The Foodbod Pod: Episode 8 – In the Spice Kitchen

Elaine “Foodbod” Boddy presents episode eight of the Foodbod Pod in which she and David Treadway meet Shashi and Sanjay Aggarwal, Mamma Spice and Spice Boy respectively as they enjoy a flavour packed visit to the Spice Kitchen.

From an idea invented around the family dinner table one Christmas, the Spice Kitchen has grown into a successful artisanal spice and tea business that ships spices and blends to home cooks around the world. The company’s popular Spice Tins have won plaudits and awards with the Indian Spice Tin, enclosed in a silk sari wrap hand-sewn by Mamma Spice herself, winning Gift of the Year in 2018 and 2022.

Shashi Aggarwal tells Elaine that her mother gave her a spice tin, or Masala Dabba on her wedding day – the same tin and blend of spices that she uses to this day – and discusses her instinctive approach to cooking and her use of spices. This is clearly demonstrated as she shows how to make her famous Chickpea Curry as well as a Paneer Curry – two delicious examples of Mamma Spice’s vegetarian diet that can be adapted for all tastes, palates, preferences and flavours. As Elaine says, “Being in the kitchen with Shashi is just amazing. She just dances around the kitchen”.

While Mamma Spice creates the recipes, Sanjay Aggarwal runs the Spice Kitchen business in his capacity as Chief Spice Officer. Sanjay, Shashi and Elaine discuss how to use spices, what goes into the famous blends such as garam masala and how to keep spices in top condition. They also discuss how they collected and put together their first published recipe collection, Spice Kitchen that showcases dishes and cuisines from different regions and countries around the world including India, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Southern States of America, Africa, China, Japan, the Middle East and Europe.

Find out more and see recipes featured across the series: https://foodbodpod.com

Watch on YouTube as Shashi shows Elaine how she prepares her delicious food at: https://youtube.com/@foodbodpod

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