14 Canned Foods To Look Out For In Indian Grocery Stores

Naturally sweet, jackfruit is a tropical fruit with pebble-like skin and yellowish, stringy flesh that is native to South India. When it's perfectly ripe, jackfruit boasts notes of pineapple and banana, while young green jackfruit is less sweet, with a texture that many compare to cooked, shredded chicken. The largest tree fruit in the world, jackfruit is packed with nutrition, including immune-boosting vitamins A and C (via Healthline).

When it comes to cooking, jackfruit is a multi-purpose fruit. Its fibrous texture and ability to take on savory flavors make it an ideal vegan-approved fill-in for shredded meat: a pulled jackfruit taco recipe gives the meat-filled versions a run for the money. On the sweeter side, jackfruit delivers a unique multi-fruit flavor to puddings, ice creams, and cakes. Chef Maneet Chauhan even used jackfruit to whip up a new take on an American classic: jackfruit upside-down cake.

Jackfruit is commonly used in South and Southeast Asian cuisines but can be challenging to find at your local grocer. Thankfully, it's also canned, and you can easily find it at your favorite Indian grocer or on Amazon.

Coconut cream is made from blended, fresh coconuts. The canned cream has a higher fat content than coconut milk, making it a vegan substitute for recipes that call for cream made from dairy. Considered a staple in several Southeast Asian countries, you can easily find coconut cream in the canned goods section of your local grocer. Dairy-free and unsweetened, with a touch of coconut flavor, coconut cream works incredibly well as a creamy, decadent (keto-friendly!) addition to curries and soups. 

Coconut cream can also readily replicate dairy in countless types of baked goods. Keep canned coconut cream stocked in your pantry so you can whip up last-minute desserts like coconut crepe cake recipe, a coconut custard pie recipe, or some golden milk vegan ice cream. Hot summer days might call for a cool and refreshing piña colada in the comfort of your own home kitchen thanks to canned pineapple and cream of coconut, plus a little rum and ice.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is a staple in many Indian kitchens and can be used in a 1:1 ratio with butter. The difference between ghee and butter is simple: Ghee doesn't contain milk solids and any water is removed during the cooking process, so it's essentially 100% pure butterfat. Ghee is made by simmering butter over a stovetop and then clarifying it, or separating the milk solids and water over low heat. 

Because it is dairy-free, ghee has a higher smoking point than regular butter — it can be heated to about 450 degrees — so it's great for stir-frying, sautéing, deep-frying, and searing. It even tastes great drizzled over popcorn! Ghee's versatility goes beyond the kitchen: In India, ghee is an essential element of Ayurvedic medicine and is also used as a skin and hair moisturizing agent. It's often available in a glass jar and can be stored in your pantry.

India is known for its street food, with carts serving up on-the-go delights across the country. Bhel puri, a crunchy salad with sweet and sour elements, is one of India's most beloved and irresistible street snacks. Though the recipe likely originated in Mumbai, you can find Bhel puri on street carts across India today. It's easy to make at home, too, with ingredients that can be found at your local Indian grocer: Simply mix puffed rice with sev (crunchy, vermicelli noodles made from besan flour), add chopped onions, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and cooked potatoes, then stir in bhel puri concentrate, a sweet, tart chutney that's available in glass jars. 

Every chef seems to have a different take on bhel puri toppings, with some chefs garnishing the dish with raw sweet mango and others with diced onions; some chefs add chopped green chilies for a mouth-tingling take. Bhel puri concentrate is rich in flavor thanks to tamarind, dates, mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chili, and spices, including cumin, black pepper, crushed red pepper, fennel, and dried mango.

Curry paste is the key to crafting delicious, vibrant curries in a pinch at home. Curry paste is typically made with the same staple Indian spices you'll find in curry powder blends — turmeric, coriander, chili powder, and cumin — but the addition of oil, garlic, and chilies for its powerful punch of flavor. You'll usually find three types of curry paste at your local Indian grocery: Red curry paste is typically the spiciest; green curry paste is mild with herbaceous notes; yellow curry paste is warming, mild, and slightly sweet. 

Unsurprisingly, paste is commonly used to up the flavor ante in the base of a curry dish, but it also works well as a marinade or as a rub for chicken, fish, or beef. Add to any soup or stew at the beginning of the cooking process. Mix curry paste with yogurt for a dipping sauce or with vinegar for an Indian-inspired salad dressing. Store your curry paste in the pantry, and upon opening the jar, keep it stored in the fridge.

Aromatic, rich, creamy, and buttery — Makhani means "with butter" in Urdu — dal makhani is a classic Punjabi dish. Preparing Makhani sauce at home, however, requires hours, as you'll also need to soak the black lentils and red beans and simmer for hours. Jyoti Natural Foods was founded in Pennsylvania in 1979 by Jyoti Gupta, who wanted to introduce homestyle Indian cuisine to the U.S. Today, the company produces and markets a wide range of homestyle Indian dishes that can be prepared by simply opening a can, heating, and serving.

For a protein-rich, vegetarian main dish in seconds, a can of Jyoti Natural Foods' Dal Makhani, made of spiced black lentils and red beans is easy enough to heat and serve over basmati rice (especially when using tips for making basmati rice fluffier) or with naan, the classic Indian flatbread. You can also give a recipe for naan with nigella seeds and cilantro a try! 

Jyoti also makes canned Matar Paneer, a potato-and-pea curry, and Dehli-style saag, a spinach curry, two classic Indian dishes that also take hours to prepare from scratch and are best served with basmati or naan.

From pantry to plate, it's never been easier to whip up an Indian meal in mere minutes thanks to Kitchens of India, a company known across the globe for its ready-to-eat meal pouches. Featuring a wide range of dishes from across the Indian sub-continent, Kitchens of India packs classic dishes into shelf-stable pouches that stay fresh in your pantry for over a year. Fortunately, these pre-made meal kits are easily found at Indian grocers stateside. 

The many dishes available in pouch form include black lentil curry, sag paneer (spinach with cottage cheese), rajma masala (red kidney bean curry), navratan korma (mixed vegetable and cottage cheese curry), pav bhaji (mashed vegetable curry), and pindi chana (chickpea curry). Simply microwave for 1-2 minutes or boil for 3-4 minutes and you'll have a delicious, authentic Indian meal ready to go. Bonus: Kitchens of India is a sustainable company, and has been carbon, water, and solid-waste recycling positive for over a decade.

From lentils to chickpeas to kidney beans, beans are featured in so many plant-powered Indian dishes. Smart home chefs stock up on cases of canned beans at local Indian grocery stores. Why? Canned beans not only make is easy to pull together a healthy dinner in a pinch, but they're also affordable and can be stored long-term in your pantry, so you're less likely to rely on carry-out when your craving Indian cuisine. Dried beans require hours of soaking and simmering, and so can't be used to whip up a last-minute meal. 

Just like dried beans, canned beans are packed with plant-powered protein and nutrients such as iron and folate (via Healthline). But note that one can of canned beans can contain up to 570 mg of salt, 25% of the recommended daily intake, so if you're watching your sodium intake, you're better off with dried beans.