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Fresh paneer — Indian cottage cheese, indischer Frischkäse — in a 400g block. Firm, mild and unsalted, it holds its shape when cooked, which is what makes it the workhorse protein of vegetarian Indian cooking.

Cut it into cubes for palak paneer, paneer butter masala, matar paneer or kadai paneer; skewer and grill it for paneer tikka; crumble it for bhurji, or grate it into kofta and sweets like rasmalai and sandesh.

Two things make a real difference: fry or grill the cubes briefly before they go into the gravy so they hold together, and add them near the end, since long cooking turns paneer rubbery. Soaking the cubes in warm water for ten minutes before use softens them again. Keep refrigerated and use within a few days of opening.

Dairy Valley Paneer is a 450g block of fresh Indian cottage cheese — soft, mild and unsalted, with the firm set that lets it be cubed, skewered or crumbled without falling apart.

Use it cubed in palak paneer, paneer butter masala, matar paneer, kadai paneer and chilli paneer; marinated and grilled for paneer tikka; crumbled into paneer bhurji or a paratha filling; or grated into kofta.

Sear the cubes for a minute before they go into the gravy so they keep their edges, and add them towards the end of cooking rather than at the start — paneer firms up and turns chewy if it simmers too long. If the block feels firm, a ten-minute soak in warm water softens it. Keep refrigerated and use within a few days once opened.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Lachcha Paratha is a frozen flatbread coiled from a rolled rope of dough so it cooks into many fine, separate layers. Pressed while hot, it opens out into visible strands — the flakiest of the parathas, at a medium spice level.

Best for

• Serving with rich curries and kebabs
• Weekend meals where the bread matters
• Mopping up thick gravies

How to cook it

Cook from frozen — no thawing. Heat a tawa over medium heat and cook the paratha dry for about two minutes a side, then add a little ghee or oil and crisp each side for another thirty seconds. As soon as it comes off the pan, clap or crush it lightly between your palms so the layers open.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram's Veg Shami Kebab is a frozen patty of ground lentils, vegetables, herbs and spices, shaped small and flat and set at a medium heat level. The lentil base gives it a soft, dense centre with a crust that firms up as it cooks.

Best for

• Starters with mint chutney and onion rings
• Stuffing into wraps, rolls and buns
• Party platters

How to cook it

Cook from frozen without thawing. Shallow fry in a little oil over medium heat for three to four minutes a side until browned and hot through. In an air fryer, cook at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. In an oven, brush with oil and bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes, turning halfway.

Pack and storage

300 g pack containing 12 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Banana is called kela in Hindi and Banane in German. This is the common yellow dessert banana, with soft, sweet flesh once ripe and a thick peel that is removed before eating.

Beyond eating them plain, ripe bananas are used in Indian cooking for banana halwa or as an offering in pooja, while slightly under-ripe ones are sliced and fried into banana chips or cooked as a vegetable in some regional dishes.

How to use

• Leave at room temperature to ripen; a fully yellow peel with a few brown spots means it is ready to eat.
• Once ripe, they can be moved to the fridge to slow further ripening, though the peel will darken.
• Use within a few days of ripening for the best texture.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Aloo Paratha is a frozen wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato at a medium heat level, here in the large value pack. The filling reaches the edges rather than sitting in the middle, so the last bite has as much potato as the first.

Best for

• Feeding a family through a busy week
• Breakfasts with curd and pickle
• Keeping the freezer stocked

How to cook it

Cook from frozen, taking out only as many as you need. Heat a tawa over medium heat and cook each paratha dry for about two minutes a side until brown spots form, then brush with ghee or oil and crisp for another thirty seconds each side, pressing lightly with a spatula.

Pack and storage

1.6 kg pack containing 16 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Methi Paratha is a frozen layered flatbread with fenugreek leaves worked through the dough, which gives it a faintly bitter, herby taste and a green fleck to the crumb. That methi note means it carries plenty of flavour even eaten plain.

Best for

• Breakfast with curd and pickle
• Serving with dal or a simple sabzi
• Lunchboxes and picnics

How to cook it

Cook from frozen, without thawing. Place on a hot tawa over medium heat and cook about two minutes a side until brown spots appear. Brush with a little ghee or oil and finish for a further thirty seconds each side, pressing gently so it cooks evenly.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram's Aloo Paratha is a frozen wheat flatbread stuffed generously with spiced mashed potato, rolled and part-cooked so it finishes on the tawa in minutes. The filling is seasoned in the north Indian home style and spread right to the edges, so every bite has potato in it.

Best for

• Breakfast with curd and pickle
• A fast dinner with dal on the side
• Lunchboxes and weekend brunches

How to cook it

Cook straight from frozen — do not thaw. Heat a tawa or heavy pan over medium heat and lay the paratha on the dry surface. Cook for about two minutes a side, until brown spots appear, then brush with a little oil or ghee and give it another thirty seconds on each side to crisp. Press lightly with a spatula so it puffs.

Pack and storage

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

Telugu Frozen Sweet Poornalu, 310g — the Andhra festival sweet also known as bobbatlu or poornam boorelu: a sweet chana dal and jaggery filling wrapped in a rice and urad dal batter and fried.

Poornalu is made for festivals — Ugadi, Sankranti, Vinayaka Chavithi — and for weddings, and it is the kind of sweet that takes a whole morning to make from scratch. The filling is soft and fudgy with cardamom through it; the outside crisps as it fries and softens again as it cools.

Deep-fry from frozen until golden, drain, and serve warm, traditionally with a little ghee. Keep frozen until you cook them; do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Phulka Roti is a frozen thin wheat roti, rolled fine and part-cooked so it puffs on the pan in under a minute. It is the plainest bread in the range and made without dairy, which makes it the everyday one for a weekday meal.

Best for

• Everyday lunches and dinners with dal and sabzi
• Feeding a family without rolling dough
• Wrapping leftovers

How to cook it

Cook from frozen, never thawed. Heat a tawa over medium to high heat, lay the roti on the dry surface and cook about thirty to forty seconds a side, pressing with a cloth until it puffs up. Stack the cooked rotis in a covered container or cloth so they stay soft, and brush with ghee if you like.

Pack and storage

360 g pack containing 12 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

White button mushrooms, known as Champignons in German, have a firm, pale cap with a mild, earthy flavour and a smooth, faintly chewy texture once cooked. They are widely used in both German and Indian cooking.

In Indian kitchens they are cooked into mushroom masala, mushroom do pyaza, or a simple mushroom curry with onion and tomato, and they also work well stir-fried with garlic and pepper. In German cooking they suit a Champignon cream sauce, a pan-fried side dish, or a topping for schnitzel.

How to use

• Wipe clean with a damp cloth rather than soaking them in water.
• Trim the very end of the stem before slicing or halving.
• Keep refrigerated in a paper bag or the original packaging and use within 3 to 4 days.

Telugu Hyderabadi Onion Samosa — 12 samosas, 300g, frozen. The small, thin-skinned samosa sold at every Hyderabad tea stall, filled with spiced onion rather than potato.

The pastry is much thinner than a Punjabi samosa, so it fries up brittle and shatters when you bite it, and the filling is sliced onion with green chilli, curry leaf and spice — sharp, hot and light. They are meant to be eaten in twos and threes with chai in the evening, usually with a green chutney.

Fry from frozen in hot oil until deep golden, without thawing first — a thawed samosa goes soft and absorbs oil. Drain on paper and serve straight away. Keep frozen; do not refreeze.

Bodenhaltung HF2.

Berchtesgadener Land - Bergbauer Frischmilch ESL 3,5% 1L

Haldiram's Onion Samosas are frozen pastry triangles filled with spiced onion rather than the usual potato, which gives them a sweeter, sharper filling and a lighter bite. The pastry crisps up hard and flaky and the pieces are sized for tea time rather than as a full meal.

Best for

• Tea-time snacking
• Party platters and starters
• Serving with mint or tamarind chutney

How to cook it

Cook from frozen, never thawed. In an air fryer, cook at 180°C for 12 to 14 minutes, shaking the basket once. In an oven, brush lightly with oil and bake on a lined tray at 200°C for 16 to 18 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. They can also be deep fried over a medium flame until crisp and evenly browned.

Pack and storage

350 g pack containing 16 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Cocktail Vegan Samosas are small frozen pastry triangles filled with spiced potato and peas, sized for one or two bites rather than a plateful. The pastry is thin and blisters crisp in the oven or air fryer, and the recipe is fully plant-based.

Best for

• Party platters and drinks trays
• Feeding a crowd without much work
• Serving with mint and tamarind chutneys

How to cook it

Cook from frozen, without thawing. In an air fryer, cook at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway. In an oven, place them on a lined tray, brush lightly with oil and bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once, until the pastry is golden and blistered. They can also be deep fried at a moderate heat until crisp.

Pack and storage

650 g pack containing 28 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Spring onion is called hari pyaz in Hindi and Fruehlingszwiebel in German. It has a small white bulb with a mild oniony bite and long green stalks with a fresher, milder flavour than mature onion.

Both the white and green parts are used in Indo-Chinese cooking such as fried rice and manchurian, chopped raw as a garnish over chaat and salads, and stirred into a quick vegetable stir-fry. In German cooking it is common raw in salads or as a topping.

How to use

• Trim the root end and any wilted tips, then rinse well.
• The white bulb can be cooked briefly for flavour while the green tops are best added at the end or used raw.
• Keep in the fridge wrapped loosely and use within about a week.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Tandoori Garlic Naan is a frozen leavened flatbread studded with garlic and finished in the tandoor style, with charred blisters and a soft, chewy pull. It is made to a vegan recipe, and the garlic comes through clearly once the bread hits the heat.

Best for

• Serving with dals and thick curries
• Dinner for two or three
• Tearing and sharing at the table

How to cook it

Cook from frozen — do not thaw. On a tawa over medium-high heat, cook about a minute a side until it puffs and the blisters darken. In an oven, heat at 200°C for four to five minutes on a tray. Brush with oil or vegan butter straight off the heat and serve at once, while it is still soft.

Pack and storage

400 g pack containing 5 pieces. Keep frozen at -18°C. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Haldiram's Minute Khana Onion Paratha is a frozen stuffed wheat flatbread with a spiced onion filling at medium heat. The onion cooks down into the filling as the paratha heats, keeping it juicy where a potato filling would be dry.

Best for

• Breakfast with curd and pickle
• A quick dinner with raita
• Lunchboxes and packed meals

How to cook it

Cook straight from frozen. Place on a tawa heated over medium heat and cook about two minutes a side, until brown patches appear across the surface. Add a little oil or ghee and finish each side for a further thirty seconds so it crisps while the filling warms through.

Pack and storage

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

Tubzee Kulfi Ice in mango — a 1 litre tub of Indian frozen dessert, made with mango.

Kulfi is set rather than churned, which gives it a denser, creamier bite than ice cream and a slower melt. The mango version carries the fruit clearly against the cooked-milk base, sweet without turning into a sorbet.

Serve it in scoops, cut into blocks, or with falooda and a spoon of chopped pistachio on top. A tub also makes the easy end to a big meal, where something cold and fruity lands better than a heavy dessert.

Let the tub stand at room temperature for about five minutes before scooping. Keep frozen; do not refreeze once it has softened.

Weihenstephan Joghurt Natur 3,5 % Fett

This is watermelon, called tarbooz in Hindi and Wassermelone in German; the term 'kernarm' describes this variety as having relatively few seeds. It has a hard green rind, and juicy, sweet, deep red flesh that is almost entirely water.

It is eaten fresh, cut into wedges or cubes, and is also blended into juice or used in fruit salads. It is not typically cooked.

How to use

• Cut the rind away with a knife and slice the flesh into wedges or cubes.
• Remove any visible seeds if present, though this variety has few.
• Keep a whole melon at room temperature; refrigerate a cut piece, covered, and use within a few days.

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.

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.