Which vital ingredients do you think everyone should have in their kitchen?
I suppose it depends what you like to eat. I always have onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, yoghurt, lemons, coconut milk, basmati rice and of course, The Spice Tailor Chutnis and Naans – which are extremely versatile.
How do you manage to keep up a businesswomen’s schedule and keep your husband and two small children happy and healthy? Can you give us your best plan ahead shopping list and meal plan?
I can’t say everyone is happy every day or that I am on top of everything. It is more that I just keep trying and moving forward and things get done, often with compromises. I do go on a fair amount about how healthy Indian food is and how sugary foods are just for treats. I do find it impossible to stop the children eating pizzas, pasta, crisps and sweets but do try to temper this with wholesome Indian meals, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains.
What spices and flavourings do you think are the healthiest for us to try and use more regularly?
Turmeric is amazing for everyone and nutritionists advise taking supplements containing curcumin extract, which is taken from the spice and adding the fresh rhizome to juices. Chillies reduce inflammation and ginger is good for circulation. Garlic is apparently good for the heart. Fenugreek seeds are known to help control blood sugar and another favourite of mine are carom seeds (ajwain) which are amazing to chew on with warm water to help settle a painful tummy.
Fresh mint and coriander are also really great herbs for flavour but mint is also cooling on the body and the stomach and fresh coriander is considered in Ayurveda to help remove toxins from the body.
I do think food can heal or harm the body depending on what and how much you eat and it is important to get a wide variety of nutrients to keep the body functioning at it’s optimal. I believe very much in Ayurveda as a healthy system of health and recommend all those who are interested in nutrition and the body to read up on it as it is fascinating.
We all love a curry in a sauce, what are the best ones that are not too high in calories?
Home-made are best so that you can control how much oil you put in them. You can make a lentil curry with very little oil at all. Having said that, The Spice Tailor Spiced Spinach Curry (saag) is delicious and low in fat and amazing when cooked with lamb, chicken or paneer.
What recipe would you recommend to a fussy eater that doesn’t like anything too spicy?
There are so many Indian dishes that aren’t spicy at all and if you cook them at home, you can leave out all the chilli altogether. In a restaurant you’ll need to ask them what they can do for you. Serving food with yoghurt is a great way to temper any unwanted heat and adds a lovely creamy tang to the meal.
Sweet treats; how can we have a healthy pudding?
One of my favourite puddings is a sweet thick saffron yoghurt, gently flavoured with green cardamom, it is really refreshing and satisfying. A lot of Indian puddings are quite sweet and can be rich but they are often made of vegetables, grains, dairy, nut and even lentils and served in small portions so I don’t feel they are bad for me in moderation.
What other types of cuisine are you good at and enjoy cooking?
You’ll have to ask others but I do enjoy cooking regardless of the cuisine. I love cooking things I ate as a child (aside from Indian). Also, every time I come back from travels I am inspired to cook some of the dishes I enjoyed while away so try to recreate them. I also cook a fair amount of Mexican as until more recently you couldn’t find good Mexican in London. I also bake a fair amount with my kids. Yesterday, my four year old and I made cupcakes for him to take to school for his class on his first day back and I wanted the children (mine included) to really enjoy them (my nine year old is quite honest about what is good and what isn’t). I suppose when it comes to food, it doesn’t matter what the cuisine is, I am a bit competitive!
How large is your spice rack at home and what are you go-to spices that you use all the time?
My spice “rack” is pretty extensive, I keep every spice that I might need while cooking Indian food with only a few exceptions. I have two round spice tins that stack on each other in which I store my everyday spices, each tin has eight small compartments in them. One tin is full of whole spices (cassia bark, cloves, black peppercorns, green cardamoms, black cardamom pods etc.). My other tin has powdered spices such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli powders as well as my favourite dried mango powder which is made from dried raw mangoes which are tart, yet not as harsh as lemon juice.
Do you prefer sweet or savory? Do you think that reflects in any of your books?
I prefer savoury but do crave something sweet every day! My books are all different but yes, like most cookbooks, there is some dessert but it is an accent to the savoury.
Your recipes are healthy and nutritious… I can imagine you have an interesting and unique fitness regime to go with it, what do you do to stay fit?
I am forever trying to be “good” but don’t like to deny myself something completely. I try to remain active every day and try and fit in regular gym, yoga or Pilates sessions but some days I just spend a lot of time on my feet. I try to walk as much as time allows and always walk up the stairs rather than take the lift. If I am tired though, I don’t force myself, sometimes the body just needs to rest.
Anjum Anand has created a new range of authentic, flame baked Naan’s which join the rest of The Spice Tailor range and are available in three flavours; Garlic and Coriander, Onion and Plain from Waitrose and retail at £1.99 per pack of two. To find out more about The Spice Tailor, please visit; www.thespicetailor.com