rather than fiery heat. . If you prefer a spicier flavour, simply add more chillies and ginger.

The recipe is based on one from Simon Hopkinson’s excellent book, The Vegetarian Option, which is extremely popular at Glut HQ. Serves 8.

4 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tsp whole cloves
2 tsp red chillies
Small handful of curry leaves
300g onions, peeled and chopped
125g crushed fresh garlic
150g grated ginger
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
100g creamed coconut
2 tsp Maldon salt
2 tsp caster sugar

Tip the cumin, coriander, fennel and mustard seeds into a non-stick frying pan
Toast for a few minutes until you can just smell their fragrance.
Pour the toasted spices into a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind or crush to a powder.
Tip the ground spices into a food processor and add all the other ingredients.
Blitz into a paste and decant into a large jar.
Cover the paste with a thin layer of oil and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.