September 21, 2014

Indian Pantry Must-Haves


I recently started a group on Facebook called Indian Plant Based Whole Food Junkies and one of the questions asked almost within the first couple of days of the group's inception was "What are the most essential items in an Indian Pantry?" .. so by popular demand, here's a list. I've listed most of the ingredients I have in  my pantry and marked them as Essential, Useful and Occasional.


Spices:

Ajwain (Carom seeds) (O)
Bay Leaves (U)
Black Pepper and Black peppercorns (U)
Cardamom, Black (U)
Chat Masala (U)
Chilli Powder (U)
Cinnamon (sticks or ground) (U)
Cloves (whole or ground) (U)
Coriander (Cilantro) Seeds (whole or ground) (E)
Cumin Seeds (whole or ground) (E)
Fennel Seeds (O)
Fenugreek Seed (O)
Garam Masala (U)
Mango Powder (Amchoor) (O)
Mustard Seeds (U)
Nigella or Onion Seeds (O)
Nutmeg (U)
Pomegranate Seeds (O)
Poppy Seeds (O)
Saffron (O)
Sesame Seeds (O)
Star Anise (O)
Turmeric (E)
Salt (E)

Dry Pantry:

Chickpea Flour (U)
Dried and/or Canned Beans, all varieties (E)
   Kidney Beans
   Pinto Beans
   Chick Peas
   Black Gram (Dark Chick Peas)
   Black Eyed Peas
Dried Lentils (Whole, Split and Skinned varieties) (E)
   Arhar (Toor) Dal
   Chana Dal
   Masoor Dal
   Mung Dal
   Urad Dal
Garlic (E)
Onions, preferably red (E)
Rice, Basmati, Brown or White (E)
Tamarind Pods or Paste (U)
Tomatoes, Canned (diced, paste, sauce) (U)
Whole Wheat Flour (for home-made bread) (U)

Refrigerator or Freezer:

Cilantro Leaves (U)
Coconut Flakes (U)
Coconut Milk (O)
Curry Leaves, fresh or frozen (O)
Ginger, fresh (E)
Ginger-Garlic Paste (U)
Mint Leaves (U)
Tomatoes (E)



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