annam

Annam Puffed Rice (Mumra) in a large pack, plain and unsalted, for households that make bhel and chivda regularly. Because it is puffed dry it weighs almost nothing and takes up a lot of room, so a kilo is a great deal of mumra. It carries very little taste of its own and exists to give crunch and to soak up chutney at the last second before serving. Mix it in only when everything else is ready, as it goes soggy within a minute or two of meeting anything wet. Any that loses its snap can be refreshed in a dry pan or a low oven for a couple of minutes and cooled before use.

Best with

• Bhel puri and jhal muri
• Chivda and tempered dry snack mixes
• Masala mumra with peanuts, curry leaf and turmeric

Pack and storage

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

Annam Black Gram (Urid Dal Gota) in a smaller pack, whole skinless urad with the round white grains used for grinding rather than for dal. It is the batter lentil, valued because it whips up light and holds air through fermentation.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter
• Medu vada, ulundu vadai and thayir vada
• Ulundhu kanji and batter-based tiffin dishes

How to cook it

Rinse well, then soak four to six hours, adding a teaspoon of fenugreek seed if you are making idli. Grind with small additions of cold water until the paste is smooth and visibly aerated. Mix with ground soaked rice at about one part urad to three or four parts rice, salt it and leave it to ferment overnight somewhere warm.

Pack and storage

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