Munich Fresh & Daily

Okra, called bhindi in Hindi and vendakkai or bendakaya in South Indian languages, is known in German as Okraschote. The pods are long, ridged, and tapered, with a mild flavour and a texture that turns notably sticky and mucilaginous once cut and cooked in liquid.

It is most often cooked dry, as in bhindi masala or bhindi fry with onion and spices, so that it stays less sticky, and is also added to sambar or a mixed vegetable curry.

How to use

• Wipe the pods dry before cutting, since wet okra becomes stickier.
• Trim the stem end and slice or leave whole depending on the dish.
• Cook over fairly high heat with the pan uncovered to reduce stickiness, and use within 2 to 3 days of purchase as it softens quickly.

Coriander leaves are called dhania or hara dhania in Hindi and kothimbir or kothamalli in other Indian languages, known in German as Koriander. The delicate green leaves have a bright, fresh, slightly citrusy flavour and are used raw rather than cooked for long.

They are used as a finishing garnish over dals, curries and chaat, blended into green chutney, and mixed into salads and raitas.

How to use

• Wash well in a bowl of water to remove grit, as it grows close to the soil.
• Chop just before use, including the tender stems, which carry a lot of flavour.
• Wrap loosely in a damp cloth or paper and store in the fridge; use within 3 to 5 days.

Drumstick is the long, ridged green pod of the moringa tree, known as murungakkai in Tamil, munagakaya in Telugu, and sahjan or saijan in Hindi; it has no widely used German name. The pod is fibrous and inedible on the outside, with soft pulp and small seeds inside that are scooped out and eaten while the tough outer fibre is discarded.

It is best known as an essential ingredient in sambar, and is also cooked into a moringa curry or added to avial and other mixed vegetable dishes.

How to use

• Trim the ends and cut into finger-length pieces before cooking.
• Simmer until soft, then eat by scraping the pulp out with your teeth, discarding the fibrous shell.
• Keep in the fridge and use within a few days, as it dries out and toughens over time.

Curry leaves are called kadi patta in Hindi and karivepaku or kariveppilai in South Indian languages; they are known in German as Curryblätter, though they are unrelated to curry powder. The small, glossy green leaves have a distinctive aromatic, slightly citrusy flavour that is released when they hit hot oil.

They are used almost everywhere in South Indian cooking: tempered in hot oil at the start of sambar, rasam, and dal, or added to chutneys and vegetable stir-fries.

How to use

• Strip the leaves from the stem before use, or add small sprigs whole.
• Fry briefly in hot oil with mustard seeds at the start of cooking to bring out the aroma.
• Store in the fridge in a sealed bag or container, where they keep for one to two weeks; they can also be frozen for longer storage.

Mint is called pudina in Hindi, sold in German as Minze. The small, bright green leaves have a strong, cooling, sharp flavour and are almost always used fresh rather than cooked for long.

It is blended into mint chutney served with samosas and snacks, added to raita, and used in drinks such as mint-flavoured lassi or lemonade.

How to use

• Pick the leaves off the tougher stems before chopping or blending.
• Add towards the end of cooking, or use raw, since heat dulls its flavour quickly.
• Store wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge and use within a few days, as it wilts quickly.

Dildaar Sona Masoori is the medium-grain rice that most South Indian households cook every day. The grains are shorter and lighter than basmati, they cook soft, and they take up whatever goes on top of them instead of competing with it, which is exactly what is wanted under sambar, rasam or a curry. This is the full 10kg household sack.

Best for

• Everyday steamed rice with sambar, rasam and curries
• Curd rice, lemon rice and pulihora
• Pongal, and batter for idli and dosa

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs mostly clear. Sona masoori carries more surface starch than aged basmati and turns gluey if you skip this. In a pressure cooker, use one cup of rice to two cups of water and cook for three whistles, then let the pressure fall on its own rather than releasing it. In an open pot, boil one cup of rice in four cups of water until the grains are soft and drain the excess. Fluff with a fork; stirring with a spoon mashes the grain.

Pack and storage

10kg sack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Decant into an airtight container and keep it off the floor; a couple of dried bay leaves in the container is the usual way to keep weevils out.

Dildaar Extra Long Basmati is long-grain aromatic rice selected for grain length, which is the thing that matters in a biryani where every grain has to stay separate and visible. Cooked properly the grains stretch out, stay firm at the centre and do not clump together. The aroma shows itself in the pot and settles as the rice rests. This is the 5kg pack.

Best for

• Dum biryani, where separate grains matter most
• Pulao, jeera rice and fried rice
• Plain steamed rice alongside a rich gravy

How to cook it

Rinse gently until the water runs clear, then soak for twenty to thirty minutes; soaking is what lets a long grain elongate instead of snapping. For plain rice, use one cup of rice to one and a half cups of water, bring it to a boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for twelve minutes, then rest it ten minutes off the heat before lifting the lid. For biryani, parboil in plenty of salted water to about seventy per cent, drain, layer and finish on dum. Separate the grains with a fork, never a spoon.

Pack and storage

5kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Keep it airtight and away from strong-smelling spices, as basmati takes up other aromas readily.

Udhaiyam Toor Dal is split pigeon pea — tuvar or arhar dal — the lentil that sambar is built on and the everyday dal in most South Indian kitchens. It cooks down soft and golden with a mild, faintly sweet flavour.

Best for

• Sambar
• Dal tadka, dal fry and rasam
• Kootu and poriyal, where a little dal thickens the dish

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Pressure cook with about 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 3 to 4 whistles, or simmer 35 to 45 minutes until it breaks down when pressed. Finish with mustard seeds, cumin, dried chilli and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.

Udhaiyam Urid Whole Gota is whole white urad dal — the black gram with its skin removed, left whole rather than split. Creamy-white, and the grain behind idli, dosa and vada batter.

Whole gota grinds to a smoother, better-aerated batter than split urad, which is why it is the one traditionally used for idli.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter, ground with rice
• Medu vada and uzhunnu vada
• Papad, and thick North Indian dals

How to use it

For batter, soak 4 to 6 hours with a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, then grind with cold water until light and fluffy. Combine with soaked rice and leave to ferment overnight in a warm place.

Pack and storage

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

Aashirvaad Multigrain Wheat Flour is an atta with other grains and pulses milled in alongside the wheat, which gives a roti a denser bite and a nuttier flavour than plain wheat atta. The dough also behaves differently: it drinks more water, it is less stretchy, and it repays a longer rest before you start rolling.

Best for

• Everyday chapati and phulka
• Paratha, plain or stuffed
• Thepla and puri

How to cook it

Add the water gradually, as this flour takes noticeably more than plain wheat atta, and knead to a soft dough that does not stick to the fingers. Cover it and rest it for at least twenty minutes so the bran softens, or the rotis will come out tough. Roll a little thicker than a plain chapati, since rolled thin this dough tears. Cook on a hot tawa until the surface bubbles, turn once, and press gently with a folded cloth to make it puff.

Pack and storage

5kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, and keep it in an airtight container away from damp.

Priya Ginger & Garlic Paste is ground ginger and garlic in a ready-to-spoon paste, which takes the daily peeling and grinding out of the cooking. One spoonful stands in for roughly equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic in most Indian recipes.

Best for

• Curry and gravy bases
• Marinades for chicken, fish and paneer
• Biryani, pulao and dal tempering

Using it

Add it once the onions have softened and fry on medium heat until the raw smell goes and the paste stops sticking, usually a minute or two. Put it into oil that is too cold and it stays raw; put it into oil that is smoking and the garlic burns, which turns the whole dish bitter. About a tablespoon suits 500g of meat or a curry for four. Use a clean, dry spoon every time.

Pack and storage

300g jar. Store in a cool, dry place; keep sealed and refrigerated after opening.

Aachi Madras Sambar Powder is a traditional Tamil Nadu-style sambar spice blend combining roasted coriander, cumin, red chilli and curry leaves. It creates the classic tangy, aromatic sambar in minutes.

• Classic Madras-style sambar spice blend
• Made with roasted coriander, cumin and curry leaves
  

Lee Kum Kee Light Soy Sauce 150ml

Barilla Maccheroni No.44 Pasta 500g

kühne - cucumber pickles 1000ml

Fairy Pomegranate Concentrated Washing-Up Liquid provides powerful grease-cutting action with a fruity pomegranate fragrance. Its concentrated formula means a little goes a long way, making it an economical choice for busy kitchens.

• Concentrated formula for long-lasting grease-cutting
• Refreshing pomegranate fragrance
• 450ml bottle