Vij’s spice blends embody the years of wisdom, experience and expertise of Chef Vikram Vij. Vikram has perfected spice blending to an elevated art, distilling his experience, traditions and heritage of India into each exquisite formulation in partnership with Ghalley Holdings Ltd, a pioneer in sourcing the finest quality of natural certified ingredients and other materials.
The chef is the best person to know about ingredients that go into making a dish something special. Spices are integral to Indian cooking and transform the mundane to the spectacular. It takes years of experimentation with formulations and combinations of ingredients to concoct a blend with character to give each preparation its signature appeal.
Vijs offers a choice selection of blended spices in addition to pure ground spices. You have the signature Maharaja’s Masala, a unique barbeque spice blend tailored to give a royal experience. The garam masala blend is for every day use, just a pinch elevating a routine dish into something irresistible. The tangy masala blend adds zest and transforms snacks into yummy delights. The deggi mirch masala is for when you want richness of color and fiery taste. On the other hand, the korma masala exudes royal fine notes, a gentle pampering of your senses. Regardless of which masala blend you choose, what qualifies these is the purity of each ingredient that goes into the formulation. Vijs emphasizes strict lab tests to assure that ingredients contain highest levels of flavonoids and essential oils.
India is not alone in spice formulation. The Middle East, particularly Jordan, is known to use more than 30 different spices in one formulation. Drawing from global experiences, Chef Vikram decides the number of ingredients that go into each blend. Some go in raw. Others are toasted slightly to bring out and enhance flavor. The degree to which each individual spice is roasted is also a fine balancing art.
Proportion of each ingredient in relation to the others is what gives a formulation its distinct character. Like perfumery, spice blending involves use of spices to give base notes, middle body and high notes.
Then there are other considerations that go into the making of spices such as the intended purpose. For rich gravy dishes that use plenty of onions, nut paste and tomato paste spices are chosen to give some bite to what would otherwise be a bland dish even as some spices help exude a delicious, and irresistible aroma.
When you choose Vijs’s, you get spices that carry forward a rich heritage and spice formulations that embody the essence of haute cuisine.