Thank you very much everyone, I'm going to pop to my local Indian grocery store today and get all the ingredients. The best bit of all is that I get to eat whatever he cooks!

The tamarind is key. Get a block of pressed seedless pulp. That stuff is amazing and it lasts forever. Well, maybe six months or more, depending on how often and how much you use . . . . ;o)

I f I am in America I will do exactly what aargersi ,AntoniaJames and ,Sadassa_Ulna suggested

I gave a basket of Indian foods to a vegetarian friend and I came across a mini cloth sack of basmati rice, really cute. I put in some curried lemons, packages of pappadum, chutneys, tamarind, cashews, and spices. You could probably pick out two recipes and base a complete basket on that!

I'd add to aargersi's excellent list some cashews and Julie Sahni's recipe for cashew and cumin basmati pilaf. Definitely include some recipes, in any case!! I'm actually doing this for a very special family member, one of these nights, late, after work . . . . I will include my own curry powder, too, with the recipe for that. ;o)

I would include an assortment of spices: whole cumin seed, coriander seed, brown mustard seed, fenugreek, and also maybe a good curry blend, ground cumin, cinnamon and turmeric. Maybe some nice basmati rice, yellow lentils, and if you could find Ghee that would be great. Basically go party at an Indian grocery store!!! Fun!