Whenever I’m asked what my hobbies are (not that often these days, I suppose!) cooking and baking are always top of the list. There are few things better than spending Sunday afternoon baking a gooey batch of brownies or cooking the perfect steak for a cosy Friday night in. The older I get, though, the more apparent it becomes that my real hobby is dreaming about kitchen appliances. I'll never pass a fridge in a shop without checking out the storage options, and don't even get me started on induction hobs.

Combine my love of food with my appliances obsession and you've described my dream date. That's exactly what my trip to the Miele Experience Centre to check out Sunil Ghai's cookery demo was. (Minus the date - I was flying solo that night!) Sunil creates bold and sophisticated Indian dishes in his Dublin restaurant, Pickle, so I was excited to see what he had in store for us in Miele.

The food was simple but stunning. We began with Pan Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Bhurji. This was a fragrant combination of gently spiced cauliflower and perfectly seared scallops. We then learned how to create Kurkura Jhinga, the most simple prawn stir fry with black pepper, garlic and fresh lime. (Confession: this was my first time eating a prawn. Hard to call myself a foodie having never at least tried prawns, but there's just something about them!) Sweet spring onions added freshness and the lime juice gave the dish a citrusy lift. This was a fantastic introduction to prawns - I'm a convert! We finished by tasting a home-style chicken curry, pulao rice and toor dal with green mango and chilli. This braised curry was packed with flavour and Sunil used store-cupboard spices such as coriander and turmeric to create a simple dish that could easily be recreated at home.

Indian Cooking Tips and Tricks:

The demo was peppered with some really clever tips to help take your Indian cooking to the next level. Here are the top 9 Indian cooking tips tips we picked up from Sunil.

Keep it simple

Sunil believes that 5 or 6 spices are all you need to create beautiful Indian dishes at home. We've all bought a jar of spices that have languished in the cupboard for years without being used. It's such a waste. Build a simple collection of spices to begin with. You can always add more as your cooking evolves. Start with coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric, cardamom and mustard seeds. Sunil's preference when it comes to chilli powder is Deggi Mirch. It's a vibrant powder with a mild but distinctive flavour and you'll find it in any Asian grocery store.

Use meat on the bone

Chicken breast meat is super popular, but it's not known for its flavour. Sunil prefers to use thigh and other tasty joints of meat on the bone. They're so full of flavour that he doesn't bother using stock if he's using meat on the bone. Water is all you need.

Toasting your spices

I have always avoided buying whole spices in larger quantities because I thought they'd lose their flavour before I got a chance to use them. Sunil toasts his spices overnight in an oven at 70°C and keeps them in an airtight jar. Prepared this way they'll last for months and you'll always have pre-toasted spices to hand. Sunil joked that the trick to not burning spices when you're cooking them in a pan is to not bother cooking at home and to pop into Pickle for dinner instead. If you insist on cooking at home, though, sprinkle some water into the pan and that will do the trick.

Make your own ginger-garlic paste

Ginger-garlic paste is a flavour-packed staple of Indian cooking, and it can be added to everything from stir-fries to curries. Sunil uses a 60:40 ratio of ginger to garlic. Blend it with a drop of oil and water, and store it, topped with a layer of oil, in an airtight jar in the fridge. It freezes really well in ice cube trays too.

Storing curry leaves

Curry leaves do not freeze well, but there is a way of preserving them and their aromatic flavour. Fry them in oil, and store the oil and fried leaves in an airtight jar. This oil can be used in your cooking whenever you want to add the unique flavour of curry leaves.

Cook perfect rice every time

Sunil uses 1 litre of water for every 500g of basmati rice. Soak the rice for at least 20 minutes before cooking, and don't cover it until the water has started to evaporate.

Cooking prawns

People often complain about overcooked prawns. It's no surprise. There's a fine line between perfect prawns and a rubbery, overcooked mess. The trick, according to Sunil, is to cook your prawns until they have changed colour, but no longer. If you're a bit apprehensive, quickly check one of them to make sure it's cooked through. Simple.

Butter your fish

You've heard it a million times before: butter = flavour. It's true, though. Sunil added a knob of butter to the pan to glaze his scallops. Simply let it melt and then spoon it over your seafood. If the butter browns slightly, even better.

Count your cloves

My favourite tip from Sunil Ghai's Miele demo is this: Count how many cloves you put in your dish, and count them as you take them out too! No one wants to chew on a clove so make sure you keep track of them.

Sunil also shared this simple idea for creating a healthy snack using cauliflower.

If you fancy hearing more from Sunil Ghai, the Miele Experience Centre will play host to another Indian cooking demonstration on May 10th. Pop down early to check out the Miele products on display (they're sleek and super smart), have a coffee and chat to fellow foodies. Check out the Miele Events Calendar to find out more about Sunil's demonstration and other exciting upcoming cooking demonstrations. 

Thanks so much to Miele for providing a complimentary ticket to this event so that we could experience Sunil Ghai's delicious cooking.