Chillies
The wide variety of chilli pepper seeds available means that everyone can find one to suit their tastes - from mildy spicy to mind-blowingly hot! Chillies are very ornamental plants, too, and will do well in a container in a sunny spot on your patio. Chillies do need a long, hot summer to ripen well though - So start the seeds off indoors in February or March, and only put them outside once all risk of frost has passed.
If you've got a greenhouse then they will be grateful for the extra warmth and reward you with earlier, larger crops. If you don't want to mess around with seeds then you can buy a plant from the garden center, although the choice of varieties will be limited.
Onions
An essential ingredient in Indian food, onions are most easily grown from sets. Main crop onions are planted out in early spring and crop in late summer. You can get an earlier crop if you plant overwintering onions in autumn - they will be ready to eat in June or July, and make use of space which might otherwise be left bare during the winter.
Garlic
Garlic is easily grown, simply pop a few cloves into the soil in late autumn and they will happily brave the cold. If you miss the boat or have very wet winters, there are varieties that can be planted out in spring.
Tomatoes
Many Indian sauces are tomato based and there are tomato varieties to suit every garden, from chilly to sun-baked. Plants are raised from seed in a similar manner to chillies, and again plants will be available from the garden center. Bush and trailing varieties make good use of small spaces, and don't need to have their side-shoots removed.
Chickpeas
Make your own chana masala by growing chickpeas! They're actually no harder to grow than French or runner (bush or pole) beans. Pre-germinate seeds by soaking in water overnight and then draining. Rinse the seeds everyday until they begin to sprout. Plant them out after the risk of frost has passed and protect from slugs in the early stages. If you have trouble finding a seed supplier, check out the health food store as chickpeas are often sold for sprouting.
Coriander
Coriander (or cilantro) can be grown for its leaves or its seeds, both of which are used for flavoring Indian food. Coriander tends to bolt (run to seed) quickly, and although there are varieties bred for leaf production it is still advisable to sow seeds every couple of weeks if you want a continuous supply of leaves. When plants bolt, leave them to form seeds and you can make your own ground coriander too. If you have the space, you could incorporate a special coriander patch in your garden, and allow the plants to self-seed.
Cumin
Cumin is another spice that is easily grown from seed. Sow outside when the soil is warm. Close planting allows the plants to support each other when the seed heads are forming.
Fenugreek
Another annual plant, and easy to grow from seed, fenugreek has several uses. The young green shoots can be added to salads and the ground seeds are used in curry powder. Whole seeds can be used in pickles and chutneys.
Mint
Most people aren't lucky enough to have a suitable climate for growing a mango tree in their garden, so home-grown mango chutney isn't an option. However, you can easily grow mint and make your own raitas. Mint can be grown from seed, but plants are perennial and don't need to be replaced every year so it's easier to buy a couple of plants from the garden center. Mints are invasive plants, so keep them under control in pots. Harvest the leaves regularly so that fresh shoots are constantly produced, and divide and re-pot the plants every couple of years.
