Pantry Staples

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.

Barilla - Spaghetti

kühne - cucumber pickles 1000ml

Couscous 500g

Annam Pigeon Peas (Toor Dal) are split pigeon peas, the yellow lentil at the base of everyday South Indian cooking. They cook down to a soft, slightly sweet purée that carries tamarind and tempering better than firmer lentils do.

Best for

• Sambar and vegetable kootu
• Everyday dal with tomato and tempering
• Dal palak, dal fry and pappu with greens

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear and soak for twenty to thirty minutes, which makes a noticeable difference to how evenly it breaks down. Pressure cook one cup of dal with two and a half to three cups of water and a pinch of turmeric for three to four whistles, then mash it smooth. Salt goes in after cooking, since adding it early keeps the lentils firm.

Pack and storage

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

Annam Sona Masoori is a medium-grain raw rice and the everyday table rice of Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka. Cooked grains are soft and slightly clingy rather than long and separate, which is exactly what you want under sambar, rasam or a curry.

Best for

• Everyday steamed rice with sambar, rasam or curd
• Lemon rice, curd rice and tamarind rice
• Pongal, bisibelebath and light pulao

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs mostly clear. In a pressure cooker use one cup of rice to two cups of water for two whistles, then let the pressure drop on its own. In an open pot use one cup to two and a half and drain any excess. A twenty minute soak makes the grains a little softer and slightly quicker to cook.

Pack and storage

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

TRS Boiled Black Beans are black turtle beans already cooked and tinned in water, ready to drain and use. They keep a soft, floury centre and hold their shape, which saves the overnight soak and the hour of simmering that dried beans need.

Best for

• Rice and bean dishes, and burrito or taco fillings
• Soups, chillies and stews
• Salads, and quick weeknight curries

How to cook it

Drain and rinse in cold water to wash off the starchy tinning liquid, which otherwise thickens and clouds a dish. They are already cooked, so they only need warming through — five minutes in a sauce is enough, and longer will turn them to mush. Season at the end; salt added to the pan early firms the skins.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Boiled Black Eye Beans are lobiya, cooked and tinned in water, ready to drain and use. They are creamy and mild with the small dark eye that gives them their name, and they hold together well rather than collapsing.

Best for

• Lobiya masala and quick bean curries
• Sundal, and South Indian coconut stir-fries
• Salads, soups and rice dishes

How to cook it

Drain and rinse under cold water first to remove the starchy liquid from the tin. They are fully cooked, so add them to a finished onion and tomato masala and warm through for five minutes rather than boiling them again. If the gravy needs thickening, crush a spoonful of the beans against the side of the pan.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, move any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

Barilla Maccheroni No.44 Pasta 500g

TRS Boiled Butter Beans are large flat lima beans, cooked and tinned in water. They have a soft, buttery, almost mealy texture and a very mild flavour that takes on whatever they are cooked with.

Best for

• Coconut-based curries and Caribbean-style stews
• Soups, casseroles and bean salads
• Mashing into dips and spreads

How to cook it

Drain and rinse gently — the beans are large and soft and break easily under a running tap. Fold them into a sauce at the very end and heat for three or four minutes only; stirring hard will turn them into a purée. Their mildness needs help, so be generous with garlic, chilli and a squeeze of lemon.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Boiled Chick Peas are kabuli chana, cooked and tinned in water, ready to drain and use. They are firm enough to hold their shape in a curry but soft enough to blend smooth, which makes this the most useful tin in the cupboard.

Best for

• Chana masala and chole
• Hummus, and blended dips
• Salads, chaat and quick stews

How to cook it

Drain and rinse to wash off the thick tinning liquid. For a curry, add them to the finished masala and simmer for eight to ten minutes so they take up the flavour, crushing a few against the pan to thicken the gravy. For hummus, warm them briefly first and rub off the loose skins — it makes a noticeably smoother result.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused chickpeas to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Boiled Chick Peas are kabuli chana, cooked and tinned in water — this is the large 800 g tin, roughly double the usual size and sized for cooking for a crowd. They hold their shape in a gravy and blend smooth when you want them to.

Best for

• Chana masala and chole for a large table
• Big batches of hummus
• Salads, soups and stews

How to cook it

Drain and rinse well. Add to a finished onion and tomato masala and simmer eight to ten minutes, mashing a few chickpeas against the pan to thicken the sauce. Because the tin is large, portion out what you need and refrigerate the rest in their own liquid rather than dry — they keep better that way for a day or two.

Pack and storage

800 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused chickpeas to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Boiled Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana) are the small dark brown chickpeas, cooked and tinned in water. They have a firmer skin and a nuttier, earthier taste than white chickpeas, and tinning saves the overnight soak they would otherwise need.

Best for

• Kala chana masala
• Sundal, and festival and fasting dishes
• Chaat, and salads

How to cook it

Drain and rinse before use. Add them to a hot tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and grated coconut for sundal, or to an onion and tomato masala and simmer for ten minutes for a curry. They are already soft, so they need warming rather than cooking, and they will stay whole if you stir gently.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused chickpeas to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Boiled Rosecoco Beans are borlotti-type beans, cooked and tinned in water. They are speckled pink and cream in the packet, turning an even brown once cooked, with a smooth, chestnut-like texture and a mild, slightly sweet taste.

Best for

• East African bean stews and githeri
• Soups, minestrone and casseroles
• Bean salads, and coconut curries

How to cook it

Drain and rinse before use. They are fully cooked, so fold them into a finished sauce and warm through for five to ten minutes. They break down more readily than kidney beans, which is useful if you want a thick, creamy stew — crush a spoonful against the pan and stir it back in.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

TRS Canned Red Kidney Beans are rajma, cooked and tinned in water, ready to drain and use. They keep their deep red skin and soft, floury middle, and save the overnight soak and long boil that dried kidney beans demand.

Best for

• Rajma masala with rice
• Chilli, soups and stews
• Salads, and quick bean wraps

How to cook it

Drain and rinse thoroughly — the tinning liquid is starchy and will cloud a gravy. Because they are already cooked, add them to a finished onion, tomato and ginger-garlic masala and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes so they take on the flavour. Mash a few beans against the side of the pan to give rajma its characteristic thick gravy.

Pack and storage

400 g tin. Store in a cool, dry place. Once opened, transfer any unused beans to a covered container and refrigerate.

Annam Black Gram (Urid Dal Chilka) is urad split in half with the dark skin left on, which is what the word chilka refers to. It cooks softer than whole urad but keeps more texture and a deeper, earthier taste than the skinless white dal.

Best for

• Urad chilka dal with ginger and garlic
• Mixed dal, panchmel dal and dhaba-style lentils
• Adding body to dosa and adai batters

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear and soak for about an hour. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of water and a pinch of turmeric for four to five whistles, then finish with a tempering of cumin, garlic and chilli in ghee. It thickens as it stands, so keep a little hot water aside to loosen it before serving.

Pack and storage

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

Barilla Mini Penne Rigate No.66 Pasta 500g

TRS Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are split, skinned lentils with a bright salmon-orange colour that turns pale gold once cooked. They are the quickest dal in the cupboard — no soaking needed, and they break down to a soft purée in under half an hour.

Best for

• Everyday masoor dal with a garlic tempering
• Thick lentil soups and stews
• Khichdi, and thickening vegetable dishes

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear. Simmer with about 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 20 to 25 minutes, skimming the foam that rises in the first few minutes, or pressure cook for 2 whistles. Stir towards the end so it does not catch on the base. Finish with ghee or oil tempered with cumin, garlic and dried chilli.

Pack and storage

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

TRS Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are split, skinned lentils, orange in the packet and pale gold on the plate. They need no soaking and cook faster than any other dal, which makes them the one to reach for on a weeknight.

Best for

• Everyday masoor dal
• Lentil soups and one-pot stews
• Khichdi, and soft first foods

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Simmer with roughly 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 20 to 25 minutes, or pressure cook for 2 whistles, skimming the foam early on. Whisk briefly at the end if you want it smooth. A tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli in hot ghee finishes it.

Pack and storage

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

TRS Toor Dal is split pigeon pea, also sold as tuvar or arhar dal. It is the backbone of sambar and of most everyday North Indian dals, cooking down to a smooth, mildly sweet golden purée.

This is the larger 2 kg pack, which suits a household cooking dal several times a week.

Best for

• Sambar
• Dal tadka and dal fry
• Gujarati dal, and rasam

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times. A 20 minute soak shortens the cooking but is not essential. Pressure cook with about 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 3 to 4 whistles, or simmer for 35 to 45 minutes until the grains collapse when pressed. Finish with a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, garlic and curry leaves.

Pack and storage

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

Annam Split Chickpeas (Chana Dal) in a larger bag for households that cook it often. Husked and split brown chickpeas, firm enough to stay in recognisable pieces after cooking, with a nutty taste that suits both wet dals and dry stir-fried sides.

Best for

• Dal with bottle gourd, pumpkin or spinach
• Sundal, paruppu usili and koshimbir
• Tempering, where a spoonful fried in oil adds crunch

How to cook it

Soak for an hour or more before cooking, since chana dal is the slowest of the common lentils. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of water and turmeric for four to five whistles if you want it soft, or three if the dish needs whole pieces. Add salt only after it is cooked. Drain and cool it fully before grinding for vada.

Pack and storage

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

Annam Black Gram (Urid Dal Gota) is whole urad with the skin removed, so the grains are round and white rather than black. This is the form used for batter, because it grinds to a smooth paste that traps air and gives idli and vada their lift.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter, ground with rice or idly rawa
• Medu vada and thayir vada
• Papad and batter-based tiffin dishes

How to cook it

For batter, rinse and soak four to six hours with a teaspoon of fenugreek seed, then grind with very little cold water until light and fluffy. Combine with soaked rice in roughly one part urad to three or four parts rice, add salt and ferment overnight in a warm place. For vada, grind thick and use the batter straight away.

Pack and storage

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

Annam Black Gram (Urid Dal Gota) in a smaller pack, whole skinless urad with the round white grains used for grinding rather than for dal. It is the batter lentil, valued because it whips up light and holds air through fermentation.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter
• Medu vada, ulundu vadai and thayir vada
• Ulundhu kanji and batter-based tiffin dishes

How to cook it

Rinse well, then soak four to six hours, adding a teaspoon of fenugreek seed if you are making idli. Grind with small additions of cold water until the paste is smooth and visibly aerated. Mix with ground soaked rice at about one part urad to three or four parts rice, salt it and leave it to ferment overnight somewhere warm.

Pack and storage

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

MAMA, Instant Noodles Chicken Spicy, 90g