All language subtitles for Nadiyas.Simple.Spices.S01E01.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

For as long as I can remember,
spice has been a part of my life,

effortlessly elevating
ordinary ingredients

into something sensational.

My mum, my nanny and my
great-nanny before her all made

incredible meals with just
a few humble spices.

These are the smells of home.

And now I want to teach you
what they taught me -

to create whole host
of mouthwatering meals

for every occasion...
Mm!

..using just eight simple spices.

This is what feel-good looks like.

Simple can be spectacular.

From the Bangladeshi
dishes of my childhood...

If I've got my hand on my hip,
you know it's an easy recipe.

I am chilling.

..to British classics
with a spicy twist

and my own deliciously cheeky
mash-ups that fuse both my worlds.

Ooh! Got a kick!

Plus, I'll be showcasing amazing
cooks from around the country...

It's a very special
and precious spice.

..celebrating the spices
they can't live without.

Yeah, this is going to be hot!

Spice just got simple,

so are you ready to cook up a storm?

This week, my favourite feel-good
foods loaded with flavour...

Like, how can that not
make you happy?!

..a turmeric-laced broth that
couldn't be more heartening...

It's singing, it's dancing -

everything just works
so well together.

..and a surprisingly spicy bake.

Life doesn't get much sweeter than
a loaf of freshly baked bread.

Plus, my cinnamon drenched,
crowd pleasing cheesecake.

Almost too good to eat,
but that never stopped me.

But first, a masterclass
in how spice can transform

the most modest of ingredients.

# Ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh

# And I'm feelin' good... #

For maximum comfort,
you can't beat a hug in a bowl

and this warming recipe
is exactly that.

# And I'm feelin' good... #

My bay leaf and turmeric fragrance
dhal has its flavour

boosted by a cumin-infused tarka.

It really brings this
lentil dish to life.

I am so excited.

This is a really big deal for me,

to be able to share
the way my nan cooked,

the way my mum cooks,
and the way I cook.

Like, this is something that's
probably gone back generations.

So, before we do any cooking at all,

let me introduce you
to my spice box.

When people think spices,
I think often they think hard work,

complicated, long, difficult,
but spices can be simple.

These are the eight spices
that I use every single day.

I've got whole fennel,

whole cinnamon,

whole cardamom,

and whole bay leaves.

And then the four ground spices,

I've got chilli powder,

I've got turmeric,

I've got cumin,

and I've got curry powder.

And that is it.
Using all of these spices,

you can make breakfast, lunch,
brunch, dinner, dessert,

you name it.

And as far as I'm concerned,
there's only one place to start.

If there's one recipe that
I go back to time and time again,

that makes me feel good from
the inside out, it has to be dhal.

If you want to understand and love
spices, this is the place to start.

Dhal literally translates as lentils

and I'm starting with two tins.

That's going to save you 12 hours -

you don't have to soak them.

They're already pre-cooked,

ready to go.

So, lentils, water in the pan.

This takes me right back.

Like, I remember
standing next to my mum

asking her how you make it.

It is one of the first recipes
I ever learned to cook.

And now to transform my lentils
with the first of my spices.

I've grown up eating bay leaves,

whether that's in desserts,

whether that's in rice dishes,

whether that's in lentils,

whether that's in tea.

Bay leaves are the best.
It adds a fragrance to the water.

And now for a spice
that is bold and beautiful -

a teaspoon of turmeric.

You're going to see
a LOT of turmeric.

And it's in lots of
Indian, Bangladeshi cooking

and it's really earthy.

It works really well with lentils
and that sweetness of the bay leaf.

So far I've been broadly
following my mum's dhal rules,

but this is the bit
where I go rogue.

I feel like the creaminess
of lentils really needs

something a little bit sharp.

So I've gone for some lime pickle,
straight out of a jar.

Like, the stuff that
you eat with your poppadoms.

It just adds another
layer of flavour.

And that's it for
the lentils for now.

They just need to cook down.

The longer, the better.

We haven't really put that many
ingredients in there and already

look at that beautiful,
vibrant, rich colour.

When I say feel-good food,
it could be something nostalgic,

it could be just...
I might be missing my mum.

The whole point is that it makes
you feel good on the inside,

and that could be anything.

Now, for my delicious tarka
to dress my dhal.

Essentially, all it is...

..is a flavoured oil.

And I love oil,

I do, but I love butter more.

And I think it works
really, really well with lentils

because they're really creamy.

To 100g of melted butter

I'm adding a thinly sliced onion,

eight cloves of garlic
and five dried chillies.

I remember when my mum
used to do this and it was like,

you know, she was, like, quick.

I'm like, "She's a superhero!
Look at her go!"

Like, she's amazing in the kitchen!

Check out the onions.

This is how far
you want to take them

and that's going to give
you maximum flavour.

I'm starting to feel
like my superhero mum now.

Now back to my spice box
for two teaspoons of ground cumin.

It's a lovely, warm flavour,
and that works really well

with the caramelised onion

and the kind of nuttiness
of the lentils.

So as soon as the ground cumin hits
that hot fat, it cooks it instantly.

It's kind of waking up that spice.

And now it's time for
my tarka to adorn my dhal.

The aromas in this kitchen right
now, these are the smells of home.

As soon as that delicious
butter hits the lentils,

can you hear that sizzle?

Last little sprinkling of coriander.

And that's it. This is what cooking
with spices is all about.

I've taken a couple of tins
of lentils and a handful of spices.

The heart of it? It's simplicity.

# Can't get by without you

# I need you more each day... #

My dhal isn't just guaranteed
to make you feel good -

it's the best way I can think
of to begin your journey

into my world of spices.

You can eat dhal
with chapatis, with paratha,

you can eat it any which way.

But I just love a big bowl
of dhal just as it is.

# And I can't get
by without you, no way... #

You instantly get
that lime pickle zing,

you get the warmth
of that turmeric

and then the cumin
fried in the tarka

with the caramelised onions is,

oh, my goodness, delicious.

This is one of the first things
I ever learned to cook.

And I don't think
I'm ever going to stop.

Next, a recipe
that's not only comforting,

but crammed full of flavour, too.

Life doesn't get much sweeter than
a loaf of freshly-baked bread.

Well, actually, it does,

with my spicy twist
on this feel-good favourite.

# I'm gonna be your number one... #

This bake is a brilliant British
and Bangladeshi mashup -

cheese and onion laced
with chilli and cumin.

It's feel-good food at its finest.

I will eat cheese any which way,

but then you add chilli to it
and it just sings

in a very, very different way.

First, I need 500g
of strong bread flour,

and then it's
straight into my spice box

for two teaspoons of ground chilli.

Chilli powder had to make
it into my eight spices.

There's something about that
delicious heat that you get

that makes you want to
keep going back for more,

and that is addictive.

And to complement that,
two teaspoons of ground cumin.

You get this lovely earthy flavour

and the two work
really, really well together.

We're already cooking on gas,
but we're not -

we're going to put it
in the oven, obviously!

Now I want two teaspoons of salt

and 7g of fast-action yeast
and mix them together.

And a quick trick -
just push your measuring spoon.

Two tablespoons of oil

straight in there.

Next, 320ml of lukewarm water

and a quick mix
to bring it all together.

Then give it a good knead

until the dough is
smooth and stretchy.

Look at that dough.

You can really smell
the chilli and the cumin,

and that's what you want.

Then pop the dough into a bowl,

cover, and leave to prove
somewhere warm

until it's doubled in size.

One way to know
that your dough has proven

is to kind of just
give it a little poke.

And if that dent stays in there,
it's perfect.

Next, one of my favourite food
related feel-good activities -

knocking the air out of the dough.

# Yes, it's a good day
for singing a song

# And it's a good day
for moving along

# Yes, it's a good day... #

You've got to knock it back

because you've got uneven
air bubbles in there

and we want to make them even.

It's not quite meditation,

but it feels like it to me.

Next, I've got a classic
British flavour combination.

I want to put cheese and onion
in the middle.

See how the brain works, but it
always creates delicious things.

So I'm going to grate this paneer
straight on top of the dough.

Paneer's such
a good carrier of flavour.

So that's why it works really well

to have that chilli powder
in there, which is spicy.

This is where I get to bake
like the British part of me,

and then add spices
and these amazing flavours

like the Bangladeshi part for me.

So this is kind of
where the fusion happens.

We're going to do crispy onions.

And I have this stuff
in the house all the time.

I use it as toppings.

And this is going
to add a sweetness.

Then fold in the cheese
and onion filling.

Have you ever heard of noisy
bread dough? You have today!

Listen to that!

DOUGH CRACKLES CRISPLY

And then shape it into a loaf.

Look at that.
Like, it's speckled with onion

and you've got the cheese

and then you've already got
that chilli powder, the cumin.

This is bursting -

bursting with flavour.

I'm going to cover the dough
and leave to prove again

whilst I get on with my glaze

for which I need an egg yolk,

half a teaspoon of ground turmeric

and a tablespoon of whole milk.

I'm using spice for colour
and flavour here.

This is going to create
a beautiful, vibrant, yellow glaze.

Just going to brush that over
really gently,

and using turmeric as paint.

Baking feels like an art form to me.

And what better art
than the kind that you can eat?

Then my delightful dough
just needs to bake.

Gold and beautiful loaf.

Look at it. You can smell it!

Look at the specks.
Little flecks of chilli powder.

And then that shiny turmeric crust.

Let's get eating!

# Cool down the pace... #

Is there anything more joyous
than a loaf of bread?

# Please cool down the pace... #

My cheese and chilli bread
isn't just a delight to make -

it's divine to eat too.

And that just takes that simple loaf
of bread to a whole other level.

And that's what spices do.

All you can smell is that
beautiful, earthy, cumin.

And then you go in
and there's that chilli

and you're like, there
is no bread like it. Mm!

While I'm working
with eight simple spices,

I know there's a whole world
more out there.

So in this series, I'll be
sharing the favourite spices

of amazing cooks
from around the country.

And for food writer Yasmin Khan,

feel-good food means connecting
to the cooking of her heritage.

I was born in London,
but my mum's side of the family

are from the north of Iran,

and I was lucky enough to spend
many family holidays there as a kid.

And just one evocative spice
can transport Yasmin back

to those sun-filled summers.

There's something about
the delicate scent of saffron

that feels
so comforting and nourishing.

The smell of it
and the way we prepare it

just takes me back to Iran.

So I'm going to cook a dish called
aloo mosama, which is a sumptuous,

saffron-infused chicken stew

with apricots and prunes.

I'm going to start with chopping
the onions, and we really want

to cook them until they're
completely caramelised.

Saffron is a spice that comes
from the crocus, of a flower.

It's a very special and precious
spice, famously known as being

one of the most expensive
in the world.

Saffron is a staple
in Iranian cooking.

I'm just going to take about
a quarter of a tablespoon.

You don't need a lot.

Saffron imparts this gorgeous,
kind of heady, earthy,

slightly citrussy flavour to dishes.

You want to grind it.

And in Iran, we often use
a pinch of sugar to do that.

We grind it so we can maximise
the amount of flavour

we get from the saffron.

The reason why saffron is quite
expensive is that the harvest

is very, very short,
just three weeks,

and each crocus has to be
hand-picked early in the morning

because if the sun gets to it,
it kind of damages the flowers.

So I'm just going to add
a little bit of hot water.

This is the technique
we always use in Iranian cooking.

It's too special a spice
to just whack it in the pan.

It's such a gorgeous colour,
isn't it?

So vivid and bright.

This beautiful orange elixir that
just makes your food taste amazing.

So, now I'm going to move
on to my other spices.

So, I've got some coriander
seeds and some cumin seeds.

So, then we're going to also
add some cinnamon and turmeric.

Iranian cooking uses
so many dried fruits.

Just going to fry those lightly.

The fruit will start to plump up.

My family are farmers,

small-scale farmers,

and I think that that is what really
instilled in me such a reverence

for good food, good produce
and the power of a good meal.

Now we're going to add
the prized ingredient -

the saffron.

It's a very volatile spice

and that means that
if it cooks for too long,

its flavour evaporates.

Yasmin's Iranian chicken stew

really shows the difference
one spice can make.

It's all done.

Just look at the colour of that.

It looks so rich.

When I make this dish,
I feel grounded and reassured

and I just want to dive right in.

Just like Yasmin, my next recipe
really lets a single spice shine.

Every culture has its soothing soup

and this turmeric-infused broth
never fails to make me feel good.

# In the summertime
when the weather is hot... #

Brimming with succulent seafood
and gleaming greens,

this beautiful
turmeric-infused bowl

will leave you feeling rejuvenated.

I am making my revival fish broth.

And, you know what?
The clue is in the name.

It's fresh, it's bright, it's zingy.

This time, turmeric's
taking a leading role.

But first, a short-cut
to a great base flavour

with two tablespoons
of shrimp paste.

Shrimp paste is fermented,

and this stuff is pungent.

It's strong. I'm not joking!

I do take a moment
before I open the jar,

but don't let it put you off because
it becomes a beautiful aroma.

Whack that straight in there.

Loud and proud.

If you're going to have flavour,
have it properly.

Then add some water to the pan
to break the paste down.

Add a teaspoon of salt,

then give it a good mix.

This recipe is very much inspired
by a traditional recipe

that my mum cooks,
that my nan used to cook.

And the spice element
couldn't be less complicated.

For this broth,
I'm only - only - using turmeric.

That's it.
It doesn't need anything else.

It's smoky, it's earthy -

half a teaspoon should do the trick.

You've just got to get
that balance right.

Too much and it can
taste really medicinal.

Too little and you
can't really taste it.

Next, I'm going large on garlic -

six cloves, to be precise.

If the shrimp paste wasn't waking
you up, the garlic certainly will.

This is supposed to
make you feel good.

My grandad loved garlic so much
he could just chew it

and he did live to
the ripe age of 90.

I like to grate my garlic in
for maximum flavour.

Then for freshness,
I want a scotch bonnet.

I'm just going to
pierce it all over.

As it kind of boils away
in the broth

it will release some of
that intense, spicy flavour,

but with control.

Then for another
fast track to flavour,

four tablespoons of fish sauce.

It just kind of ramps everything up.

It works so well

with the shrimp paste
and scotch bonnet and the garlic.

For zing, in goes an onion

and three lime leaves,

both thinly sliced.

Then it's time to pour in some
water, get the broth bubbling,

and add some nourishing greens.

Every culture has
its own feel-good soup.

There's chicken soup, like
Jewish penicillin, they call it.

And you've got congee.

You know, there are
so many variations,

and this is ours.

This is the one that makes me
think about my mum.

This is the kind of thing
that we would eat if we were sick.

Somehow, she always knew
that we needed it.

Traditionally, my family always
made this broth with fish

but today I'm pushing the boat out

by switching in 300g
of raw tiger prawns.

So there's two things I look out
for when I'm cooking prawns -

when they go from grey to go into

that beautiful kind of
pinky, orangey hue,

and then also when they're cooked,
they come out C-shaped.

When the prawns are done,
off goes the heat.

And for a final flourish,
some fresh dill.

And it's that simple.

Glorious!

Looks beautiful.

It's singing, it's dancing.

Everything just works
so well together.

And to think there is literally
only one spice in it.

Turmeric is the star of the show
in my bowl of goodness,

which is so simple and so soothing.

Just look at that.

It's fresh, it's vibrant,
it's green.

You can really smell the turmeric
and the lime leaves.

Can really get that shrimp paste.

Everybody is in need of
some love and some sustenance,

and everything about this
makes me feel good.

Next, a modern, spice-infused twist
on a much-loved classic.

Cheesecake.

Just saying the word
makes me feel good!

And this is one extravaganza
of a cheesecake.

# All you have to do is

# Just give yourself
the green light... #

When it comes to sweet and spicy,
my cinnamon-infused decadent dessert

is packed with flavour.

# Just give yourself the green... #

I'm going to show you guys
how to make badam cheesecake.

It's a nutty cheesecake.
It's delicious.

We've stopped calling it
badam cheesecake

and we call it
"ba-damn!" cheesecake.

It is THAT good.

And I'm changing it up by adding
a layer of crispy filo

to my cheesecake, as a bonus
to the usual biscuity base.

I was going through this phase
where I was making a lot of baklava

and I thought, "Well, that
would taste really good

"with a cheesecake."

So I need 100g of melted
unsalted butter,

which I want to flavour up first
with the zest of an orange.

When it hits that warm butter,

it kind of releases that
really distinct orange flavour.

Now it's time for my first spice.

Now, cinnamon sits in
my spice box as a whole spice.

But...grind it up,

it gives it a whole other dimension.

And I love cinnamon
in savoury cooking

but cinnamon is also known
quite a lot for sweet bakes.

Brush the inside of a springform tin
with the orange and cinnamon butter.

You get that injection of flavour
very quickly,

like, with very little.

I think that is what makes
spices really special.

Then place a sheet of filo
into the tin

and brush all over
with the spicy butter.

Continue adding sheets and buttering

until the sides
are completely covered.

And the trick really is just to
make sure you've got a little bit

of overhang
and you don't have any gaps

because we need that cheesecake
filling to stay inside.

Now for my base, which starts with

225g of roughly broken
digestive biscuits.

And this is where it
gets interesting.

Now it's time for our badam.

Badam just means nuts.

If I'm going to make a dessert
that is really special,

really luxurious, something that's
going to make you feel real good,

it's going to have to be pistachios

because I think they are
the best of the nuts.

So, mix 100g of pistachios with
the digestives to a fine crumb.

Add a pinch of salt and
110g of melted butter,

then mix until it's
the texture of wet sand

and spoon it into the tin.

Really kind of tightly pack
that biscuit base.

It will bake all as one.

Now for a short spell in the oven
whilst I get on with the filling...

..kicking off with 900g
of full-fat cream cheese.

If you bake with the
low-fat stuff, don't even try it,

because you just get
a watery, weird cheesecake

and nobody wants weird cheesecake.

Then add 200g of caster
sugar and combine...

..before adding
150ml of sour cream...

..three tablespoons
of plain flour...

..plus three eggs

and mix well...

..before adding half a teaspoon
of rose extract.

A little bit goes
a very, very long way.

And now for the best bit.

I'm going to add

rose petals.

If they're organic,
they're perfectly OK to eat.

So, just one rose.

I am THAT girl. I'm like,
gimme roses, buy me roses,

but I will bake with them!

They are not going to go in a vase!

And then we're just going
to mix it in.

Like, how can that not
make you happy?!

That is going to just scent
that cheesecake

and it's going to add some colour.

And that's the filling done,

ready to go into the cinnamon
pastry case and bake again...

..before leaving it in the oven
to cool with the door wedged open

while I make a fragrant spiced syrup

using the juice from
the orange I zested earlier

topped up with 100ml of water,

200g of caster sugar...

..and, of course, I'm not going to
miss out on a spicing opportunity!

Cardamom is one of my favourites

because it is one
of the most versatile.

Cardamom pods are like
little pocket rockets,

so if I were to throw
that into the syrup,

just as is, with the cardamom pods
still inside their green husks,

then you would get a tiny
hint of cardamom flavour.

But I don't want that -
I want full intensity.

Smash 'em up and
just remove those husks.

Just those few seeds are going
to add so much flavour.

Then crush them right down.

That's less than half a teaspoon
and that is enough.

Boil, then turn down
the heat to simmer

until it's reduced
in volume by half.

And what we've got
is this delicious, zesty,

cardamom-infused syrup that is going
to bring that filo pastry to life

and wake that cinnamon up.

Pour it...

..into the sides.

It's gone from crunchy-cinnamony

to sweet and sticky.

Doesn't it just look
almost too good to eat?

But that never stopped me!

This epic bake
encased in golden pastry,

doused in a sweetly spiced syrup,

is the cheesecake
to end all cheesecakes.

# I really oughta thank you, girl
but I don't think I can

# Someone oughta write
a song about you, baby... #

If that doesn't make you feel good,
I don't know what else does.

I'm going to add
some more layers of flavour.

Rose syrup and some cream.

That beautiful, scented,
sweet cinnamon in the filo

and then you've got that
biscuity, nutty pistachio base,

and then you've got that syrup
laced with cardamom and the orange -

this is everything that makes
you feel good in one place.

Next time, takeaways get
a run for their money...

It's like a jalfrezi,
but not, because it's better.

..from classics with
a spicy twist...

That cumin is dancing in your mouth!

..and the coolest of desserts.

Look at that. That is beautiful!

Oh, my goodness.