Indian

MDH Chana Masala is the tangy blend used for North Indian chole, where dried mango and pomegranate seed do more work than chilli does. That sourness is what gives cooked chickpeas their dark colour and sharp finish.

Best for

• Chole served with bhature, puri or steamed rice
• Dry pindi-style chickpeas with very little gravy
• Chickpea chaat with onion, tomato and lemon

Using it

Soak dried chickpeas overnight and pressure cook them soft, six to seven whistles, keeping the cooking water. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and tomato base, then add three teaspoons for 250g of dry chickpeas and let it darken in the oil. Add the chickpeas and their water, simmer twenty minutes and crush a spoonful against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram Veg Pulao is a ready-to-eat basmati rice dish cooked with vegetables and whole aromatic spices, sealed in a pouch that keeps at room temperature. The rice is already cooked through, so it only needs heating — useful when there is no time to cook from scratch.

Best for

• A quick meal on a busy evening
• Office lunches and travel
• Rounding out a meal of curries

How to cook it

Drop the sealed pouch into boiling water for about five minutes, or empty the contents into a pan and heat gently for three to four minutes, stirring so the grains do not stick. It can also be microwaved in a covered bowl for around two minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Pack and storage

200 g pouch. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, refrigerate any leftovers and eat the same day.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Muli Paratha is a frozen wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced grated radish at a medium heat level. Muli gives the filling a peppery bite and a fresh, slightly sharp finish that sets it apart from the potato and onion versions.

Best for

• Winter breakfasts with curd and butter
• Serving with dal or plain yoghurt
• A light lunch on its own

How to cook it

Cook from frozen — do not thaw. Heat a tawa over medium heat, lay the paratha on the dry pan and cook about two minutes a side until brown patches form. Add a little ghee or oil and finish each side for another thirty seconds. Keep the heat moderate so the filling cooks without the outside burning.

Pack and storage

400 g pack containing 4 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Ajwain Paratha is a frozen layered flatbread with carom seeds worked into the dough, which give it a warm, slightly sharp aroma that comes out as it hits the pan. The spicing is mild, so the ajwain is a background note rather than heat.

Best for

• Breakfast with curd and pickle
• Serving with dal or a simple sabzi
• Eating plain with chai

How to cook it

Cook from frozen without thawing. Heat a tawa over medium heat and cook the paratha on the dry pan for about two minutes a side until golden spots form. Brush with ghee or oil and give each side another thirty seconds, pressing lightly with a spatula so the layers open up.

Pack and storage

360 g pack containing 6 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Tubzee Kulfi Ice in pistachio — a 1 litre tub of the dense, slow-melting Indian frozen dessert, made with pistachio.

Kulfi is not ice cream: it is not churned, so it sets solid and close-textured rather than light and airy, and it melts slowly enough to eat in the heat. The pista version tastes of cooked, sweetened milk with the nutty, slightly savoury edge of pistachio running through it.

Scoop it into bowls, or serve it the way it is served in India — with falooda vermicelli and rose syrup, or alongside a hot gulab jamun. Because it sets hard, leave the tub out for five minutes before scooping. Keep frozen and do not refreeze once softened.

Annam Horse Gram is the small, hard, flat brown pulse known as kollu in Tamil and ulavalu in Telugu, eaten across the southern states. It is much firmer than any lentil, with a dry, earthy taste, and it needs longer cooking than its size suggests.

Best for

• Kollu rasam and horse gram sundal
• Kollu paruppu and thogayal ground with coconut
• Ulava charu and slow-cooked gravies

How to cook it

Soak it for at least eight hours, or overnight, in plenty of water. Drain, then pressure cook one cup with three to four cups of fresh water for eight to ten whistles, as it stays stubborn well past the point most pulses give way. Keep the dark cooking water, which is the base of kollu rasam. Salt only once the grains crush easily.

Pack and storage

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

MTR Vangi Bath Masala is a spice powder for making vangi bath, a South Indian rice dish made with brinjal (eggplant/aubergine) and a distinctive spice blend. The masala saves the effort of roasting and grinding individual spices at home, giving a consistent flavour each time.

Vangi bath made with this masala has a robust, spiced and slightly tangy taste, with the softened brinjal absorbing the flavours of the spice mix through the rice.

How to use

• Cook rice separately and let it cool slightly.
• Saute chopped brinjal and onions in oil, then add the vangi bath masala and a little water, cooking until the vegetables soften.
• Mix the cooked rice into the brinjal mixture until evenly coated, then serve warm.

Pack size: 100g. Store in a cool, dry place.

Priya Pulihora Paste is the Andhra tamarind rice concentrate, with tamarind, chilli and tempering spices already cooked down so that making pulihora comes down to stirring the paste through cooked rice. It is sour first, then salty and hot.

Best for

• Pulihora, or tamarind rice
• Festival meals and lunch boxes
• Tamarind sevai and vermicelli dishes

Using it

Cook the rice so the grains stay separate, spread it on a wide plate and let it cool to just warm, because hot rice turns sticky and the grains break when you mix. Stir in two to three tablespoons of paste per two cups of cooked rice, then taste and adjust. Finish with a fresh tempering of mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts and curry leaves in oil, and leave the rice to stand for fifteen minutes before serving so it takes up the flavour.

Pack and storage

300g jar. Store in a cool, dry place; keep sealed and refrigerated after opening.

TRS Sesame Seeds Black are unhulled black sesame — stronger, more bitter and more strongly scented than the white hulled kind, with a definite crunch that survives cooking.

Best for

• Til laddu, chikki and gajak
• Sprinkling over breads, salads and stir-fries
• Chutneys, and South Indian ellu podi

Using it

Dry-roast in a pan over medium heat, shaking constantly, until they begin to pop and smell nutty — a minute or two, no more, as they burn without changing colour and you cannot see it happening. For laddu and chikki, roast first, then grind or fold into warm jaggery while it is still pourable.

Pack and storage

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

Priya Coriander Pickle is fresh coriander ground into a pickle with oil, chilli and salt, made without garlic. It is green and herbal rather than fruity, closer to a preserved chutney than a cut-fruit pickle, and it spreads easily straight from the jar.

Best for

• Chapati and paratha rolls
• Hot rice with a spoon of ghee
• Sandwiches and toast

Serving

Use it where you would use a green chutney, but in smaller quantity, since it is saltier and sharper than a fresh one. Take it out with a dry spoon and level the surface so the oil covers the pickle again before closing the jar. Keep it in the fridge once opened and it will hold its colour longer, though it will darken with time either way.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram's Minute Khana Aloo Gobhi Paratha is a frozen wheat flatbread stuffed with seasoned potato and cauliflower, part-cooked so it only needs a few minutes on the tawa. The cauliflower gives the filling more texture and a drier bite than an aloo paratha on its own.

Best for

• Breakfast with curd and pickle
• A one-dish dinner with raita
• Lunchboxes

How to cook it

Cook from frozen — do not thaw. Heat a tawa over medium heat and place the paratha on the dry surface. Cook roughly two minutes a side until brown spots appear, then add a little ghee or oil and give it another half minute each side to crisp the outside. Press gently with a spatula while it cooks.

Pack and storage

400 g pack containing 4 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Spring Roll is a frozen roll of thin pastry wrapped around a mixed vegetable filling, ready to crisp at home. The wrapper is fine enough to blister and shatter rather than go chewy, and the filling is seasoned lightly so it suits both Indian and western tables.

Best for

• Starters and party food
• Quick snacks for hungry children
• Serving with sweet chilli or soy dipping sauce

How to cook it

Cook from frozen without thawing. In an air fryer, cook at 190°C for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. In an oven, brush with oil and bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes on a lined tray, turning halfway, until golden all over. For deep frying, use a medium flame so the wrapper crisps before the filling heats through.

Pack and storage

370 g pack containing 20 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Udhaiyam Mixed Lentils in the 1kg pack is a blend of several dals for cooking as one. The point of a mixed dal is the texture: the softer lentils break down and thicken the pot while the firmer ones keep their shape, which gives a result no single dal manages on its own.

Best for

• Mixed dal and panchmel-style dal
• Dal khichdi
• Hearty lentil soups

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear, then soak for an hour or more. Soaking is worth the time with a mix, since the lentils in it soften at different speeds and an unsoaked batch finishes with some still firm. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part lentils for four or five whistles and let the pressure fall naturally. Loosen with hot water to the consistency you want, salt at the end, and pour over a tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli fried in ghee.

Pack and storage

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

Tata Himalayan Rock Pink Salt is mined rock salt, coarse-crystal and pale pink from the trace minerals in the rock, in a 1kg pack.

The taste is clean and slightly rounder than refined table salt, and it dissolves well into cooking. Use it as your everyday kitchen salt — in dal, sabzi, curries, roti dough and marinades — or in a grinder at the table. It is also the salt many people keep for fasting days, when regular table salt is set aside.

Store it in a dry, airtight container away from steam; rock salt draws moisture from the air and will cake if the pack is left open near the hob.

Aachi Rice Idly Mix is a ready idli batter mix of rice and lentil flour, so the overnight soaking and wet grinding are already done. You add water, let it ferment, and steam. The idlis come out soft and white, much as a home-ground batter would.

Best for

• Soft steamed idlis for breakfast
• Idli with sambar and chutney
• Lunch boxes and easy weekday mornings

How to cook it

Mix the powder with water to a thick batter that drops slowly off a spoon rather than pouring, and leave it covered somewhere warm for six to eight hours, or overnight in a cold kitchen, until it has risen and smells faintly sour. Stir in salt gently, without knocking the air out. Grease the idli plates, fill them three-quarters full, and steam for ten to twelve minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Rest for two minutes before unmoulding.

Pack and storage

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

India Gate Exotic Basmati is long-grain aromatic basmati in a 1kg pack, for kitchens that want a smaller quantity without dropping to broken or unaged rice. The grains cook dry and separate, lengthen in the pot, and give off the characteristic basmati aroma as the steam builds.

Best for

• Biryani and pulao
• Plain steamed rice alongside dal or a rich gravy
• Jeera rice and fried rice

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear and soak for twenty to thirty minutes, which is what allows the grain to lengthen instead of breaking. Use around one and a half parts water to one part rice, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for ten to twelve minutes. Leave it to stand, covered, for five minutes before opening, and loosen the grains with a fork. Salt the water rather than the cooked rice.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container away from strong aromas.

TRS Crushed Chilli is dried red chilli broken into coarse flakes with the seeds left in. Being coarse rather than ground, it gives flecks of heat you can see and pockets of it you can taste, instead of the even warmth of a powder.

Best for

• Finishing pizza, pasta and grilled vegetables
• Chilli oil, marinades and dry rubs
• Tempering, pickles and Indo-Chinese sauces

Using it

Sprinkle it over at the table, or warm it briefly in oil to draw the heat and colour out — fifteen seconds over a low flame is enough, and any longer will scorch the flakes. The seeds carry most of the heat, so give the jar a shake before measuring or the strength varies from spoon to spoon.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram's Dry Petha is the Agra-style sweet made from ash gourd, candied in sugar syrup and then dried so the outside is firm and lightly crystallised while the inside stays soft and juicy. It is a sweet, not a namkeen, and it is far less rich than a milk-based mithai.

Best with

• Serving after a meal
• Festival sweet boxes and gifting
• Chai in the afternoon

Pack and storage

400 g pack. Store in a cool, dry place and keep the pack sealed after opening.

TRS Rosecoco Beans are dried borlotti-type beans, speckled pink and cream in the packet and an even brown once cooked. They have a smooth, chestnut-like texture and a mild, faintly sweet flavour that suits a long, slow stew.

Best for

• East African bean stews and githeri
• Minestrone, soups and casseroles
• Bean salads, and coconut-based curries

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, and throw the soaking water away. Simmer in fresh water for 60 to 75 minutes, or pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles, until a bean crushes easily. They soften more readily than kidney beans, so check early. Salt at the end, and mash a spoonful back in if you want a thicker stew.

Pack and storage

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

TRS Fenugreek Methi Seeds are the small, hard, amber seeds with a maple-like aroma and a pronounced bitterness. This is the 1 kg pack — the size for pickle-making and for grinding your own sambar and rasam powders rather than for occasional tempering.

Best for

• Mango, lime and mixed pickles in quantity
• Homemade sambar powder and rasam powder
• South Indian tempering, fish curries and sprouting

How to cook it

In a tempering they go into hot oil first but for a second or two only — past golden they turn harshly bitter and there is no rescuing the dish. A quarter teaspoon is right for a family-sized pot. For idli and dosa batter, soak a teaspoon with the rice; it helps the batter ferment and gives a softer result.

Pack and storage

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

Aachi Pav Bhaji Masala captures the iconic buttery, tangy and mildly spiced flavour of Mumbai's famous street food. Use it to make authentic pav bhaji from mixed vegetables in minutes.

• Buttery tangy spice blend for Mumbai Street food
• Balanced spice profile for the whole family
  

Aachi Idicha Sambar Powder is a freshly ground style sambar spice blend with a coarser texture that adds an extra layer of flavour and aroma to your sambar. Ideal for traditional home-style cooking.

• Coarser ground sambar powder for extra flavour depth
• Traditional home-style sambar recipe
  

Aachi Paneer Butter Masala is a rich, creamy spice blend for the beloved North Indian cottage cheese dish. Its tomato, butter and cashew-inspired flavour profile creates a restaurant-quality, mildly spiced gravy at home.

• Creamy tomato-butter spice profile
• Restaurant-quality results at home
  

Aachi Kulambu Chilli Masala is a tangy, bold spice blend for South Indian kulambu (thick tamarind-based gravies). It balances chilli heat with tamarind tartness and aromatic spices for an authentic flavour.

• Tangy tamarind-based gravy spice blend
• Perfect for chettinad kulambu and tamarind curries