Indian

Parle-G Biscuits are India's most beloved glucose biscuits, enjoyed by generations for their sweet, milky taste. This multipack of 10 x 79.9g is perfect for sharing and snacking.

MTR Lemon Rice Powder is a ready-made seasoning mix for preparing lemon rice, also known as chitranna, a popular South Indian rice dish flavoured with lemon, mustard seeds, curry leaves and peanuts. Instead of preparing the tempering and spice mix from scratch, this powder is simply mixed into cooked rice.

The finished dish has a tangy, citrusy flavour balanced with the nutty crunch of peanuts and the mild heat of curry leaf tempering, and is often eaten on its own or packed as a travel meal.

How to use

• Cook plain rice and let it cool slightly.
• Mix in the lemon rice powder along with a little oil, tossing gently until evenly coated.
• Adjust the amount of powder to taste and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

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

TRS Cumin Powder (Jeera) is ground cumin seed — warm, earthy and faintly smoky, and one of the two ground spices most Indian gravies are built on. This is the large 400 g catering-size pack for a kitchen that goes through it steadily.

Best for

• Everyday curry and gravy bases
• Jeera aloo, raita and chaat
• Kebab mixes, marinades and dry rubs

Using it

Fry it with the softened onions for 30 to 60 seconds before adding tomatoes or water, so the raw edge cooks off. Two parts coriander powder to one part cumin is a reliable starting point for a north Indian gravy. Because the pack is large, decant a few weeks' worth into a small jar and keep the rest sealed — ground spice fades once air gets at it.

Pack and storage

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

Priya Gongura Onion Pickle takes the same sour roselle-leaf base and cooks onion into it, which rounds off the sharp edge and gives the pickle more body and a faint sweetness. It is made without garlic, and it is the gentler of the gongura pickles.

Best for

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

Serving

Because the onion softens the sourness, this one takes a fuller spoonful than plain gongura and works better as a spread on a chapati or roll. Use a dry spoon at every serving and press the pickle down so the oil settles back over the top before closing the jar. Never return leftover pickle from a plate to the jar.

Pack and storage

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

Priya Green Chilli Pickle is sliced green chillies pickled in oil with mustard and salt, made without garlic. This is one of the hotter pickles on the shelf: the chilli is the whole point of it, softened but not tamed by the spices around it.

Best for

• Curd rice and plain dal and rice
• Paratha, roti and khichdi
• Pulihora and other tiffin rice dishes

Serving

Take one or two slices rather than a spoonful, at least until you know how hot you find it. Use a dry spoon and press the chillies back under the oil before putting the jar away, as any piece left above the oil line will spoil ahead of the rest. Serving it next to curd or yoghurt rice is the usual way to keep the heat in balance.

Pack and storage

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

MTR Instant Dosa Mix is a ready-to-mix batter powder for making dosa, the thin, crisp South Indian rice and lentil crepe. Instead of soaking and grinding rice and urad dal at home, this pack lets you prepare a dosa batter simply by adding water.

The dosa made from this mix has a mild, slightly tangy flavour typical of fermented rice batter, with a crisp texture when cooked well on a hot tawa (griddle).

How to use

• Mix the powder with water to form a smooth, pourable batter and let it rest briefly.
• Heat a tawa or non-stick pan, pour a ladle of batter and spread thinly in a circular motion.
• Drizzle a little oil around the edges and cook until golden and crisp, then fold or roll and serve with chutney or sambar.

Pack size: 200g. Store in a cool, dry place.

Haldiram's Dakshin Express Madras Mixture is a south Indian style namkeen of thin sev, fried lentils, peanuts and curry leaves in a coconut-and-chilli seasoning. The curry leaf and the heat are more pronounced than in a northern mixture, giving it a drier, spicier finish.

Best with

• Filter coffee or chai
• Evening snacking with a bit of heat
• Serving alongside upma or curd rice

Pack and storage

180 g pack. Keep in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

MDH Karahi Chicken Masala is the blend for chicken cooked quickly in a karahi with tomato, ginger and green chilli. It is pepper-forward and lightly tangy, meant for a thick clinging masala rather than a thin, slow-simmered gravy.

Best for

• Chicken karahi and kadai chicken
• Quick tomato-based chicken dishes
• Dry-fried chicken with capsicum and onion

Using it

Fry the chicken in hot oil until it colours, add chopped tomato and cook it down, then stir in two to three teaspoons for half a kilo of chicken. Keep the flame high and stir until the oil separates and the masala coats the pieces. Add julienned ginger and green chilli at the end, and keep water out of it so the gravy stays thick.

Pack and storage

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

MDH Pav Bhaji Masala is the blend behind Mumbai's mashed vegetable bhaji, and it is more tangy than hot. Dried mango and black pepper give it the sharp finish that makes the dish taste of the street cart rather than of a plain vegetable curry.

Best for

• Pav bhaji with potato, peas, capsicum and tomato
• Masala pav and tawa-fried vegetables
• Spiced potato fillings and toasted sandwiches

Using it

Fry it in butter with the onion and tomato until the mixture darkens, then mash the boiled vegetables straight into the pan. About two and a half teaspoons suits a bhaji for four. Keep mashing on a low flame so the masala works right through, and add a small extra pinch with a squeeze of lemon just before serving to lift the tang.

Pack and storage

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

Telugu Foods Kashmiri Chilli is the whole dried chilli used for deep red colour rather than heat. It is noticeably milder than a Guntur chilli, which is why it is what goes into tandoori marinades, rogan josh and butter chicken, where the dish needs to look red without becoming too hot to eat.

Best for

• Tandoori marinades and tikka
• Rogan josh, butter chicken and other North Indian gravies
• Colouring pickles, chutneys and chilli pastes

Using it

Soak four or five chillies in hot water for twenty minutes and grind them to a smooth paste; a wet paste releases far more colour into the oil than dry powder does. Fry the paste in the oil at the start of the gravy until the oil takes on the colour, which is the step that makes the difference. For a tempering, use them whole and lift them out before they darken. Mix them with a hotter chilli when you want both colour and heat.

Pack and storage

100g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight jar away from light.

Udhaiyam Green Mung Beans Whole are whole green gram with the skin on, mild and slightly earthy, and among the quickest of the whole pulses to cook. They are also the standard bean for sprouting at home, since they germinate reliably in a couple of days.

Best for

• Sprouting for salads and sundal
• Whole moong dal and pesarattu batter
• Curries, soups and stir-fries

How to cook it

Rinse and soak for four to six hours, which is enough for a bean this size. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part beans for three or four whistles for a soft dal, or two whistles if you want them to hold their shape. To sprout, soak overnight, drain thoroughly, and keep them in a covered colander or tied cloth at room temperature for a day or two, rinsing once a day until the tails show.

Pack and storage

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

Aachi Tandoori Chicken Masala is a classic clay-oven inspired marinade spice blend that gives chicken its unmistakeable smoky, charred red colour and flavour. Perfect for tandoor, oven or grill cooking.

• Authentic tandoori colour and smoke flavour
• Suitable for oven, grill and BBQ cooking
• Wholesale tray: 100g x 10 packs per tray

Aachi Chilli Chicken Masala is an Indo-Chinese spice blend that perfectly replicates the bold, saucy flavour of restaurant chilli chicken. Featuring soy, pepper and aromatic spices, it's ideal for the classic dry or gravy version.

• Indo-Chinese chilli chicken spice profile
• Suitable for both dry and gravy-style chilli chicken
  

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.

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.

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.