annam

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.

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.