A quick browse at any Indian food market Los Angeles and you will surely be overwhelmed with the extensive selection of grocery items and snacks that you can get your hands on.
But what is even great is that you don’t have to be a desi just so you can enjoy all of them. These Indian delicacies and treats are also perfect for all the experimental eaters out there who wish to navigate the exciting world of Indian food markets with complete confidence.
Take a look at some of the products you should consider adding to your cart the next time you need to fill up your pantry:
Dabur Chyawanprash
Chyawanprash is a form of an ancient adaptogen in India. This is a jam-texture mixture consists of several ingredients such as long pepper, brahmi, yashtimadhu, gooseberry, and many other kinds of superfoods that even Ayurveda recommends.
Indian mothers are known to give a spoonful of this goop to their children every morning almost like how the ice cream man hand out chocolate scoops during summer. While you might not be a big fan of its strange taste that is spicy, nutty, and herby at the same time, you will surely appreciate it for its ability to boost your immunity.
Kohinoor Basmati
Basmati rice is the foundation of any successful biryani. Slender grains that can improve the texture of dishes such as pilafs, no Indian kitchen will be complete without basmati. A grain can be considered as basmati if its length before cooking is 6.61mm. This means that you can look forward to really long rice strands that hold such beautiful color and flavor.
The best way of eating them is to paint them first with the milky concoction of strands of sweet saffron and a large spoon of clarified butter. You can even temper this with some peas and cumin seeds. No matter what you choose, you will never be disappointed with basmati chawal.
Lijjat Papad
Lijjat originally began as a seven-women collective that rolled out papads or sundried wafers that are made from dried lentils, on a Mumbai terrace, it now has an extensive network of over 4,000 working women all over India.
The Lijjat papads are a must-have for any authentic Indian meal experience that adds a wonderful crispy texture to a plate filled with meat curries, vegetables, and bread. Lijjat papads can also be roasted over an open flame to achieve the best results.
Vandevi Hing
The bright yellow and blue cases of the jars of Vandevi hing are yet another important must-have in any Indian pantry. A gum variety, asafoetida is added to the base of most Indian vegetable stir fries, dals, and curries. It has high antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. It is also known to have antioxidant content. Cooks love this because of its piercing aroma that can be concealed fast once other ingredients are added to the dish. This is basically a savory flavor enhancer that you should get if you plan to cook lots of Indian food since even a small amount can go a very long way.
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