Under €2

TRS Boiled Black Beans are black turtle beans already cooked and tinned in water, ready to drain and use. They keep a soft, floury centre and hold their shape, which saves the overnight soak and the hour of simmering that dried beans need.

Best for

• Rice and bean dishes, and burrito or taco fillings
• Soups, chillies and stews
• Salads, and quick weeknight curries

How to cook it

Drain and rinse in cold water to wash off the starchy tinning liquid, which otherwise thickens and clouds a dish. They are already cooked, so they only need warming through — five minutes in a sauce is enough, and longer will turn them to mush. Season at the end; salt added to the pan early firms the skins.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

MDH Dahivada Raita Masala is a sprinkling blend for curd dishes, not something you cook. Roasted cumin, black salt and chilli give it a savoury, faintly smoky tang that lifts plain yoghurt without making it hot.

Best for

• Dahi vada and dahi bhalla
• Boondi, cucumber and onion raita
• Plain curd served with rice or parathas

Using it

Whisk the curd smooth with a little water and salt first, then scatter the masala over the top rather than mixing it all through, so you keep the contrast. Around half a teaspoon suits a bowl of raita for four. On dahi vada, add it after the tamarind and mint chutneys have gone on, just before serving, so it stays dry and visible.

Pack and storage

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

MDH Fish Curry Masala is a tangy, chilli-led blend for fish cooked in gravy, where the spicing has to season the sauce in a short cooking time. Souring spices and pepper sit forward, which suits the tamarind and coconut styles fish curry usually takes.

Best for

• Fish curry with tamarind or kokum
• Prawn and crab curries
• Marinating fish before pan-frying

Using it

Build the gravy first. Fry onion, ginger and garlic, add the masala and let it cook in the oil for a minute, then add tamarind extract, coconut milk or tomato and simmer. Two teaspoons suits half a kilo of fish. Slide the fish in only at the end and give it six to eight minutes on a low flame, without stirring, so the pieces hold together.

Pack and storage

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

MDH Paratha Masala is a seasoning blend made to go inside or on top of flatbreads rather than into a gravy. It is savoury and lightly tangy, with the carom-and-chilli character that suits dough and potato stuffing.

Best for

• Aloo, gobi and mooli stuffed parathas
• Masala parathas seasoned in the dough itself
• Seasoning grated vegetables before they are wrapped

Using it

For a stuffing, mix about one teaspoon into the mashed potato or grated vegetable for every four parathas, along with salt and chopped coriander. For plain masala parathas, knead half a teaspoon per cup of atta straight into the dough. You can also dust a little over the paratha as it cooks and press it in with ghee.

Pack and storage

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