Spicy plantain chips.
Paratha: Flaky flatbread rounds.
CHEESE
Paneer: Fresh, mild, pressed cow’s-milk cheese; grill it or use it like firm tofu in curries.
CONDIMENTS Eggplant relish: Eggplant preserved in spices and oil; good with Indian breads. Alur-Kundargi recommends the Patak brand for newcomers (if you want to tone it down slightly, mix 1/2 cup eggplant relish with 2 tablespoons cream cheese).Hot ketchup: Indian-style ketchup with a spicy kick; Tom Tom is Alur-Kundargi’s favorite brand.
Tamarind-date chutney: A dark brown, sweet-sour chutney.
RICE
Basmati: Highly aromatic long-grain rice that grows in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Poha: Flakes of dried and flattened cooked rice that resemble old-fashioned Ivory soap flakes; they come thick or thin. Use thin poha in snack mixes. Rinse thick poha in a colander until thoroughly moistened and drain; mix with seasoned oils or yogurt for light grain salads (similar to couscous dishes). SPICESIndividual: Saffron; green or black cardamom (the green is the form that is bleached for white cardamom); black and regular cumin seeds; and coriander.
Blends: Garam masala (all-purpose aromatic seasoning; buy a whole-seed version and grind it in a blender or spice grinder for freshest flavor); chaat masala (sprinkle over fruit, buttermilk, or potatoes); pav-bhaji masala (for vegetable dishes); tandoori masala (rub over meats, seafood, and vegetables for grilling); mukhwa (roasted seed mixture; use as an after-dinner digestive or breath freshener).
BEVERAGES Black teas, coffee.Rose syrup: Sweet, fragrant red syrup; mix with soda water and ice or with cold milk for pink coolers.
Tropical fruit juices: Mango, litchi, guava, and passion fruit. SWEETS Canned sweetened Alphonso mango pulp: The Alphonso variety contains few fibers; Hiremath likes the Ratna brand. Use it for desserts and drinks. Chikki: Candied nut and seed brittles. Cookies: Cashew, coconut, almond, and pistachio. Ice creams: Saffron, saffron-rose, pistachio, mango, litchi, and cashew-raisin; Kwality and Real Ice Cream are good brands.