Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use Spice Pots?

You can use Spice Pots in a number of ways:

To make a simple curry:

• Cook onions, ginger and garlic in a little oil
• Add 2 tsps of Spice Pots spices per person, then add tomatoes, coconut milk or stock
• Add meat, fish, vegetables or pulses
• Enjoy a delicious, healthy curry with family or friends!
• See our recipes page for loads of inspiration

To make a simple marinade: Add to yoghurt with to make a marinade for chicken or prawns for the BBQ.

To season: we have recipes for soups and salads, samosas and pakoras, and lots more.  Spice Pots are very handy to have in your cupboard!

We have around 100 free recipes on our site as well as a cookbook and vegetarian cookbook.   Our aim is to make the recipes very simple and easy to follow. Most of our recipes are one-pot meals!

What is the serving size of each Spice Pot / how much do you use?

There are 8 servings (16 teaspoons) in each pot based on approximately 2 teaspoons per person for curries, but less for marinades and seasoning.  All our recipes detail exactly how much to use. If you were making a curry for 8, you would use the whole pot.

Shelf Life - How long do they keep for?

The spices will never do you any harm but they will deplete in flavor over time.  When produced, there is an 18 month shelf life on all our blends but you can use them safely for as long after opening as you wish.

Where do you buy your spices from?

The spices are sourced from around the world by our supplier, who then blends the spices according to the recipes devised by Melanie, the owner of the company.  Our curry powders are completely bespoke and unique to Spice Pots.

What’s the difference between the blends?

All our blends have a different flavor and a different heat.    They can all be used to make curry, to season salads and soups, as a rub on meat, and added to yoghurt and make a marinade.  See our recipes page for ideas.

Korma Spice Mix - Mild but there is a hint of warmth from the chilli. This blend is full of flavour and is very versatile.  Use with yoghurt, coconut milk, tomatoes or stock. Delicious with chicken, prawns, vegetables and pulses. We suggest adding fresh chillies to the recipe if you like more heat in your Indian food. Ingredients:  coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, cinnamon, fenugreek, cloves, black pepper and cardamom

Bhuna Spice Mix - Medium in heat and very flavorsome.  This blend only contains 6 spices so is the simplest blend.  As this curry powder has a strong flavor, when using with vegetables or pulses, we recommend using less of the blend than when using with meat.    This makes a very easy and very delicious Lamb Bhuna, the original recipe for this blend or make a Chicken Bhuna.  Ingredients: coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, fennel, fenugreek, chilli.  

Goan Spice Mix - Spicy and complex!  This curry powder contains 10 different spices including quite a bit of chilli powder!  However, it is also full of flavour so even if you are not a fan of hot curry, you can just use less of the blend and you will get the lovely flavour without the heat.   This is a very versatile blend and pairs beautifully with fish, meat, vegetables or pulses. This blend and the Goan Fish Curry Recipe won us an award.  Ingredients: coriander, cumin, chilli, fennel, cloves, turmeric, black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon, cardamom

Tandoori Masala Spice Mix- medium and tangy.  This blend contains 11 ingredients including garlic and ginger powder. It works beautifully as a marinade when added to yoghurt or to make our healthy version of a Chicken Tikka Masala or a Cauliflower Tikka Masala.   Use with tomatoes, coconut milk or stock.  Ingredients: coriander, cumin, chilli powder, black pepper, cinnamon, fenugreek, cardamom, cloves, ginger powder, garlic powder and nutmeg.

Sweet Blend - a delightful combination of fragrant spices for flavoring desserts, baking, porridge or  granola. A little taste of Christmas all year long! If you love cinnamon, you will love this blend.   Ingredients: coriander, cinnamon, fennel, ginger, caraway, cloves, nutmeg, all spice

Do your blends contain nuts?

Our blends do not contain nuts but please see the detailed information below which explains how the ingredients are handled at the place of manufacture.  The information displayed refers to our Bhuna curry spice which contains the allergen Mustard Seeds. All our other spice blends contain no allergens.  

 

Are Spice Pots GM Free?

Yes, Spice Pots are GM Free.

Are Spice Pots suitable for vegans?

Yes, Spice Pots are suitable for vegans

Are Spice Pots gluten free?

Yes, Spice Pots are gluten free

 

Why are all your recipes for 4 to 6 people?

Spice Pots were devised as a shortcut for a busy Mum of 3.  Batch cooking is always a great way to save time. It doesn’t take much longer to make a curry for 6 people rather than 2, therefore we suggest you make larger batch and freeze the leftovers for another meal to make mid-week meals easy!

Can Spice Pots recipes be made in a slow cooker?

Yes. Spice Pots recipes work well in the slow cooker.   As a general rule, most meat and combinations require at least 7 hours on LOW.   When cooking meat and root vegetable combinations, always place the vegetables at the bottom of the pot as they take longer to cook.    When cooking on HIGH setting, it will cook similarly to a covered pot on a stove. Foods on HIGH will cook in approximately half the cooking time required when cooking on LOW setting.

See our blog post here on getting the most out of your slow cooker.  

To adapt any recipe to use in a slow cooker, see general information below.

If recipe time is:	Cook on LOW	Cook on HIGH
30 minutes	6-8 hours	3-4 hours
35-60 minutes	8-10 hours	5-6 hours
1-3 hours	10-12 hours	7-8 hours

Are Spice Pots a franchise?

No. Spice Pots is not part of a franchise

Why is your postage £2.50?

Our postage is £2.50 because our pots will not fit through the letter box, even if you only buy 1 pot as the package is considered a parcel.  

Is your packaging recyclable? 

Yes. our packaging is recyclable.  We are delighted to say that we have now (almost) completely phased out plastic in our packaging and when sending out orders.   Our tins are made from steel and are infinitely recyclable.   All our postage materials are recyclable. However, if we receive a delivery with bubble wrap or other plastic materials, we will re-use it.   Our refills are in compostable bags with compostable labels.

Do you have a shop?

No, we don’t have a shop however you can pop in and see us anytime!  It’s best to call first in case we are all out at meetings.

Please contact us if you have any queries about our products or our recipes.  We love hearing from our customers!   Email: info@spicepots.com