Chilli peppers are an indispensable addition to invigorate dishes this season. Photo / Alan Gibson
Wake your tastebuds up with ingredients that will make dishes burst with flavour.
Garlic, chilli and ginger are absolute pantry staples and when seasons change these invigorating flavours come to the fore to give us a kick-start.
Warmer weather means a move to lighter meals which need to be bursting with fresh flavours to stimulate the senses.
Garlic is used daily in most cuisines - obviously for flavour but also for its health properties because it is a natural antibiotic which makes it ideal for getting over the last of the dragging winter bugs. There are always some who are afraid of eating too much garlic, concerned about the dreaded garlic breath, but I can think of many more unsavoury smells. The point to remember is that the strength of garlic diminishes as it is cooked. If completely raw or lightly cooked, garlic will linger but if cooked long and gently the flavour becomes mild and sweet.
Some people are frightened of chilli, but whether fresh, dried or in a sambal or a paste, discretion rules. Add a little, have a taste and add more. The general rule is the smaller the chilli, the hotter it is. But approach with caution, tasting the tip of a chilli will not give the true flavour of the whole - the heat lies in the seeds and what is often described in recipes as the placenta - the central membrane or the fleshy walls of the pod.
Ginger, when used fresh, adds vibrancy to any dish, even my morning cup of tea. Boil the kettle, put in a spoonful of honey and a teaspoon of grated ginger then cover with the boiling water, let steep for five minutes... mmm.
Chef's tip
Yoghurt, spooned on to food or made into a lassi, will cool the heat of chilli. Also - a handy housekeeping note - bicarbonate of soda made into a paste with a little water will soothe chilli burns if applied directly on skin.
