42 Essential Ingredients For Indian Cooking

Stone-milled flour — chakki atta in Hindi — is an essential ingredient for Indian bread, including soft and puffy roti, flaky paratha, and crisp puri. You'll soon learn that the key technique for super soft roti lies in an oft-overlooked factor — the flour. Amid all the choices stacking the walls of Indian grocery stores, you only need to focus on one: chakki atta, the perfect flour for making restaurant-style flatbreads to mop up aromatic curries.

While common substitutes like medium atta and wholegrain flour are workable, they're coarser, lacking the delicacy and nutty flavor of chakki atta. Compare it to the difference between all-purpose flour and 00 flour for pizza: It's a game changer.

India boasts the largest number of vegetarians with studies suggesting that 24% to 39% of the country's 1.4 billion population abstains from meat. The affordability and impressive nutritious profile of lentils means that India's traditional meals heavily rely on the pulse, with most Indian families eating dal (lentil dishes) daily.

Toor dal is less easily available in the West than other varieties of lentils, but it's worth a trip to your local Indian supermarket. The pulse has a creamy and nutty flavor profile with a robust texture that requires slow cooking. Its versatility and superior taste make it the most coveted lentil in India, commonly used in dal tadka, vegetable sambar, and dhansak.

Aside from pasta and European semolina milk pudding, this pale-yellow flour is woefully underutilized in Western gastronomy. Conversely, semolina is a pantry mainstay for all Indian chefs who use the ingredient for sweet and savory treats.

Sooji halwa, a sweet semolina pudding, involves cooking the golden grain with milk, rich ghee, nuts, saffron, and floral cardamon. When roasted with coconut and rolled into round truffles, the semolina transforms into a festive confectionary known as laddu (or ladoo).

However, the coarse grain — made from the hardest of all wheat — is unbelievably versatile. It plays a particularly prevalent role in South Indian cuisine, serving as the foundation for the spice-laced Indian breakfast named upma, a crisp and lacey variety of dosa, and instant fluffy idli.

Few meals beat the heady aromatic spices, marinated proteins, and fluffy, separated grains of rice that make up biryani. Even its less fancy cousin, pulao, is a sight to behold, with each grain holding more sweetness, earthiness, and spiciness than you can imagine.

So, what's the secret to making restaurant-style biryani at home? Basmati rice is crucial for biryani thanks to two factors: It's a long-grain rice, meaning it possesses beautifully lengthy and separated grains and, crucially, has a desirable toasty aroma.

As aforementioned, basmati isn't just good for biryani; it's great steamed and served alongside creamy curries. If you've got a sweet tooth, simmer the rice in a sweet cardamon and saffron-infused milk to make a time-honored dessert, chawal ki kheer.

Many eager food enthusiasts make the mistake of not exploring the diverse array of Indian rice varieties on offer. Yes, basmati remains the archetypal choice for some recipes, but many more await discovery. Generally, it's good practice to include one long-grain rice in your pantry (where basmati shines) and then one short-grain rice, namely ambemohar, which translates from Marathi to mean "mango blossom," due to its glorious scent.

The buttery flavor and floral fragrance are even more delightful than basmati — and ambemohar boasts versatility, too. Ambemohar is an ideal choice for sour tamarind rice, tangy lemon rice, creamy coconut rice, cooling curd rice, or even spicy bisi bele bath.

Chickpea flour (besan in Hindi or garbanzo bean flour in the U.S.) is a must-have ingredient for those interested in Indian cuisine. It's a tremendous all-rounder, capable of making breakfast, lunch, and even dessert recipes. As the name implies, grinding chickpeas into fine flour creates the product, resulting in a nutty aroma and earthy flavor. It's also gluten-free and higher in plant-based proteins and fiber than traditional wheat-based flour.

Use chickpea flour to make a variety of classic Indian dishes, including a wheat-free savory breakfast crepe, vegan besan cheela, tangy Punjabi kadhi with crispy air fryer pakoras, spongy and fluffy steamed dhokla, or sweet and fudgy besan burfi.

While we typically associate Indian food with spice, to make restaurant-quality Indian food at home, you need to balance flavors. That means investing in ingredients that provide sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness, and umami. Adding tamarind to Indian dishes is an age-old method to infuse your cooking with extra sourness, although the fruit also brings subtle sweetness.

Commonly found in South Indian recipes, tamarind is a favorite addition to lentil dal or fiery, salty, and broth-like rasam. In chutney form, tamarind is a vital component of the famous street food chaat — although any dish is guaranteed to be improved with a drizzle of tamarind chutney.

When imaging using coconut in recipes, you probably think of Thai cuisine. However, coastal India — notably the Western and Southern regions — is renowned for using the ingredient. Traditional Indian gastronomy uses three main types of coconut: fresh coconut, coconut milk, or dried coconut. Each has a specific usage, and each is invaluable.

Fresh coconut is used grated as a garnish or cut into large pieces, roasted over an open flame, and puréed into a richly nutty sauce. On the other hand, coconut milk can be added to lentils or curries, acting as a thickener, spice soother, and flavor enhancer. It's typically found in South Indian fish, vegetable and lentil dishes, and chicken curries. Dried coconut, the most accessible of all the options, is excellent for desserts.

Alongside fresh coriander, mint might be the second-most used herb in Indian kitchens. The subtlely sweet notes combined with its cooling effect make the herb the perfect companion to pungent Indian eats. While fresh coriander is typically paired with curries, mint finds its companion in bread and rice dishes. Pudina paratha, a flaky layered bread, is a must-try alongside succulent Indian curries. Also, mint-infused rice is gorgeously fragrant.

Furthermore, mint's freshness on the palate lends itself to drinks. Lemon and mint sherbert is an in-demand summer cooler, while the spicy and nourishing properties of a jal jeera drink are always a hit.

We've all squirted yellow mustard over our hotdogs or paired wholegrain French mustard with cheese, but do you have whole black mustard seeds in your spice cabinet? Indian food may not be the first cuisine you associate with the pungent, bitter spice, but they are exceedingly common in pickles, curries, and lentil dishes.

Black mustard seeds are generally considered the hottest of all mustard varieties, but when fried in oil, their pungency mellows to a sweet, mildly nutty bite. Often paired with cumin seeds, the spice forms the fundamental basic flavor of Indian pickles and is featured heavily in West and South Indian regional cuisine.

India doesn't have a booming cheese culture like in Europe or the U.S. Be that as it may, there is one cheese beloved countrywide: paneer. This rustic cheese is made by boiling milk, separating the curds from the whey, then straining and pressing the curds. Once set, the cheese has a bouncy texture and a mild, creamy taste. On account of its straightforward preparation, many Indian households make vegetarian cheese fresh daily, although it's also available to purchase in Indian grocery stores.

Paneer is unique due to its high melting point, meaning it will develop a beautiful golden crust when fried. Due to this attribute, it's a popular choice for curries, including palak paneer and matar paneer. The relatively mild flavor means it's also compatible with sweet desserts.

Say hello to the most attractive spice on the block: star anise. These pretty little stars are dried seed pods from the fruit of a tree native to East Asia and command a strong licorice flavor comparable to aniseed — a similarly named yet distinct spice. Much like other aromatic spices, star anise shines when slowly simmered in decadent sauces alongside other fragrant seasonings.

It's not just a pretty face, either. Both traditional Asian medicine and modern Western studies show that anise spice has compounds capable of boosting antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Now, if that's not a good reason to stock up, we don't know what is!

You're not likely to find a bunch of fresh curry leaves at your local grocery store. This aromatic herb is a specialist ingredient you'll need to seek out online or from your neighborhood South Asian grocer, but we promise it's worth it. Curry leaves are unassociated with curry powder (not a traditional Indian ingredient) and grow on large trees native to India. The herb, when harvested, boasts a punchy citrusy flavor comparable to lemongrass and adds complexity to any dish.

If you're a fan of South Indian food, curry leaves are a basic necessity. They're most commonly tempered in oil with other spices and poured over dishes at the last minute or gently left to simmer and impart their characteristic flavors.

Dried red chilis are valuable to have on hand for one particular Indian cooking method known for adding depths of flavor to spices: tadka. Also known as tempering in English, it involves heating fat until smoking, then adding whole spices to the hot oil. When poured over the dish, the tempering imbues it with an extra layer of complexity. Dried red chilis are often preferred to chili powder, as they're less likely to burn and become bitter.

There are many varieties of dried red chilis to test. Kashmiri chilis are the most widespread, thanks to their relative mildness, depth of flavor, and bright red color. If you're ambitious, you can grind the dried chilis into a fresh chili powder — it'll taste much better than buying it from the store.

Lentils have many more uses than you can imagine. Urad dal has two forms: whole, with a black outer covering, and split, with a creamy off-white color. The latter is a must-have for any cook passionate about Indian food. You can soak and grind the lentils, then fry them to make fluffy, spongy medu vada, or dunk them in yogurt for dahi vada. When mixed with rice and fermented, urad dal forms the basis of South Indian breakfast classic masala dosa, uttapam, and idli. Alternatively, chefs can use the lentils as a stuffing for crispy fritters or temper them in oil to top chutneys, curries, and rice.

We're all about the snacks and bread here. Who can get enough of either one? And besides, the main dishes don't taste nearly as good without something extra on the side. Ajwain isn't ordinarily used in the centerpiece dishes, but it does feature heavily in Indian snacks. Notably, pakora batter benefits from a sprinkling of fragrant thyme-scented ajwain, and several Indian doughs, including homemade buttery samosa dough, traditionally involve adding ajwain. The nuanced, sophisticated flavors from this tiny seed aren't food in any other element, making it an essential pantry staple.

We admit it. We're guilty of using almost 10 garlic cloves instead of three like the recipe indicated. But, can you blame us? Garlic is an absolute powerhouse ingredient, providing pungency when raw (as in chutneys) and a mellow, buttery sweetness when slow-cooked in curries. It's no surprise that the aromatic bulb is essential for Indian gastronomy, with the ancient aryuvedic system recognizing its medicinal properties and complex tastes. Most savory dishes start by sautéing crushed, minced, or puréed garlic alongside onion and ginger, forming a gorgeously sweet base for fiery spices to build upon later.

When Portuguese explorers brought tomatoes by shipload to India in the early 16th century, they could have never imagined the impact it would have on South Asian cuisine. Centuries later, India abounds with moreish recipes capitalizing on tangy, sweet savouriness of cooked tomatoes. Almost all Punjabi dishes — and a wide number of other regional recipes, including famed classics such as butter chicken and pav bhaji — begin with a base of reduced, caramelized, jammy tomatoes.

You'll find the fruit invaluable, not simply for supplying a deep umami flavor, but also thickening velvety sauces and adding a striking red color to tempting bowls. Fresh tomatoes are best, as canned often add a touch too much acidity.

Cooking a soup or casserole involves using bay leaves. But, did you know that there are different types of bay leaves? The same herb you use in your European recipes tastes substantially different from the leaves simmering away in a tempting chana masala. One of a select group of essential aromatic spices, Indian bay leaves are larger and have three characteristic veins running down their length. Almost exclusively used in spice blends, the beginning stages of curry, and to scent rice dishes, Indian bay leaves have an unmissable aroma of muted cinnamon.

There are countless distinct spice blends in Indian cuisine, including regional and dish-specific mixes. Nevertheless, the most prevalent by a long shot is garam masala, which literally translates to "hot spices." Due to its widespread demand, there are many interpretations of homemade garam masala, but all will incorporate beautifully toasted aromatic spices.

Garam masala is a finishing spice — it's added to the dish within the last minutes of cooking. Since the spices have already been roasted, further frying the garam masala will dull its aroma. The blend complements rich and creamy curries exquisitely, and a slight trace lifts any dish to new heights. Use it in moderation; a little goes a long way.

While the main protein, lentil, or vegetable used in cooking Indian curries is interchangeable, the base of these succulent and flavorsome dishes usually involves a few repeat characters. Red onions are almost guaranteed to find a place in your cooking, as they provide a sweet caramelized savory taste and add to the thick body of the sauce. We recommend hunting down small red onions for Indian recipes due to their peppery overtones. Additionally, it's customary to serve raw onion alongside your meals in India. Red onion is considered the best choice — not only for its attractive color but also its crisp bite.