Indian Staples & Value Packs – Europe

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.

Dildaar Extra-Long Basmati in the 10kg sack is for kitchens that cook rice most days, or cook for a crowd. It is long-grain aromatic rice chosen for grain length: the grains elongate as they cook, hold their shape, and stay loose rather than sticking, which is what separates a proper biryani from a pot of savoury rice.

Best for

• Biryani and pulao for large gatherings
• Everyday steamed rice with curries and dal
• Fried rice and jeera rice

How to cook it

Wash the measured quantity gently until the water clears, then soak for twenty to thirty minutes before cooking. On the stove, one cup of soaked rice to one and a half cups of water, brought to a boil then covered on the lowest heat for twelve minutes, gives separate grains; leave it to stand another ten minutes before opening. For biryani, parboil to roughly seventy per cent in heavily salted water, drain well, layer over the meat and cook sealed on low heat. Always fork the rice apart rather than stirring it.

Pack and storage

10kg sack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Move what you are using into an airtight container and keep the rest of the sack closed, away from damp and away from spices whose aroma it will pick up.

Dildaar Basmati Extra Long supplied as a pack of two, for households that get through rice steadily and would rather not reorder every few weeks. It is the same long-grain aromatic rice as the single packs: grains that elongate on cooking, stay separate and firm, and carry a clear aroma that comes through in plain rice as much as in biryani.

Best for

• Biryani and pulao
• Everyday steamed rice with dal and curries
• 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 a long grain to lengthen rather than break. For plain rice, one cup of rice to one and a half cups of water, boiled then covered on the lowest heat for twelve minutes, with ten minutes of resting before the lid comes off. For biryani, parboil to about seventy per cent in salted water, drain, and finish layered on low heat. Loosen the cooked rice with a fork.

Pack and storage

Supplied as a pack of two. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, and leave the second pack unopened until it is needed. Keep rice airtight and away from strong spices, whose aroma basmati absorbs easily.

India Gate Sona Masoori is a medium-grain, lightly polished rice from South India — softer and more absorbent than basmati, and not trying to be it. The grains are shorter, cook fluffy, and take on the flavour of whatever they are served with, which is exactly why it is the everyday rice across Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka.

It is lighter to eat than a long-grain basmati, and the 10 kg bag is sized for a household that cooks rice most days.

Best for

• Everyday steamed rice with sambar, rasam or dal
• Curd rice, where a softer grain is what you want
• Lemon rice, tamarind rice and other South Indian rice dishes
• Idli and dosa batter, ground with urad dal

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times. Sona Masoori needs no long soak — 10 minutes is plenty. Use about 2 parts water to 1 part rice, or cook it in a pressure cooker for 2 to 3 whistles. It is more forgiving than basmati and reheats well.

Pack and storage

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

A combo of the two rices most South Asian households keep side by side, in the 5kg sizes that last: Annam Ponni Boiled Rice 5kg and Dildaar Extra Long Basmati 5kg.

They are not substitutes for each other. Ponni boiled rice is the parboiled South Indian everyday rice — short, firm grains that stay separate and hold up to sambar, rasam, curd rice and a full meals plate. Extra long basmati is the aromatic, slender-grained rice that elongates as it cooks, for biryani, pulao, ghee rice and anything served with a rich North Indian gravy.

Rinse both until the water runs clear. Basmati benefits from a 20–30 minute soak before cooking; ponni does not need one but takes more water and a little longer. Store both in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.

Annam Ponni Boiled Rice in a two-bag pack for households that get through a lot of rice. Ponni is the everyday table rice of Tamil Nadu, and parboiling before milling firms up the grain so cooked rice stays separate and reheats without turning pasty.

Best for

• Daily steamed rice with sambar, rasam and kuzhambu
• Curd rice, lemon rice and tamarind rice
• Lunchboxes and batch cooking, where texture has to hold

How to cook it

Parboiled rice wants more water and more time than raw rice. Rinse twice, then pressure cook one cup to two and a half cups of water for three to four whistles, or boil it in an open pot of plenty of water for about twenty-five minutes and drain. A thirty minute soak shortens the cooking and gives a more even grain.

Pack and storage

Two 5kg bags. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Daawat Basmati Extra Long in the 20 kg green bag, supplied with an extra 2 kg included — 22 kg in total. This is the bulk pack for households that cook rice most days, and for restaurants and caterers who want one grain they can rely on across the menu.

The grains are matured before packing, so they cook dry and separate and stretch noticeably rather than softening. The green bag is the Extra Long grade, a different grain from Daawat's Rozana and Super lines.

Best for

• Biryani in quantity, where every grain needs to stay separate
• Restaurant and catering service
• Households cooking rice daily who would rather buy once a season

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear, then soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Use about 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. Bring to the boil, cover, cook on low for 10 to 12 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes before fluffing.

Pack and storage

20 kg plus 2 kg free. Store in a cool, dry place. For a bag this size, decant what you need into a smaller sealed container and keep the main bag closed.

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.

Aashirvaad Chakki Atta is whole wheat flour ground on a chakki, a stone mill, so the bran and germ stay in the flour instead of being sifted out. It is what a North Indian kitchen means when it says atta, and it makes rotis that stay soft and pliable for hours rather than stiffening as they cool. This is the 10kg sack for a household that makes roti daily.

Best for

• Everyday chapati, roti and phulka
• Paratha, stuffed or plain
• Puri, bhatura and roti dough for the freezer

How to cook it

Work to roughly two parts flour to one part water by volume, adding the water in stages and kneading for five minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Rest it, covered, for fifteen to twenty minutes; kneading and resting are what make the difference between a soft roti and a leathery one. Roll evenly, cook on a tawa hot enough that the roti starts to blister within seconds, turn it once, then lift it onto an open flame or press it with a cloth to puff.

Pack and storage

10kg sack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Keep working quantities in an airtight container and the rest of the sack closed and off the floor.

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.

Udhaiyam Chana Dal (split Bengal gram) is a versatile pulse with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. Used in dal preparations, chutneys, snacks and South Indian tempering, it is a true kitchen essential.

• Split Bengal gram with nutty, sweet flavour
• Ideal for dal, chutney and South Indian tempering
  

Annam Idly Rice is a short, parboiled rice grown and milled specifically for batter, not for the table. Parboiling changes the starch so that ground with urad it ferments reliably and sets into idlis that are soft and spongy rather than dense.

Best for

• Idli batter, ground with whole urad
• Dosa, uttapam and paniyaram batter
• Adai and other ground rice tiffin dishes

How to cook it

This is a grinding rice. Rinse and soak it four to six hours, separately from the urad, then grind it slightly coarse, like fine semolina. Combine with smoothly ground urad at roughly three or four parts rice to one part urad, add salt and ferment eight to twelve hours somewhere warm until it has risen and smells faintly sour. Do not stir it down hard afterwards.

Pack and storage

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

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