Spicy lunch ideas: a pinch closer to perfection

These days, with sumac and Sichuan pepper stocked in many supermarkets (and readily available online) we take the dried chilli on our avocado toast and the freshly cracked black pepper in our carbonara for granted. But it wasn’t always this way: the power of what we might now think of as everyday spices to lift dishes to new heights made them worthy of treasure status not so long ago.

Now they are no longer mainly the preserve of the rich. Our palates have become accustomed to spicy and exotic additions and we expect the deep, often complex flavour that spices provide whatever meal we’re eating. We’re not just talking about curries here: a BLT can be transformed from bland to brilliant with the simple addition of a generous pinch of black pepper in the mayonnaise, and tired toast is given a new twist when sprinkled with cinnamon.

In light of the pressures on farmers, increased failed crops and adulteration, Kew Gardens is hosting a Spices festival this summer to draw attention to their inherent value both economically and culturally. In support of this,. this week we celebrate all that is spicy with ways to jazz up your packed lunches unexpectedly.

Spices bind to fat, so one of the best ways to use them is in dressings or oil-based sauces, such as harissa. Make a batch by blending 2 roasted peeled red peppers, 4 roasted peeled red chillies, 3 garlic cloves, a big pinch of sea salt, 1 tsp ground cumin seeds, 1 tsp ground caraway seeds and ½ tsp smoked paprika. Add 5 tbsp olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste. Dollop on to a mix of chopped veg and drained tinned chickpeas and roast until tender. Spoon over couscous and add some salad leaves to complete your lunchbox (or Tupperware/old takeaway container).

Chilli oil is quick and easy to make: add 1 sliced garlic clove to a pan with 1 level tsp chilli flakes, 5 black peppercorns and 3 tbsp vegetable oil. Cook until the chilli has infused the oil, leave to cool and decant into a small sterilised jar. Drizzle into soups or over salads for a spicy hit.

Sichuan pepper is brilliant for pepping up a simple broth. Dry-fry lean pork mince in a nonstick pan with 10 sichuan peppercorns and 25mm of grated ginger until it’s browned and crisp. Drain any fat, decant a portion into a Tupperware container and leave to cool. Make your soup at lunchtime by combining the pork, a portion of dried noodles, chopped greens and the juice of a quarter of a lime (throw in the lime too) in a heatproof bowl and topping with boiled water.

Garlic and cumin chicken wraps: upgrade your leftover chicken sandwiches or wraps by sprinkling some cumin over the chicken and rubbing half a garlic clove over the bread. Add some mayonnaise to taste.

Make a batch of sweet and spicy potato falafel and enjoy for a few days in pitta, salads, or simply dunked in yoghurt: peel and boil a large sweet potato then mash. Add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, 1 tbsp gram flour, 1 tsp cumin, chopped fresh coriander stalks, then mix well and form into little balls. Brush with a beaten egg, then sprinkle with sesame seeds if you wish, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden in parts.

• Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing are authors of The Little Book of Lunch (Square Peg)