Pantry Staples

Udhaiyam Roasted Chana, also called daria or pottukadalai, is pre-roasted split chickpeas that go into a dish exactly as they come out of the pack. The 1kg size suits a kitchen that makes chutney often, since a spoonful goes into almost every batch of South Indian coconut chutney.

Best for

• Coconut and tomato chutney for idli, dosa and vada
• Ladoo and other sweets, once ground to flour
• Sundal, snack mixes and plain snacking

How to cook it

Nothing needs cooking or soaking. In chutney, grind a couple of tablespoons along with the coconut and chilli, adding water slowly, because the chana keeps absorbing and a chutney that looks right in the jar will be too thick ten minutes later. Ground fine and sieved, it becomes the flour for ladoo. Whole, it adds crunch to a mixture or a salad.

Pack and storage

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

Bamboo Tree Rice Paper 22cm

Sachani Mango Slices are ripe mango pieces packed in syrup, ready to spoon straight from the tin — an 850g size meant for sharing rather than a single dessert.

The slices keep their shape and their soft, juicy bite, so they work served plain and chilled, layered into a trifle or a shrikhand, folded through yoghurt or ice cream, or blended with milk for a quick mango lassi or milkshake when fresh mangoes are out of season.

Chill the tin before opening — mango in syrup tastes noticeably better cold. Once opened, tip any unused slices and syrup into a covered container, refrigerate, and use within a couple of days.

Annam Sona Masoori is a medium-grain, lightly polished South Indian rice — shorter than basmati, softer, and far more absorbent, so it drinks up whatever it is served with. Cooked grains come out tender and slightly clingy rather than long and separate, which is why it is the everyday rice of Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka.

Best for

• Plain steamed rice with sambar or rasam
• Curd rice, lemon rice and tamarind rice
• Grinding into idli and dosa batter

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs mostly clear, and soak twenty minutes if you have the time. On the stove, use two cups of water to one cup of rice, bring it to a boil, then cover and cook on low for about fifteen minutes and rest it off the heat for five. In a pressure cooker, one and a half cups of water to one cup of rice for two whistles is enough. Use slightly less water for lemon rice, where you want the grains firmer and separate.

Pack and storage

10 Kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Annam Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small, dark, thick-skinned chickpeas, quite different from the large white kabuli variety. They stay firm and whole after cooking and have a denser, earthier taste, so they suit dishes where you want to bite into a distinct pea.

Best for

• Kala chana curry with onion and tomato
• Sundal and dry tempered chickpea sides
• Salads and chaat with onion, lemon and coriander

How to cook it

These need a long soak. Cover them with plenty of water for at least eight hours or overnight, as they will not soften properly otherwise. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of fresh water for six to eight whistles, with salt added only once they are tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which is dark and full of flavour, to thin the curry later.

Pack and storage

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

High-quality Tilda Basmati Rice 5 Kg, perfect for daily meals, biryani, pulao, and traditional recipes. Carefully packed to ensure freshness and taste.

Annam Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) in a larger pack, the small dark chickpea with a firm skin that holds its shape through long cooking. It is denser and earthier than the white kabuli chickpea and does not break down into a purée, which is why it works as well cold as hot.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and Punjabi-style gravies
• Sundal for festivals, tempered with coconut and curry leaf
• Sprouting for salads and chaat

How to cook it

Soak overnight in plenty of water; eight hours is the minimum and twelve is better. Drain, then pressure cook one cup with three cups of fresh water for six to eight whistles until they crush easily between finger and thumb. Salt after cooking. To sprout them, soak overnight, drain and leave loosely covered for a day.

Pack and storage

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

Priya Cut Mango Pickle is raw mango cut into small pieces and pickled in oil with chilli and mustard, made without garlic. The pieces stay firm and keep a clean sour bite, which makes it the straightforward everyday mango pickle rather than a special-occasion one.

Best for

• Hot rice with ghee or sesame oil
• Curd rice and dal rice
• Chapati, paratha and dosa

Serving

Serve two or three pieces with a little of the oil at the side of the plate. Use a dry spoon every time and press the pieces back under the oil before putting the jar away, as fruit left above the oil line spoils ahead of the rest. If the oil has set solid in a cold kitchen, stand the jar out for an hour rather than warming it on the stove.

Pack and storage

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

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 Moong Dal Clean is split, skinned moong, the small yellow lentil that cooks faster and lighter than any other common dal. It breaks down quickly into a soft, mild purée and takes on a tempering without much coaxing, which makes it the everyday weekday dal.

Best for

• Everyday moong dal tadka with cumin and garlic
• Pesarattu, khichdi and ven pongal
• Dal with spinach, bottle gourd or tomato

How to cook it

No long soak is needed; fifteen minutes is plenty, and you can skip it. Pressure cook one cup with two and a half cups of water and a pinch of turmeric for two to three whistles, or simmer it in an open pot for about twenty-five minutes. Whisk it smooth, then add salt and a tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli in hot ghee.

Pack and storage

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

Schani Soya Chunks are high-protein textured vegetable protein made from defatted soy flour. A versatile meat substitute ideal for curries, stir-fries, and pulao.

Ching's Veg Hakka Noodles are instant noodles from Ching's Secret, made in the style of Hakka noodles, a popular Indo-Chinese dish. The pack contains dried noodles along with a seasoning mix, letting you recreate a stir-fried Hakka noodle dish at home.

Once cooked and stir-fried with vegetables, the noodles have a savoury, lightly spiced taste typical of Indo-Chinese street food, with a soft yet slightly chewy texture.

How to use

• Boil the noodles until just cooked, then drain and rinse with cold water.
• Stir-fry chopped vegetables in a pan or wok, add the noodles and the seasoning from the pack, and toss well.
• Cook for a few more minutes on high heat and serve hot.

Pack size: 140g. Store in a cool, dry place.

Udhaiyam Mung Chilka is split green gram with the skin on, providing a richer flavour and more fibre than skinless mung dal. Ideal for nutritious dals, khichdi and Bengali moong preparations.

• Split green gram with skin for added nutrition
• Richer flavour than skinless split mung