Parveen Ashraf has created Amaani Spice Boxes, which provide you with all the spices you need to make authentic Indian food. The Vegan Box providing spices to create Vegetable Pilau, Onion Bhajis, Tarka Daal, Chick Pea Salad and Cumin Roast Potatoes. So we caught up with her to ask her about creating her brand and where the idea first came from.
Parveen Ashraf
What are the benefits of Indian Food for a vegan diet?
I feel that Indian food lends itself perfectly for a vegan diet. The benefits are the sheer range of dishes that are available, from spicy starters such as vegetable samosas in cumin pastry, chick pea chaat with tamarind sauce, and my ever popular onion and potato bhajis. Best of all, onion bhajis are gluten-free as they are made from gram flour which is made from chick peas. Chick peas are a great source of protein, but such a humble, underrated yet versatile ingredient that is often overlooked.
Vegans can sometimes struggle to find food that is tasty, however with Indian cuisine they can happily indulge in a whole array of flavoursome dishes. There are so many curries to choose from; the ever popular saag aloo, tarka daal, aloo gobi or bombay potatoes which can be eaten with pilau rice, chappattis and a tomatoes and onion salad dressed in lemon and fresh coriander leaves. I have many vegans friend and they love coming to mine for dinner as they always leave satisfied with full tummies.
What are the must have spice (AND HERBS) staples for any vegan pantry?
The spices and herbs from the Indian subcontinent can lift the flavour of almost any vegetable, as well as adding depth of flavour to lentil and pulses. For example, roasted potatoes taste delicious with just an added teaspoon of freshly ground cumin.
The must have spices and herbs that a vegan needs are key spices such as chilli powder, chilli flakes, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and of course, the staple of every Asian housewives spice cupboard - garam masala. Garam masala literally translated means 'warm spice', as although it is very strong in flavour it has very little heat. There are many recipes for garam masala; they differ from region to region and in my experience from family to family. I still use my mother's recipe. Of course, if you don't have time, you can buy ready-made, but I don't think it is a patch on home ground and when eating the food, you can really taste the difference. My mum's recipe for garam masala contains:
- Bay leaves
- Black cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin
- Whole black pepper
What is your favourite vegan dish to cook?
My favourite vegan dish to cook is onion and potato bhajis. I first made them under my mother's instructions when I was 15. It took me a while to perfect them but once I got the hang of it, it became my signature dish, so much so that nearly every single Bollywood Dinner Party I cater - I make onion and potato bhajis. My clients, friends and family love my bhajis and in particular my three children but they have quite a unique way of eating them; in between two slices of buttered white bread with a dollop of ketchup. That's what I call fusion food, a real 'East Meets West' way of eating!
I taught cooking at several collages and again one of the most popular dishes I taught my vegan students was onion and potato bhajis. The recipe is quite simple; add thinly sliced onions and potatoes to gram flour, add chilli powder, ground coriander powder, fresh coriander, salt and few drop of lemon juice, mix and allow to rest. Heat up some oil and deep fry for 3 to 5 mins. The onion bhaji batter can also be used with other vegetables, such as bell peppers, cauliflower and spinach. The secret is to make sure the batter is not too thick - you're looking for a consistency of double cream. I have a little saying, 'the thinner the batter, the better the bhajis' - it's a bit of a tongue twister, but it works!
Can most Indian dishes made with meat be easily converted to a vegan version?
In the first instance, most Indian meat dishes need a lot more spice than vegan dishes. In addition, the method of cooking meat dishes is quite different from cooking vegan dishes, although there are some cases when one can substitute meat for paneer (Indian cheese). There is a basic tomato based curry sauce that can be used for most vegetable curries, whether its cauliflower, aubergines, courgettes, kidney beans, butter beans, chick peas or just potatoes. My recipe for the basic sauce is so simple that even if the only spice you have in your kitchen cupboard is chilli, you can make this recipe.
What is the simplest vegan dish to rustle up for those who are just starting out with cooking?
I think one of the simplest vegan dishes to cook is my version of tarka daal. It's quite quick and simple to cook and is the perfect vegan dish for novice cooks. To make my daal, all you need to do is bring to boil lentils in a pan, add chilli powder, turmeric and salt, simmer for 30 mins till it thickens, then add an infusion for sautéed onions and garlic to the lentils. Add fresh coriander and simmer of a further 10 mins. A little bit of trivia for you - daal means lentil and tarka means infusion, so roughly translated 'Tarka Daal' means lentils that have been infused.
The Amaani Spice box contains 13 traditional Indian spices- so what are the benefits to vegans when using the spices in the package?
The Amaani Spice Box contains a range of different spices which are blended together in perfect little individual proportions. The benefits to vegans are that as well as a fool proof way of cooking Indian vegan food, the recipes have a real depth of flavour and taste, as well as health benefits. I think one of the most beneficial Indian spices is turmeric. My mum made me drink turmeric milk to help me heal after I had surgery. It wasn't my favourite drink but mum said that it would heal me on the inside and she was a great believer in 'we are what we eat.' As well as drinking it, my mum would tell me that when she was growing up, if she cut herself, she would make a turmeric paste and apply onto the cut. Other spices like cumin and chilli can ward off cold and flu.
How did you come to choose the five dishes that you can make with the spices in the box?
When I designed the Vegan/Vegetarian box which I did exclusively for Hochanda, I spoke to a lot of my vegan friends and clients. They gave me their feedback and a list of the easiest but tastiest dishes that they had eaten and made. Therefore, I chose the top five dishes:
- Onion Bhaji Mix
- Tarka Daal
- Pilau Rice
- Chick Pea Chaat
- Cumin Roast Potatoes
What made you want to create these boxes for people to take home?
My recipes have been in the family for three generations but I was the first person to pen them down to create easy, step-by-step recipes for my little curry kit. I loved cooking but saw it as a hobby. However, when eldest son, Imran left home to go to university he asked for some recipes, so I emailed him some across. He rang a few days later, saying that the recipes didn't work. I asked what spices he was using and it transpires he was using readymade, shop bought spices. That's why the recipes didn't work, he needed my home-made blend of spices! So, I went into mum mode and dutifully roasted and ground some spices, packed them into individual bags and posted them up to him. He got them, used them and hey presto, they worked a treat.
Can you tell us about the process of turning them from an idea into a business?
I designed the recipes for my eldest son, Imran when he left home. After using the recipes and spices for a few weeks, he rang and said "great little business idea, mum." However, turning my passion into a business wasn't easy. Although it was harder than anticipated, I was lucky that my husband, family and friends were there to support me. This is vital for a woman in business.
The spice box took a year to go into production and it was a real team effort - I enlisted the help of three of my friends for research. I then spent months writing the recipes, which are all my mum's! My USP is that the recipes had to be 6 or 7 steps and easy to follow. My husband proof read them, my 12 year old son cooked the recipes, and my brother-in- law designed the beautiful, colourful recipes cards as well as the logo. Finally, we named the box - The Amaani Spice Box was created - named so, after her daughter.
What is next for you?
I am passionate about my culture and my cuisine and want to share my recipes with the world. At the moment, I am still catering Bollywood Dinner Parties, which take me all over the world, and teaching cooking.
I sell my Spice Box via Hochanda, as well as guest presenting on the channel. Hochanda is great demonstration led TV so is therefore the perfect place for stocking my Spice Boxes.
I have also just finished writing my first cook book 'My Little Chilli' so called as it was my dad's nickname for me.
My most exciting news is that I will be filming my own TV show 'Dine With The Spice Queen', in which I will be cooking in a field kitchen with an RAF catering corp and teaching a student how to cook a meal for under £5 for two. I love cooking and I think anyone can learn to cook my simple recipes - all I want to do is teach people how to enjoy authentic Indian food and spice up their life!
Amaani Spice Box is available from Hochanda. To enjoy demonstration led projects and learn a new craft tune in to Sky 663, Freeview 39, Freesat 817 or stream live in HD at www.hochanda.com