Spice It Up: 5 Recipes to Cook at Home

Spice It Up: 5 Recipes to Cook at Home

A great spice collection doesn't just sit on the shelf looking pretty. It gets used. It gets pulled out on a Sunday afternoon when you decide to do something special for dinner. It transforms a simple chicken into something the whole table talks about. It turns a weeknight into a moment.

The Jolafunbs 24 Spice & Herb Collection Gourmet Gift Set includes 24 carefully curated herbs, spices, seasoning blends, and BBQ rubs — from everyday kitchen heroes like paprika, turmeric, and oregano to speciality blends like BBQ Spice Rub, Short Rib Rub, Lemon Pepper, and Chilli Lime Seasoning. Below, we've built five delicious recipes around exactly what's inside the tin — dishes that are well-loved, deeply satisfying, and genuinely achievable at home.

Each recipe lists the exact spices from the set you'll need, so there's no guessing. Just open your collection, follow the steps, and enjoy.

🍛 Recipe 1: Classic Chicken Tikka Masala

Rich, warming, and utterly satisfying — chicken tikka masala is one of the most beloved dishes you can make at home. With the right spice base, the sauce has that signature depth and colour that makes it taste like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Your Jolafunbs set has everything you need.

Spices from your Jolafunbs set:

  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • ½ tsp Chilli Flakes (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp Coriander
  • 3 pods Green Cardamom, lightly crushed
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • Himalayan Salt and Black Peppercorns to taste

What else you'll need (serves 4):

  • 700g chicken breast, cut into chunks
  • 150g natural yoghurt
  • 400ml coconut milk or double cream
  • 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
  • Rice or naan bread to serve

Method:

  1. Combine the yoghurt with turmeric, ginger, paprika, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and half the chilli flakes in a bowl. Add the chicken, coat thoroughly, and marinate for at least 30 minutes — or overnight in the fridge for the best results.
  2. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, leaving space between pieces, until charred at the edges — about 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside.
  3. In the same pan, fry the onion over medium heat until deep golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  4. Add the curry powder, remaining chilli flakes, and tomato purée. Stir for 2 minutes until the paste is fragrant and darkened slightly.
  5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
  6. Return the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently for a further 10 minutes.
  7. Serve over steamed rice or with warm naan bread.

💡 Pro tip: The longer the chicken marinates, the deeper the flavour. Even 30 minutes makes a significant difference — but if you can leave it overnight, do. The yoghurt tenderises the meat beautifully.

🥩 Recipe 2: Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs

Low, slow, and finished with a sticky glaze — these ribs are the kind of thing that makes everyone go quiet at the dinner table because they're too busy eating to speak. The Short Rib Rub and BBQ Spice Rub in your Jolafunbs set were made for exactly this.

Spices from your Jolafunbs set:

  • 2 tbsp BBQ Spice Rub
  • 2 tbsp Short Rib Rub
  • 1 tsp Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Peppercorns, freshly ground

What else you'll need (serves 4):

  • 1.5kg pork baby back ribs
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar or apple juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

  1. Combine the BBQ Spice Rub, Short Rib Rub, Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt, and black pepper. Rub generously all over the ribs, pressing firmly into the meat on all sides.
  2. Wrap the ribs tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan. Place foil-wrapped ribs on a baking tray and cook for 2 hours until the meat is tender and beginning to pull away from the bones.
  4. While the ribs cook, stir together the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and olive oil to make the glaze.
  5. Remove the ribs from the foil and brush generously with the glaze on all sides.
  6. Increase oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Return ribs to the oven uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, basting once more halfway through, until sticky and deeply caramelised.
  7. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with chips, coleslaw, or a simple green salad.

💡 Pro tip: The low-and-slow oven cook is what makes ribs fall-off-the-bone tender. Don't be tempted to rush it — 2 hours at a low temperature does far more for the texture than any amount of high heat. The glaze is just the finishing touch.

🍗 Recipe 3: Garlic & Herb Roast Chicken

There are few things more satisfying than a properly seasoned roast chicken — golden skin, herb-scented butter melting into the meat, and a tray full of crispy potatoes soaking up every last drop of the cooking juices. The herb blend in the Jolafunbs set is perfectly suited to this.

Spices from your Jolafunbs set:

  • 1 tbsp Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 1 tsp Rosemary
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • Himalayan Salt and Black Peppercorns to taste

What else you'll need (serves 4–6):

  • 1 whole chicken, approx 1.5 to 1.8kg
  • 50g butter, softened
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 whole garlic bulb, halved crosswise
  • 500g baby potatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan.
  2. Mix softened butter with the Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and oregano until well combined.
  3. Carefully loosen the skin over the chicken breast using your fingers, creating a pocket. Push half the herb butter underneath the skin and spread it across the breast. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken.
  4. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves and garlic bulb. Season all over generously with Himalayan Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin. Toss the potatoes in olive oil, season with salt, and scatter around the chicken.
  6. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, basting the chicken and potatoes with the pan juices halfway through. The chicken is ready when the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced.
  7. Rest for 15 minutes before carving. The potatoes will have absorbed all the herby, garlicky juices from the tin.

💡 Pro tip: Pushing the butter under the skin rather than just rubbing it on top keeps the breast meat incredibly moist throughout roasting and infuses the herb flavour directly into the meat. This one step makes a significant difference to the finished result.

🍝 Recipe 4: Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Warming, velvety, and deeply comforting — a well-made butternut squash soup is one of the great pleasures of the kitchen. The combination of ginger, turmeric, nutmeg, and a hint of cinnamon gives this version a gentle warmth that builds beautifully with every spoonful. Perfect for any evening when you want something nourishing.

Spices from your Jolafunbs set:

  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
  • ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • ¼ to ½ tsp Chilli Flakes (to taste)
  • Himalayan Salt and Black Peppercorns to taste

What else you'll need (serves 4–6):

  • 1 large butternut squash, approx 1kg, peeled and cubed
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
  • 700ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Crusty bread to serve

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Toss the cubed squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, half the ginger, half the turmeric, and a generous pinch of Himalayan Salt. Spread on a baking tray and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and golden at the edges.
  2. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the remaining ginger, turmeric, curry powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and chilli flakes. Stir for 1 minute until the spices bloom and the kitchen smells incredible.
  4. Add the roasted squash to the pan. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and blend until completely smooth using a stick blender or in batches in a stand blender.
  6. Season generously with Himalayan Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little more stock if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  7. Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread, and a swirl of coconut milk on top if you'd like.

💡 Pro tip: Roasting the squash before adding it to the pot is the secret to a noticeably better soup. The roasting caramelises the natural sugars in the squash, giving the soup a deeper, richer, slightly sweeter flavour that you simply can't achieve by boiling it straight in the stock.

🐟 Recipe 5: Lemon Pepper Pan-Fried Salmon

Quick, elegant, and genuinely delicious — this is the kind of recipe that looks far more impressive than the effort involved. The Lemon Pepper and Chilli Lime Seasoning in the Jolafunbs set give the salmon a bright, zesty crust that pairs beautifully with the richness of the fish. On the table in under 15 minutes.

Spices from your Jolafunbs set:

  • 1 tsp Lemon Pepper
  • ½ tsp Chilli Lime Seasoning
  • ½ tsp Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp Parsley
  • A few cracks of Black Peppercorns

What else you'll need (serves 2):

  • 2 salmon fillets, skin-on, approx 150 to 180g each
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • Steamed vegetables, new potatoes, or a light salad to serve

Method:

  1. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with kitchen paper. This is the most important step — moisture is the enemy of a crispy skin.
  2. Mix together the Lemon Pepper, Chilli Lime Seasoning, Garlic Rosemary & Sea Salt, and parsley. Press this mixture firmly onto the flesh side (not the skin side) of each fillet.
  3. Heat oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering and hot.
  4. Place the salmon skin-side down in the pan. Press gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent the fillet from curling. Leave completely undisturbed for 4 minutes.
  5. Flip carefully using a spatula. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes depending on thickness — the salmon should be just opaque through the centre with a slight blush of pink remaining.
  6. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and add a final crack of black pepper. Scatter with a little extra parsley if you'd like.
  7. Serve immediately with steamed vegetables, new potatoes, or a fresh salad.

💡 Pro tip: The two non-negotiables for perfect pan-fried salmon are a completely dry fillet and a properly hot pan. A damp piece of fish in a warm pan will steam rather than sear — and you'll lose the crispy skin that makes this dish so satisfying. Get those two things right and the rest is easy.

🌶️ Your Spice Set, Your Kitchen

Five recipes. One collection. And these are just a starting point — your Jolafunbs 24 Spice & Herb Collection has 24 jars to explore, which means the recipes you can build from it are practically limitless. Use the mustard seeds in a potato dish. Bloom the cardamom in a rice pudding. Reach for the oregano and basil when you're making a pasta sauce on a Tuesday evening. The more you cook with it, the more natural it becomes.

Whether you're cooking for one, feeding a family, or hosting something special, a well-stocked spice collection is one of the most valuable things a kitchen can have — and at its price point, the Jolafunbs set is one of the best value ways to get there.

→ Get your Jolafunbs 24 Spice & Herb Collection Gourmet Gift Set here

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