Rafi's Spicebox

Before coming to live in England I’d never tried Indian food in my life and for quite a while I didn’t dare to eat anything else than mild kormas fearing that all the other recipes were too spicy for my delicate Italian stomach. Then some Indian friends introduce me to REAL Indian food and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately I am not too keen on takeaways and our visits to Indian restaurants can become very expensive, given the quantity of food than my husband and son can consume. This was before discovering Rafi's Spicebox.

This isn't your usual kind of take-away. Rafi's Spicebox is a family run Asian delicatessen specialising in hand blended curry mixes. The first Spicebox in Sudbury was originally set up in 1989, by Rafi Fernandez, who after spending many years teaching Indian cooking wanted to supply people with the necessary exotic spices and ingredients that were hard to find. The shop soon evolved and today has become an institution. With 28 different curry mixes to choose from, you just need to add meat and vegetables and you have an authentic curry at home within minutes! The packs are made while you wait to your own specification and the expert staff are on hand to offer advice, recommendations and serving suggestions. The York store, which opened in 2004, is only the second Rafi's Spicebox in the UK. The shop also sells other Asian deli products, and is always popular with locals and visitors.

I've tried several dishes - the 'Ma's Paretal' above is amazing and a little bit different from your usual korma, tikka, balti, jalfrezi, etc. You can also order online on their website www.spicebox.co.uk. Just choose how hot you want the curry to be and P&P is charged per pack. For the cost of the spice pack plus other ingredients you can easily feed 4 people for under a tenner. Highly recommended.