What would Indian food be without masala? Bland and boring! Getting the right balance and making a masala (Hindi for spice mixes and pastes) that enhances the main ingredients of a dish, is an art that Indian cooks have perfected over centuries. It's an art you can learn!

Making your masala ahead of time means you will save time when you want to put together a dish quickly. All you need is a clean, dry coffee grinder! Make sure to store the prepared masalas well in clean, dry, air-tight containers and they'll taste good for a fairly long time. I like to consume each batch of masala within 8 weeks of preparing it. That way, all the ingredients are still potent a and fresh-tasting.

• Paav Bhaaji Masala
• Bafad Masala
• Paanch Phoran

_{Image © Photographer: Harrison Eastwood/ Getty Images}

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_{© Photographer: Sasha Davas; Agency: Dreamstime.com}

I was at a friend's place for tea this afternoon and among other things, she served a platter of prettily cut veggies with some yummy dips. Instead of satisfying me, it only made me want more.. dips I mean!

So, I have decided, that being Friday night and the eve of the weekend (which is a big event in our home), I will not cook dinner! I will just do a number of Indian dips with different 'chips'.

If you're thinking 'What? Indian dips?", consider this - through its history, conquest and colonisation meant India was subject to numerous different cultural influences. The beauty of the Indian way of life remains in the way it holds its own, yet effortlessly absorbs from these foreign cultures to create something unique and entirely Indian!

In food alone, the Mughal rule in India resulted in Mughlai cuisine, the Persians gave us Parsi fare, the Portuguese left behind what we know and love as Goan food and the product of the British Raj was the Anglo-Indian style of cooking.

And so it is with Chip and Dip! If you thought that was as far from Indian as it gets, think again. Treat yourself with these seriously yummy and very Indian tasting snacks as you settle down to that long-awaited movie or game in front of the TV at home. Even better, wow friends the next time they are over with creative and out-of-the-ordinary munchies. You won't believe how simple some of these are!

_{© Photographer: Rebecca Picard; Agency: Dreamstime.com}

I have to admit, most times I am not the most organized person in the world! The occasions when I have planned my meals for an entire week in advance and then actually stuck to that plan, can be counted on the fingers of one hand! I like to 'go with the flow'. So, come 5 pm, you will find me standing in front of my fridge or pantry cupboard thinking, "What to cook for dinner?"

Sometimes I am led by my desire to eat something specific, other times my family will request a particular dish but most often, it is the contents of said fridge or pantry that will dictate what we have for dinner.

The other day, it was chickpeas. Not only did I feel the urge to cook and eat some, I also had several cans in the cupboard! Since there is a lot you can do with chickpeas, I definitely wasn't struggling for ideas. The fairly neutral taste of chickpeas means it goes well with a lot of things. Here are a few ideas...

• Chole (pictured above)
• Sookha Kala Chana
• Chatpata Chana Raita
• Chatpata Chana Dip
• Chaat

In case you are wondering, I cooked Chole that night and served it with freshly made Bhatura. Yummmm...

_{Image © 2009 Petrina Verma Sarkar, Licensed to About.com}