Common pantry and kitchen items you will find in an Indian kitchen. With just a few ingredients and items, you can easily jump start your Indian culinary journey. Learn more about Indian cuisine here!
IN THIS POST
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Food Culture in Different Regions of India
Wikipedia lists 37 different regional cuisines in India. The differences between regions is dictated by food that is available in that area, religious and cultural preferences, historical aspects of each region with regard to invaders, colonialists and the spice trade route.
The invaders with the most influence include the Islamic rulers, particularly the Moghuls in 1526. Samosas and rice pilafs were first introduced to Indians by them.
Other Asian invaders from Southeast Asia brought Chinese cuisine to the area. New World finds introduced potatoes, tomatoes, chilis, peanuts and guava.
To go into detail about the regional cuisines is outside the scope of an article and is better suited for a documentary manifesto.
What Is Traditional Indian Food?
Good question. This will depend on each of the 37 regions as well as each families spin on traditional recipes and cooking techniques.
For a peek into an Indian kitchen, check out Anishka’s Indian kitchen. The audio is her own voice, in Hindi, I think. Anyways, a very authentic look into a kitchen from the other side of the Earth.
Indian Steet Food
I absolutely love YouTube for learning about different cuisines. I usually find ideas on Wikipedia and then turn to YouTube. Here is a 15 minute video from Chasing A Plate as they visit different street food buskers.
What Are The Essential Indian Spices?
Refer to the Indian Pantry printable below for a list of essential Indian spices. Check out the Indian Pantry Items card for Amazon links to the spices for your convenience.
If you think you will only cook Indian-ish food once in awhile, check out my article on Panch Phoran, an easy 5-ingredient spice mix you can buy or make yourself. It has the ‘essential’ Indian aromatics.
Essential pantry and kitchen items for Indian cooking. Included are favorite cooking equipment and Indian spices.
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Grain Maker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Sous Vide, Bake, and Warmer|6 Quart|Easy-Seal Lid|14 Programs
A lot of Indian cooking is done in a pressure cooker. This Instant Pot is a slow cooker and pressure cooker in one. You don't need an Instant Pot to create Indian cuisine but it sure is convenient.
Spice Container - Masala Dabba - 7 Compartments, masala box,steel masala dabba,Spice container box,stainless steel spice box indian masala dabba with 7 spice containers,Stainless Steel Masala Dabba
This is my favorite way to store Indian spices. I can't fit all of my spices in here but the convenience of storing the most common Indian spices here makes it quick to whip up some Indian potatoes or entrees.
Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind 4.5oz Electric Coffee Grinder for Beans, Spices and More, Stainless Steel Blades, Black (80335R)
There are several spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Buying whole spices and grinding yourself is the best way to ensure fresh spices.
Frontier Garam Masala Certified Organic, Salt Free Blend, 2-Ounce Bottle
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Garam Masala is one of them.
Organic Turmeric Root Powder w/ Curcumin | Lab Tested for Purity | 100% Raw from India | 8oz/226g Resealable Kraft Bag | by Feel Good Organics
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Turemeric is one of them.
Nobility Indian Red Chili Powder 100g / 3.5oz - Extra Hot Chilli Powder - Kashmiri ground Chili Pepper powder
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Chili Powder is one of them.
Simply Organic Fennel Seed, 1.9 oz
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Fennel is one of them.
Spicy World Madras Curry Powder, 7 Ounce Pouch
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Curry powder is one of them.
Rani Black Mustard Seeds Whole Spice (Rai Sarson) 7oz (200g) All Natural ~ Gluten Free Ingredients | NON-GMO | Vegan | Indian Origin
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Mustard seed is one of them.
McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Cumin, 1.5 oz
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Cumin is one of them.
Simply Organic - Coriander - 2.29 oz.
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Coriander is one of them.
Simply Organic Ceylon Cinnamon, Ground | Certified Organic | Kosher Certified | 2.08-Ounce Glass Bottle
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Cinnamon is one of them.
Spicy World Green Cardamom Pods, 3.5 Ounce
There are a handful of spices that are essential to Indian cooking. Cardamom is one of them.
Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Classic Red Enamel Dutch Oven (Island Spice Red)
This is the rolling pin I use most often. It's great for rolling out Indian flatbreads.
Hey Friends! Leave a comment if this was helpful OR if you have tips for new Indian-ish cooks:) Share the LOVE! Namaste.
