Things I have to have in the kitchen.

1) Asafoetida/hing/perungayam : This stuff is magical. From Keerai Masiyal to Paneer, this goes into it all. A lot of people I know tend to believe that this is used exclusively for South Indian dishes. BIG myth! I have lived with a lot of North Indian people- Marwadis, Pahadis, Punjabi etc. Every single one of them use this spice. So. Start using it in your curries. This rocks.

2) Kasuri Methi: This is nothing but dried fenugreek leaves that have a flavour to die for. I will post a paneer recipe soon. This fragrant leaf transforms curries to a really super dish. Try this in Dal, Curries and Roti. Yum!

3) Nallennai/Gingelly Oil/Sesame Oil: Dosa can not be made with anything else. I use this oil for most of my south Indian cooking. This is what I use to make Sambar, Puliyodharai, Dosa, Ingi Curry and what not. Love the flavour!

4) Coconut: Come on. This is integral to every lunch dish I love. And for puttu. And for Kadala Curry. [Recipe is coming up next]

5) Garlic: I have tonnes of this in stock. I use it for Rasam, Poondu Kozhambu, Curries and Chinese. Love this good stuff. And beats cholestrol too.

6) Soy Sauce: Chinese. Yes. I have a few recipes that my friend passed on to me. Really good Indian stuff. And soy sauce is used to flavour it. Try it. It is awesome!

7) Ghee: I make my ghee at home from a good white butter that is unsalted. Its dead easy and tastes awesome. This goes into Rasams, Pulisherri, payasams, pongals and into S's lunch. They say 2-3 drops of Ghee on a daily basis does good to you.

8) Dals: Atleast 3 to 4 types. This is for variety in  tadka dal, and to make adai. Essential stuff!