Egg Bhurji with Berkswell & Shallots

For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.

Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.

Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Use the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.

Use the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.

Use only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.

Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.

Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Use the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.

Use the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.

Use 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Delivers rich dairy flavour without the milk solids or moisture; watch the heat as it cooks hotter.

Use equal weight, but reduce the recipe's added salt by approximately 1.5% of the weight of butter used.

Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Fry 1 bay leaf for every 5 curry leaves in hot oil; imparts a warm, woodsy background note, but misses the citrus-sulphury punch entirely.

Add a small squeeze (about 5 ml per sprig of curry leaves) right before serving; provides sharp citrus top notes without the toasty, herbal aroma.

Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Use the same weight; toast or dry it first to firm it up, but it will lack the sour tang and chewy crust.

Use the same weight; it is softer and less sour, so reduce any liquid slightly if the bread is soaking in the dish.

Use the same weight; choose the firmest loaf available and toast it for more structure.

Use the same weight, cut into thin strips and render gently; it is meatier and less salty, so reduce added salt and cook 5–10 minutes longer.

For barding or finishing, use 80% of the weight melted; it gives richness but no cured pork flavour, so add a pinch of salt.

Use the same weight, grated. Sharper and melts more readily; good in cooked dishes but less nutty.

Use the same weight, grated. Generic hard cheese; melt gently and adjust salt, as it may be saltier.

Use the same weight, grated. Melts very smoothly but softer and milder; reduce other salt.

Use the same weight; it is the closest young coriander. Add at the end so it keeps its fresh flavour.

Use 60–70% of the weight; mature leaf is stronger. Chop finely and stir in at the end.

Use the same weight; it is slightly peppery. Add just before serving.

Use equal weight, finely chopped. Red onion matches the pungency best, though it takes slightly longer to brown and lacks shallots' subtle sweetness.

Use 20% garlic combined with 80% onion by weight; finely slice to replicate the sharp, sweet aromatic profile.

Use 70% of the weight, make up the rest with water, and add a little granulated sugar if the liquor was sweet. Sharper and thinner.

Use at 70% of the weight with water. Milder and fruitier than pickling liquor.

Use at 60% of the weight with water; stronger and maltier, so reduce any other vinegar in the dish.