Products

TRS Chilli Powder Kashmir is ground Kashmiri chilli, prized for the deep red colour it gives a dish rather than for heat. It is noticeably milder than ordinary chilli powder, so you can use a generous spoonful without the gravy becoming fierce.

Best for

• Rogan josh, butter chicken and tandoori marinades
• Rajma, chole and other tomato-based gravies
• Tempering, where colour matters as much as flavour

Using it

Bloom it in warm oil or ghee for a few seconds before the onions or tomatoes go in — that is what releases the colour. Keep the heat moderate; even a mild chilli powder turns bitter if it burns. If a recipe calls for both, use this for the body of the colour and a small pinch of hot chilli powder for the heat.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Cinnamon (Dalchini) is whole cinnamon bark in quills — warm, woody and sweetly aromatic, and firmer and stronger in flavour than the soft rolled Ceylon type. It is one of the whole spices that goes into the oil at the start of a biryani or a korma.

Best for

• Biryani, pulao and korma
• Garam masala and whole-spice blends
• Masala chai, and slow-cooked meat curries

How to cook it

Break off a two or three centimetre piece and fry it in hot ghee with bay leaf, cardamom and cloves for a few seconds until it swells and smells sweet. Remove before serving. For chai, a small piece simmered with the tea and milk is enough; the bark is hard, so grind it in a spice mill rather than a pestle.

Pack and storage

50 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Coconut Powder is finely ground desiccated coconut — dry, pale and powdery rather than the shredded flakes sold for baking. Because it is so fine it dissolves into a gravy instead of sitting on top of it.

Best for

• South Indian and Sri Lankan coconut curries
• Chutneys, masala pastes and korma
• Laddu, barfi and coconut sweets

How to cook it

For a gravy, soak two or three tablespoons in warm water or warm milk for ten minutes, then blend to a smooth paste and stir it in near the end — added dry it will stay grainy. Do not let it boil hard once in, or the sauce splits. For sweets, dry-roast briefly first to bring out the aroma.

Pack and storage

300 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Coconut Powder is finely ground desiccated coconut — dry, pale and powdery rather than the shredded flakes sold for baking. Because it is so fine it dissolves into a gravy instead of sitting on top of it.

Best for

• South Indian and Sri Lankan coconut curries
• Chutneys, masala pastes and korma
• Laddu, barfi and coconut sweets

How to cook it

For a gravy, soak two or three tablespoons in warm water or warm milk for ten minutes, then blend to a smooth paste and stir it in near the end — added dry it will stay grainy. Do not let it boil hard once in, or the sauce splits. For sweets, dry-roast briefly first to bring out the aroma.

Pack and storage

300 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Cinnamon (Dalchini) Powder is cinnamon bark ground to a fine powder — warm, sweet and woody, and ready to measure by the spoon rather than snapped off a quill. Ground cinnamon spreads evenly through a batter or a gravy in a way whole bark cannot.

Best for

• Garam masala and homemade spice blends
• Cakes, porridge and baking
• Masala chai, and rich meat curries

Using it

A quarter to half a teaspoon is enough for most dishes — cinnamon dominates quickly and turns soapy if overdone. In a curry, add it with the other ground spices and fry for only a few seconds before the liquid goes in. Ground cinnamon loses its aroma faster than whole bark, so keep the jar closed and buy in the size you will get through.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Dhania Whole (Coriander Seeds) are round, pale-brown seeds with a lemony, lightly sweet aroma that is much fresher than the pre-ground powder. Crushed between the fingers they release a scent that ground coriander loses within weeks.

Best for

• Grinding your own coriander powder and masala blends
• Sambar powder, rasam powder and garam masala
• Tempering, pickles and coarse spice rubs

How to cook it

Dry-roast in a hot pan for a minute or two until the seeds darken a shade and smell nutty, then cool fully before grinding — warm seeds go gummy in the mill. For a coarse crust on grilled meat or on jeera aloo, crack them under a rolling pin rather than grinding to powder.

Pack and storage

250 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Garam Masala Whole is the unground blend — whole warm spices left intact so you can fry them in the oil at the start of a dish, or grind them fresh when you want the aroma at full strength.

Best for

• Biryani, pulao and korma
• Grinding your own garam masala powder
• Slow-cooked meat curries and rich gravies

How to cook it

Heat ghee or oil until it shimmers, add a spoonful of the whole spices and let them crackle and swell for ten to fifteen seconds before the onions go in — that is the whole point of using them whole. Fish out the larger pieces before serving. To grind your own, dry-roast a batch until fragrant, cool completely, then mill and keep in a small airtight jar.

Pack and storage

200 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Gram Flour is besan, milled from split brown chickpeas — pale yellow, savoury, and naturally gluten-free. This is the 2 kg pack, the size that makes sense if you fry pakora regularly or cook for a large household.

Best for

• Pakora, bhajia and fritter batters in quantity
• Kadhi, besan chilla and dhokla
• Besan laddu, Mysore pak, and thickening gravies

How to cook it

Whisk the flour into the water gradually rather than the reverse — besan lumps at the first opportunity. Pakora batter wants the thickness of double cream and ten minutes of rest. For kadhi, blend the besan into cold yoghurt and raise the heat slowly, stirring, so it does not split. Either way, cook it a good ten minutes to lose the raw taste.

Pack and storage

2 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Haldi / Turmeric Powder is ground turmeric root, deep yellow and slightly bitter with an earthy, musky aroma. It goes into almost every Indian savoury dish, usually in small quantity, as much for colour as for taste.

Best for

• Dals, sambar and everyday vegetable curries
• Marinating fish and chicken before frying
• Rice dishes, pickles and spice pastes

Using it

A quarter to half a teaspoon is enough for a family-sized dal — too much turns the dish bitter and muddy. Add it early, with the onions or straight into the cooking dal, so it has time to lose its raw taste. It stains cloth and plastic readily, so wipe spills straight away.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Cumin Powder (Jeera) is ground cumin seed, warm and slightly bitter with the smoky note that runs through most Indian cooking. Ground cumin disperses through a gravy in a way whole seeds never do, so it works where you want the flavour everywhere rather than in bursts.

Best for

• Curry and gravy bases, alongside coriander powder
• Raita, chaat and jeera aloo
• Marinades, kebab mixes and spice rubs

Using it

Add it once the onions have softened and cook for 30 to 60 seconds before any liquid goes in — that short fry takes off the raw, dusty edge. A common ratio in north Indian gravies is two parts coriander powder to one part cumin. For raita or chaat, a dry-roasted pinch stirred in at the end is better than cooked.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Cumin Powder (Jeera) is ground cumin seed — warm, earthy and faintly smoky, and one of the two ground spices most Indian gravies are built on. This is the large 400 g catering-size pack for a kitchen that goes through it steadily.

Best for

• Everyday curry and gravy bases
• Jeera aloo, raita and chaat
• Kebab mixes, marinades and dry rubs

Using it

Fry it with the softened onions for 30 to 60 seconds before adding tomatoes or water, so the raw edge cooks off. Two parts coriander powder to one part cumin is a reliable starting point for a north Indian gravy. Because the pack is large, decant a few weeks' worth into a small jar and keep the rest sealed — ground spice fades once air gets at it.

Pack and storage

400 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Methi Fenugreek Seeds are small, hard, amber-coloured seeds with a distinct bitterness and a maple-like aroma. A few seeds are all a dish needs — they are a background note, not a main spice.

Best for

• Sambar powder and South Indian tempering
• Mango and lime pickles
• Fish curries, and sprouting

How to cook it

Add them to hot oil at the very start of a tempering, but only for a second or two — they burn quickly and the bitterness becomes unpleasant once they darken past golden. Use a quarter teaspoon for a family dish. For idli and dosa batter, soak a teaspoon alongside the rice; it helps the batter ferment and softens the texture.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Mustard Seeds Brown are the small reddish-brown seeds used across South and West Indian cooking. Raw they taste of almost nothing; the flavour only appears once they hit hot oil and pop, turning nutty and gently pungent.

Best for

• Tempering for dal, sambar and rasam
• Poriyal, thoran and other South Indian vegetable dishes
• Pickles, and Bengali fish curries

How to cook it

Heat the oil until it shimmers, add the seeds, and cover the pan — they jump. Once the popping slows, add curry leaves, dried chilli or urad dal and pour the lot over the dish. If the seeds sit in lukewarm oil without popping, the tempering will taste raw; if they blacken, start again.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Peanuts Pink are shelled peanuts with their fine papery skins still on, sold for cooking rather than as a ready-salted snack. The skin adds a slight bitterness and keeps the nut from breaking up as it fries.

Best for

• Poha, upma and South Indian tempering
• Peanut chutney and peanut masala
• Chikki, chivda and namkeen mixes

How to cook it

Fry in a spoonful of oil over medium heat for three or four minutes until they colour and smell toasted, or dry-roast in a pan for five to six minutes, shaking often. They keep browning after they leave the pan, so lift them out slightly early. Rub the roasted nuts between a clean cloth to loosen the skins if a recipe wants them bare.

Pack and storage

375 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Peanuts Red are shelled red-skin peanuts, sold with the skins on for cooking rather than as a ready-salted snack. The red skin is thicker than on the pale grade and gives a slightly sharper, more bitter edge once roasted.

Best for

• Tempering for poha, upma and vegetable stir-fries
• Peanut chutney and peanut masala powder
• Chikki, chivda and namkeen mixes

How to cook it

Dry-roast over medium heat for five to six minutes, shaking the pan constantly, or shallow-fry in a little oil for three to four. Take them off while just short of the colour you want, as they carry on cooking in their own heat. To skin them, roast, cool a little, then rub in a clean tea towel and winnow the loose skins away.

Pack and storage

375 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Rice Flakes Medium (Poha) is parboiled rice rolled flat and dried, in the medium thickness — the all-purpose grade that softens without falling apart. This is the small 300 g pack, enough for a few breakfasts.

Best for

• Kanda poha and batata poha
• Chivda and namkeen mixes
• Dahi poha, and adding body to batters

How to cook it

Never soak it in a bowl. Tip the flakes into a sieve, run cold water over them for about fifteen seconds, and leave to drain five minutes — they soften further as they sit. A flake should crush easily between the fingers without turning to paste. Fold the drained poha into the tempering at the end with a flat spatula rather than stirring it about.

Pack and storage

300 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Rice Flakes Medium (Poha) is parboiled rice rolled flat and dried. The medium thickness is the all-purpose grade — sturdy enough to soften without disintegrating, which is exactly what a poha breakfast needs.

Best for

• Kanda poha and batata poha
• Chivda and namkeen mixes
• Dahi poha, and thickening batters

How to cook it

Do not soak it. Put the flakes in a sieve, run cold water over them for about fifteen seconds, and leave to drain for five minutes — they carry on softening as they sit. Squeezed between the fingers a flake should crush easily but not turn to paste. Add the drained poha to the tempering at the very end and fold gently with a flat spatula rather than stirring.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Star Anise (Chakra Phool) is the dried eight-pointed seed pod with a strong, sweet liquorice aroma. One or two whole stars will carry a large pot, so it is a spice to use sparingly.

Best for

• Biryani, pulao and Hyderabadi rice dishes
• Garam masala and whole-spice blends
• Slow-cooked meat curries, stocks and braises

How to cook it

Add the whole star to hot ghee or oil at the start, with the cinnamon and cardamom, and let it perfume the fat for a few seconds before the onions go in. Leave it in while the dish cooks and fish it out before serving, or warn whoever is eating — biting into one is overpowering. Broken points work as well as whole stars.

Pack and storage

50 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Whole Yellow Peas are dried whole peas with the skin on — firmer and sweeter than the split kind, and they stay whole through cooking rather than falling into a purée.

Best for

• Ragda for ragda pattice and Mumbai chaat
• Matar ki ghugni and pea curries
• Thick soups, and sprouting

How to cook it

Soak for at least eight hours or overnight — unlike split peas, these will not soften properly without it. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water for 4 to 5 whistles, or simmer for about an hour, until a pea crushes between the fingers but still holds together. For ragda, mash a portion and stir it back to thicken.

Pack and storage

500 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Pack of 2 × TRS Ajwain / Lovage Seeds 100g.

TRS Amchur Powder is dried green mango, ground to a pale beige powder. It is a souring agent — sharp and fruity, with none of the wetness that lemon juice or tamarind would add to a dish.

Best for

• Chana masala, chaat masala and aloo chaat
• Dry vegetable stir-fries and stuffed parathas
• Marinades, and samosa and pakora fillings

Using it

Add it near the end of cooking rather than at the start — long heat dulls the sourness. Half to one teaspoon will sharpen a family-sized dish. Because it is dry, it is the right choice for anything that must not go watery, such as a paratha stuffing or a dry sabzi. A squeeze of lemon can stand in, but the flavour is fruitier, not the same.

Pack and storage

100 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Bay Leaves are the dried Indian bay leaf, tej patta — long, ribbed leaves with three veins running lengthways and a gentle cassia-like aroma. They are a different leaf from the Mediterranean bay used in stews, and milder in effect.

Best for

• Biryani, pulao and jeera rice
• Korma, rogan josh and slow-cooked meat curries
• Dal, and whole garam masala blends

How to cook it

Drop one or two leaves into hot ghee or oil at the very start, with the cinnamon and cardamom, and let them crackle for a few seconds before the onions go in. They release their aroma slowly, so leave them in for the whole cook and remove before serving. Crumbled leaves burn faster, so use them whole.

Pack and storage

30 g. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

TRS Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small, dark brown chickpeas with a firm skin and a deeper, nuttier taste than the larger white kabuli type. They hold their shape in the pot, so they stay whole in a curry instead of breaking down.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and Punjabi chana curry
• Sundal and chaat
• Sprouting, and adding to salads

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, in plenty of water — they roughly double in size. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water and a little salt for 5 to 6 whistles, or simmer for about an hour until a chickpea crushes easily between finger and thumb. Keep some of the cooking liquid back; it thickens the gravy nicely.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Pack of 5 × TRS Black Pepper Powder 100g.