On our trip to Kerala in India in the summer of 2009, we spent a few hours at Leelu’s Homestay house (see Links), watching her making several different curries and taking copious notes. This is one of the things Leelu taught us that day; it's an incredibly versatile spice mix, working equally well in Indian and Thai curries, samosas, and various different types of curry oil

30g broken up cinnamon sticks

15g cloves

5g aniseed

12 pods black or green cardamom, peeled

2 tbspns peppercorns

• Mix the ingredients of together, then whiz to a powder in a liquidiser or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container