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India Gate Excel Extra Long Basmati in the 5kg pack is the size for a household that cooks rice regularly rather than occasionally. It is the extra-long-grain line: grains that lengthen visibly on cooking, hold firm at the centre and stay loose in the pot, which is what a biryani needs if the rice is not to collapse into the masala.

Best for

• Biryani and pulao for a full table
• Everyday steamed rice with curry and dal
• Jeera rice and fried rice

How to cook it

Wash gently until the water clears and soak for twenty to thirty minutes before cooking. For plain rice, one cup of soaked rice to one and a half cups of water, boiled then covered on the lowest heat for ten to twelve minutes, with five minutes of resting before opening. For biryani, parboil in plenty of salted water to roughly seventy per cent, drain well, layer and finish sealed on low heat. Fork the grains apart at the end.

Pack and storage

5kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Keep it in an airtight container away from damp and strong-smelling spices.

Schani Natural Kolhapuri Jaggery Block is an unrefined, chemical-free sweetener made from sugarcane juice. This traditional sweetener is ideal for Indian sweets, desserts, and beverages.

Aachi Ginger Garlic Paste in the 1kg tub is the catering size, for households that cook Indian food daily and for anyone feeding a crowd. It is the same ground ginger and garlic as the smaller jar, just enough of it that you are not reaching for a replacement every fortnight.

Best for

• Everyday curry and dal bases
• Large-batch marinades for chicken and mutton
• Biryani and pulao cooked in quantity

Using it

Use about a tablespoon for every 500g of meat, or for a curry serving four. Add it once the onions have softened, fry on medium heat for a minute or two until the raw smell lifts, and only then add tomato or water. With a tub this size, decant a week's worth into a small jar and keep the main tub closed and cold, so the whole quantity is not opened and warmed each time you cook. Always use a clean, dry spoon.

Pack and storage

1kg tub. Store in a cool, dry place; keep sealed and refrigerated after opening.

TRS Gram Flour is besan, milled from split brown chickpeas — pale yellow, savoury, and naturally gluten-free. This is the 2 kg pack, the size that makes sense if you fry pakora regularly or cook for a large household.

Best for

• Pakora, bhajia and fritter batters in quantity
• Kadhi, besan chilla and dhokla
• Besan laddu, Mysore pak, and thickening gravies

How to cook it

Whisk the flour into the water gradually rather than the reverse — besan lumps at the first opportunity. Pakora batter wants the thickness of double cream and ten minutes of rest. For kadhi, blend the besan into cold yoghurt and raise the heat slowly, stirring, so it does not split. Either way, cook it a good ten minutes to lose the raw taste.

Pack and storage

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

TRS Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small, dark brown chickpeas with a firm skin and a deeper, nuttier taste than the larger white kabuli type. They hold their shape in the pot, so they stay whole in a curry instead of breaking down.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and Punjabi chana curry
• Sundal and chaat
• Sprouting, and adding to salads

How to cook it

Soak overnight, or at least eight hours, in plenty of water — they roughly double in size. Drain, rinse, then pressure cook with fresh water and a little salt for 5 to 6 whistles, or simmer for about an hour until a chickpea crushes easily between finger and thumb. Keep some of the cooking liquid back; it thickens the gravy nicely.

Pack and storage

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

Annam Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) in a larger pack, the small dark chickpea with a firm skin that holds its shape through long cooking. It is denser and earthier than the white kabuli chickpea and does not break down into a purée, which is why it works as well cold as hot.

Best for

• Kala chana masala and Punjabi-style gravies
• Sundal for festivals, tempered with coconut and curry leaf
• Sprouting for salads and chaat

How to cook it

Soak overnight in plenty of water; eight hours is the minimum and twelve is better. Drain, then pressure cook one cup with three cups of fresh water for six to eight whistles until they crush easily between finger and thumb. Salt after cooking. To sprout them, soak overnight, drain and leave loosely covered for a day.

Pack and storage

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

Haldiram's Bombay Mixture is the western Indian style of namkeen — thin sev, fried split peas and lentils, peanuts and curry leaves tossed in a tangy, chilli-warm masala. It is sharper and more citrusy than a Punjabi mix, with the curry leaf coming through clearly.

Best with

• Chai in the evening
• Snacking with cold drinks
• Mixing into bhel or sprinkling over chaat

Pack and storage

200 g pack. Store in a cool, dry place and keep sealed after opening.