Description

This is the working blend, the one that does not wait for Sunday. Chilli, coriander, turmeric and cumin in the proportions most households use for a straightforward curry.

The heat sits in the middle: hot enough to taste, mild enough that children will eat it. If you want it hotter, add a broken dried red chilli to the oil at the start rather than doubling the masala, which will make the dish taste dusty.

Fry it in oil with onions for about thirty seconds before adding tomato or meat. Raw masala stirred into liquid tastes flat.