A note on spice

Over the years of teaching cookery, I’ve learned that people’s apprehension of using spice comes from being nervous about gauging the quantities to add, as well as which stage to add it. Spice shouldn’t be viewed as a daunting enemy – let it be your companion in the creation of flavour, learn to play with it, use it to complement your food. Nothing is lost if you begin by adding a little spice, and build the quantity up. It’s also worth noting that spice isn’t synonymous with heat – it’s usually the addition of chilli that creates the heat. In Pakistani cooking, chilli is added at a cook’s discretion and many recipes include little or no chillies during cooking – instead, much of the heat comes from adding fresh chopped green chillies at the end, which can easily be omitted.