After 18 months travelling, the cupboard was completely bare. In an effort to start as I mean to go on, I have only been buying items ‘as needed’. Slowly though, the desire to have just the right spice or herb, noodle or sauce has worn me down and it all came to a head when I wanted to cook a curry to take to the Barossa Valley next week.
Not content to to buy my dried chillis in the supermarket, unable to even get Amchur in the supermarket and certainly unwilling to pay supermarket prices for miniscule quantities, a trip to the Balaclava St delis was in order. Great name for a street huh?
We picked up our new car yesterday and the dealer was conveniently located in the Gabba. So, whilst Anthony sat in the car in the pouring rain, poring over his instruction manuals, I spent a therapeutic 40 minutes wandering around All India Foods. Not content with a visit to the subcontinent, I followed it up with a quick trip to Europe and South America at Pennisi’s Continental Deli, surely one of the best and longest standing delis in Brisbane. They have a great range as both companies import directly and in the case of All India, they also manufacture
Many, many packets of herbs and spices and nearly $70 later, I had my haul and have started using it already.
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| Some of the haul… |
Best Buys: Pennisi has Lebanese Zaa’tar in large 500g bags for $6.50 and huge 700g tins of Quince Paste for $6.95. These will keep in the fridge for over a year, even after opening, if stored in an airtight container. A damn sight cheaper than Maggie Beer.
All India has everything you could possibly want or dream of in the way of spices and condiments but standouts are the excellent quality Cumin (which I use by the bucket load) and the 200g bags of Turkish Sumac for only $3.
All India Foods
31 Balaclava St
Woolloongabba
(07) 3391 4473
Pennisi Distributors
17 Balaclava St
Woolloongabba
(07) 3891 7639
I haven't visited the delis in Balaclava St for a little while now. All India Foods is fantastic value for money.