If you enjoy cooking different cuisines on any given day of the week, a stocked pantry is a must. This list of 20 pantry staple ingredients for Indian cooking will have you ready to enjoy your favorite tandoori recipes, dals, and naans, on demand!
Top 5 Favorite Indian Recipes
- Authentic tandoori chicken tikka: This tandoori chicken tikka recipe is an authentic way to enjoy an Indian favorite at home, without using a tandoor!
- Restaurant-style butter chicken: This restaurant-style butter chicken, otherwise known as murgh makhani, tastes just like your favorite Indian restaurant version, with a few tweaks to make it easy and weeknight-friendly.
- Chicken yakhni pulao: Chicken yakhni pulao is an Indian (and Pakistani) take on comforting chicken and rice. Packed with tender chicken, and perfectly spiced, and fluffy onion rice, this chicken pulao is a meal all by itself, but even better when paired with a fresh kachumber salad.
- Punjabi dal makhani: This restaurant-style Punjabi dal makhani is a spin on a classic, made quicker and easier in the Instant Pot. Pantry staple lentils get a spicy twist with a perfectly creamy and luscious gravy.
- Tandoor style naan: This tandoor style tawa naan is an incredibly easy way to achieve restaurant-level results at home. This egg-free is low maintenance to come together and cooks up on a cast iron skillet.
Dried Spices
Cumin
Cumin (jeera) is one of the main building blocks of Indian cooking, with a smokey, nutty flavor. Many Indian recipes will call for toasting cumin seeds in oil as a base for sauces and gravies.
Whether you use whole cumin seeds or ground cumin seeds is up to individual preference, as it comes down to texture.
I personally prefer to use ground cumin in my recipes, as I am not a fan of biting down on whole seeds.
Coriander
Coriander (dhaniya) seeds are the seed version of green, leafy cilantro. Much like cumin, this is another building block that is used in many Indian recipes when toasted in oil.
Coriander is less smokey than cumin, and more floral and citrusy in flavor. It is a little bit milder in flavor, which is why it is so commonly used in combination with cumin.
Just like with cumin, whole seeds versus powder is a matter of preference. Coriander seeds are slightly bigger than cumin seeds, so if texture is a concern for you, powder will probably work better.
Turmeric
Indian cooking typically calls for dried, ground turmeric (haldi). This is important to note, as you can often find fresh turmeric in many grocery stores.
Turmeric has great health benefits but is mostly used in Indian cooking for the distinct, bright color that it adds to most recipes.
You will notice that most recipes do not call for large amounts of turmeric, as turmeric can get bitter if you use too much.
Kashmiri red chili
Kashmiri chili powder (Kashmiri mirch) is another fantastic way to add distinct color to Indian recipes.
This chili powder is actually on the milder side, so it will not overpower your dish with heat. This chili powder is a great way to add a bright red color without using artificial food coloring.
You will likely need to go to an Indian or Asian market to find this chili powder - it is not commonly found in most grocery stores.
Red chili powder
Red chili powder (laal mirch) is not the same as chilli powder that you will find in most North American grocery stores.
American chilli powder is a mixture of spices that is used in Tex-Mex cooking.
Red chili powder, on the other hand, is made of dried red chilies. This adds that layer of heat that most people associate with Indian cooking.
Red chili powder is similar to cayenne pepper, which can be used as a substitute if needed.
Amchur powder
Amchur powder is made from dried green mangoes.
The powder adds a subtle tanginess and acidity to recipes, almost similar to vinegar or lemon in powdered form.
The tanginess from amchur is slightly more subtle than regular acidic ingredients because of the fruitiness of the mangos.
Fennel seeds
Fennel seeds (saunf) are not as commonly used as cumin or coriander, but they still have their place in many recipes.
The seeds and powder add an anise, licorice flavor to dishes which can be distinct if used in large quantities.
Fennel seeds are also sometimes used as a digestive at the end of a meal, which you will sometimes see at the front of an Indian restaurant.
Cardamom
Cardamom (elaichi) is used in Indian cooking both whole and ground into a rough powder.
There are two types of cardamom used in Indian cooking - green cardamom (hari elaichi) and black cardamom (kali elaichi). The two are very distinct and do not look alike.
Green cardamom is the most commonly known version, which is a little aromatic pod that is used in chai, and other aromatic dishes.
Black cardamom is more smokey and is usually used to flavor rice dishes like biryani or pulao. You will not typically want to chew on black cardamom.
Cinnamon
Indian cooking typically only uses whole cinnamon sticks (dal chini). There are very few recipes that will call for ground cinnamon powder.
Like cardamom, cinnamon sticks are used as an aromatic spice but are not usually consumed. You will commonly see cinnamon as a base spice for gravies, or for making rice dishes.
Cloves
Cloves (laung) fall into the realm of aromatics in Indian cooking. You will mostly find small pieces of cloves in rice dishes, and you will definitely know when you bite on one.
Cloves are slightly spicy and warm in flavor. A little bit goes a long way when using cloves in Indian recipes.
Indian bay leaf
Indian bay leaves (tej pata) visually look different than the bay leaves you commonly find in the grocery store.
These leaves are much larger, and flavor-wise, Indian bay leaves tend to be warmer in flavor, more similar to cinnamon notes.
Just like regular bay leaves, you won't want to eat these bay leaves when you are ready to serve.
Spice Mixes
Garam masala
Garam masala is a foundational spice blend in Indian cooking. Many households make their own mixture of garam masala, so it is not uncommon to see some different renditions.
Garam masala translates to warm spices. This is a fitting name, as the mixture is made of cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, coriander, clove, mace, and nutmeg.
This is one spice mix that you will definitely want to keep on hand if you find yourself making Indian food often.
Chaat masala
Chaat masala is another commonly used spice mix in Indian cooking, with a completely different flavor profile than garam masala.
This blend of spices, includes mango powder, black salt, and dried pomegranate. It has a tangy flavor to it, making it a frequently used spice dust for many Indian snacks.
Tandoori masala
Tandoori masala is a great spice mix to keep on hand if you like to make Indian-inspired meat dishes. It has smaller quantities of spices added that you otherwise would not keep on hand.
My tandoori masala of choice is a mix of several aromatic spices, including coriander powder, kasuri methi (fenugreek), amchur (dried mango powder), and cardamom, mixed into a fine powder.
Chana masala
Chana masala is a helpful spice blend to have on hand if you enjoy making Indian stewed chickpeas (chana masala).
Much like the other spice mixes listed above, pre-mixed blends have some less commonly used spices mixed in. This gives you authentic flavor, without wasting spices that you do not frequently use.
Chana masala is made with coriander, red chilies, turmeric, cumin, mustard, nutmeg, mace, and asafoetida.
Lentils & Rice
Urud dal
There are several popular lentils used in Indian cooking. In fact, dal (lentils) is one of the most commonly consumed foods in India, in some form or another.
Urud dal is one of the better lentils to try when venturing into Indian recipes. It is used for more mainstream recipes like dal makhani.
Dried urud dal has a black exterior, which will soften and become brown once cooked.
Basmati rice
Basmati rice is typically the rice of choice for most Punjabi recipes.
This long-grain rice is not excessively starchy. When cooked well, the grains of the rice stay separated yet fluffy.
Basmati rice is known for its beautiful aroma and fragrance that comes out when cooked.
Dried chickpeas
Dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans, chole), sometimes labeled as kabuli chana, are a staple if you are looking for vegetarian recipes to delve into.
While canned chickpeas can be used in most Indian dishes, it is more common to use dried legumes.
Dried chickpeas can be cooked relatively quickly in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, and typically have more texture and flavor than canned.
Dried kidney beans
Kidney beans (rajma) are another vegetarian staple in Indian cooking. Just like with chickpeas, fresh is typically better than canned kidney beans.
Dried beans can also be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.
Fried onions
Fried onions are one of my personal favorites when building the base of sauces and gravies.
Most Indian dishes start with thoroughly browning onions, which can be a time-consuming process. Fried onions are a fantastic shortcut to use, giving you all the slow-cooked flavor in a fraction of the time.
It is important to note that these are not the Americanized french-fried onions that are breaded and fried.
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