I used to make my own Indian food. About 25 years ago I’d often spend the whole of Saturday roasting and grinding my own spices and slavishly following six or seven recipes to whip up a banquet for small groups of friends. My banana raita was famous throughout the North West. Well, throughout a small corner of Heald Green. It was a chore though, all that grinding, mixing, chopping, searing, and simmering. And let’s face it, with supermarket shelves crammed with endless jars and cans of delicious Indian sauces, curried ready-meals and cook-chill vindaloo with tricolour rice, there’s no need to do your own is there?

Probably not, if you can’t tell the difference between fresh cumin and that jar you’ve had in your cupboard for three years. Or if you’re not transported with delight by the smell of newly-chopped coriander leaves. But if you still think it’s all too much effort, here’s Anjum Anand to show you how easy it can be to spice up your (culinary) life.

And believe me, there IS a difference between those ready-made sauces, no matter how good they are, and a freshly-prepared Indian meal. One of our neighbours regularly concocts fresh Indian food and, quite simply, nothing comes close. Not even the dishes prepared by the award winning chefs along Manchester’s famous curry mile (many of which are not, in fact, prepared from the basic ingredients, because Indian cuisine doesn’t fit with the fast food ethos) can compare with home-cooked balti, vegetable samosas and lamb pasanda.

So if you love Indian food and you love home cooking and entertaining, but you thought the two could never be combined, this might be one cookery programme you won’t want to miss.

Indian Food Made Easy: BBC Two, Monday 9 July, 8.30pm