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Nadiya Hussain’s Art Masala (eight-spice mix)

This eight-spice masala mix is a blend of spices used in many of the recipes in Nadiya Hussain's Simple Spices.

From the book

Introduction

This book is all about using eight spices in different ways. With just these spices you can make every recipe in the book. Everyone needs to have a good masala mix in their repertoire, so I want to share my art masala mix, which you can use in lots of the recipes. When trying to source the spices at the supermarket, don’t forget to make your way to the Asian/World Foods aisle too. It’s a treasure trove of goodies and inspiration!

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Ingredients

28g cardamom pods
3g bay leaves
34g fennel seeds
100g cumin seeds or ground cumin
38g ground cinnamon
100g ground turmeric
44g chilli powder
220g curry powder

Essential kit

You will need: a spice grinder or blender with a milling blade.

Method

Start by using a spice grinder, which is the best tool for the job. Lots of smoothie-makers also come with a milling blade that works well to really crush down these whole spices.

Put the cardamom pods in the grinder, husk and all. (Imagine trying to de-pod that many – you would have given up before you’d even started. I know I would have.) Whack them in and blend to a fine powder, then pour out into a large bowl.

Now put your bay leaves, fennel and cumin seeds into the same grinder and blitz to a powder. If your grinder is small, you can do each spice alone, but just note that when doing the bay leaves, always blend them with the fennel seeds. They need the seeds to get them moving enough to crush to a powder. Add to the bowl. Mix thoroughly, being sure to do this after each addition as it’s important to make sure that the mix is well blended.

Now for the cinnamon. I prefer to use ground cinnamon as it’s readily available and will save you from having to crush something quite hard – why should we if we don’t need to? Add to the bowl and mix.

Chuck in the ground turmeric and mix. Add the chilli powder and mix. Lastly, add the curry powder and give everything a good stir.

That’s it. Now you have your very own ninth spice, using ingredients you already have at home. Transfer into a jar or jars and you are ready to go!

+ Dried spices can last for a very long time – just be sure to store them in a cupboard that is dark and out of direct sunlight. If you have spices that have sat for a long time and you want to rejuvenate them, add what you need to a non-stick pan over a low heat and gently toast. This will release the oils and restore the spices as if they had been freshly ground today.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

11 Ratings

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16 Comments

    default user avatar Mick.

    I’m sure it would be lovely but you do not explain which curry powder you add to the mix.
    Or do I just buy a certain brand from the the shop?

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    default user avatar Jackie moss

    I have a big jar of this use it a lot just about to make another batch…. we love it… especially with the sag aloo jalfrezi! You can control the heat too by adding less to your recipe .. for example nadya may say 8 spoons I use 5!

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    default user avatar Helen Robertson

    It needed of few times to get it right but what an amazing flavour from freshly ground spices. Will definitely be making this again.

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    default user avatar Brian Gardner

    Absolutely brilliant mix. Did chicken curry, peppers, onions, New potatoes (tinned) mix with a tin of tomatoe soup, and HP sauce, for the best results.

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    default user avatar Iain

    The recipe looks nice and straightforward, will it work with minced beef as Lamb is quite expensive at the moment?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Iain,

    This spice mix should be fine to use with minced beef.

    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Sonia Blake

    I like it very much. I made her Keema plate pie with it and it was delicious. One problem though. I made the art masala from her recipe and halved the ingredients. It still made an awful lot and I want to use it as much as I can but recipes using it are few and far between. It says it can be used in marinades and curries but I can’t find many. I am especially looking for prawn and shrimp recipes and how to use it as a meat rub. Any suggestions?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Sonia,

    Do you have a copy of Nadiya’s Simple Spices? Quite a few of the recipes featured in the book use the art masala spice mix so we would advise picking up a copy of the book for more inspiration.

    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Midori

    I just love this mix.
    So authentic. Thank you so much, Nadia.
    Your recipes book is amazing.

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    default user avatar Suzie

    Absolutely delicious but the spice quantity is excessive and needs to be halved

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Suzie,

    The idea behind this recipe is to create a big batch of the spice mix that you can use in multiple recipes from Nadiya’s cookbook, Simple Spices, and other dishes. You can of course reduce the quantities to create a smaller batch.

    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Jayne

    Curry powder any good Recomendations?

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    default user avatar Henry Hope

    Made the spice MIX BUT WHAT TO USE IT IN

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    default user avatar Criggy

    Great recipe full of wonderful flavours.

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From the book: Nadiya’s Simple Spices

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