Mistress of Spices

Chef Anjum Anand brings to the palate, a delicious mash-up of cultures and cuisines. While her book unravels many of her secret recipes, her new show, ‘Anjum’s Spice Stories’ on TLC will surely get you pick up the pan and the ladle instantly.

- Chhavi Porwal

You were born and brought up in London, studied in Geneva, Paris and Madrid. It was an exciting variety of culture and cuisines. Personally, do like fusion or do you prefer authenticity?

I appreciate both. I love food to taste how it should, and am always happy to have proper English, Spanish, Swiss, French, Indian or anything else, but as a chef, I do enjoy fusing ingredients in a sympathetic way that enhances rather than confusing a dish. Sometimes, I eat something and think that would work so well with spices or with curry leaves etc. For example, my book, Anjum’s Quick & Easy Indian had a fair amount of fusion in it and some of my favourite dishes were meld and came about by living in the West and having different life and food experiences. Even some of my favourites from that book are fused, for example a Tandoori Mushroom, Butternut Squash And Crème Fraiche Tart and The Spicy Tangy Mushrooms work really well with the Sweet Roasted Squash, Crème Fraiche and Crispy Pastry. Another was a Tamarind Chutney Glazed Grilled Pork with a Bowl of Rice Noodles and a Kerala inspired Coconut Sauce. Clearly, this dish doesn’t exist in India but the flavours are all Indian. 

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