UNABLE to find a takeaway to satisfy her tastebuds, it was back in 2007 that Newport native Rachel Masterman first began making her own curries.

Living in Bournemouth at the time, Mrs Masterman, 41, felt none of the curry houses on offer were hot enough and so took to the kitchen herself.

And it has been a craving that has never left her, with Mrs Masterman having fallen in love with the dish after visiting the Pasha Balti takeaway at Constance Street, Newport at the age of 19.

Armed with a recipe book from her Indian mother-in-law, Heather Pascoe, Mrs Masterman has been putting her own spin on curries ever since.

Encouraged by friends and family, and having devised a mouthwatering menu, these recipes proved the basis for Rachel’s Curry Kitchen – a takeaway which was set up at Newport Indoor Market in 2013.

From tuna curry to spice-infused kebabs, Mrs Masterman said that her mother-in-law was a key influence and that it was an honour to receive the recipe book.

She said: “My mother-in-law was happy for me to have the book. There are at least 30 recipes in there and some are quite unusual - I can still taste pork with burnt onions today.

“But, there are some lovely dishes and they used what ingredients they had. She used to be up until 3am as it took so long to prepare them.

“Before I started cooking curries, I had young children and you can’t really go out. So, we had dinner parties for up to 20 people and everyone loved curries."

She added: "With the book, I was then able to try out different things and my cousin asked for a pot of curry for her own party. Some of the guests at that party then asked her who made it and it just escalated from there, really.

Mrs Masterman added: “I started upstairs in the market for eight weeks, then had a bigger kitchen for a few months and then moved to the brand new entrance around seven months ago.

"Curry is my favourite food and while I might not eat it every day like I used to, I still eat it regularly."

Since opening, Rachel’s Curry Kitchen has proved a key attraction for the market and dozens were in attendance for the big curry charity event last October, when a charity eating contest took place between Gwent Police and the army.

As well as the big curry charity event, one of Mrs Masterman’s career highlights was having a stall outside the Celtic Manor for the Nato summit last September.

Such was the tight security for the event, it took Mrs Masterman 10 hours to go through security and have her vehicle checked in the run up to the event.

Despite the fatigue, Mrs Masterman still went on to make 200 homemade samosas at the event for the world’s press and anyone who passed by.

She said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked by the scale of it all.

“I had heard nothing past the deadline but one afternoon I had a call from the Foreign Office.

“I thought it was just a friend messing but I only had until 12am that night to get all my details and my passport sent across. It was all such a blur.

“Nato was the biggest thing in my life and I still can’t get over it. It was the best two days of my business life.”

She added: “I got onto the pitch on a beautiful sunny day and it really was like something out a movie, making handmade samosas on the green with armed police, snipers and planes around me.

“I just remember saying to Jon Powell [the Newport newsagent], ‘Oh my gosh’.

“It was so exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. I would have made even more samosas if my hands could have been any quicker.”

Mrs Masterman has used the success of the Nato summit as a platform for her business and central to the growth of Rachel’s Curry Kitchen has been the variety on offer.

Whether it is her signature fawl dish, which is the hottest curry on offer, or her slimmers' delight range; Mrs Masterman caters for all her customers’ needs. And all her dishes are priced under £4.

Occasionally aided by her mother, Linda; husband, Robert; or step-daughter, Rhian, Rachel’s Curry Kitchen is a family business driven by its customers’ tastes.

As part of this customer-driven experience, each dish is prepared in front of the customer with local produce and 100 per cent chicken.

She said: “Nato gave me a lot of confidence, as people would walk by and say, ‘Oh, I heard you did Nato’. It’s been really good for business.

“I’m always putting new dishes on the menu and asking customers about their favourite dishes. I like to get feedback, even if they say ‘we preferred the other way you did it’.

“The diet range, including curries made without oil and oven-baked bhajis, is selling very well. “

She added: “Fish and chips used to be the nation’s favourite, but I think everyone likes curry. I was amazed when we opened as I thought curry would just be a young people’s thing.

“But, a lot of people who are over 60 love madras and spicy food. One of my customers is 91 and she has curry twice a week.”

While Mrs Masterman is unable to reveal any of the secrets behind her delicious dishes, she said there are a number of simple measures that beginners can take to improve their homemade curries.

She said: “Cook the onions, garlic, and tomatoes for 20 minutes and let it cool before blending. It should then be silky smooth and shiny.

“The key is not to rush, to blend, and to take your time. Use good quality, fresh ingredients, such as fresh coriander, and try and grind the spices yourself.

“The flavour will be far superior and it will be lovely and fresh.

“Also, a good set of measuring spoons is key, as you know you’ll then get the consistency right.”