| Rice kanji, peya, vilepi | Congee, jook, okayu, juk, cháo, bubur | Same food — see the ladder in Chapter 6 |
| Moong dal / whole mung | Mung beans (lü dou) | Used sweet in Chinese desserts, savoury in congee |
| Rajma, lobia | Adzuki beans | Adzuki are lighter and sweeter |
| Paneer | Firm tofu (texture), Bhutanese datshi cheese | Tofu is cooler and lighter |
| Dahi | Soy yoghurt (rare); fermented foods instead | Asian cuisines use little dairy — calcium comes from tofu, sesame and greens |
| Ghee | Ghee, toasted sesame oil (finishing), light sesame or peanut oil | Ghee remains the Annapurna Kitchen's prime fat |
| Tamarind | Tamarind (Thai, Indonesian) | Identical |
| Jaggery | Palm sugar, rice syrup, Korean jocheong, rock sugar | Rice syrup is gentler than rock sugar |
| Kokum, amla | Yuzu, calamansi, lime, umeboshi (very salty) | Sour taste |
| Curry leaves | Kaffir lime leaves (aroma), Thai basil | Different but similarly aromatic |
| Dry ginger (saunth) | Dried ginger, ginger powder | Identical |
| Hing | (none — omitted in temple style) | Use ginger and kombu |
| Lauki, petha | Bottle gourd (hulu), winter melon (dong gua) | Identical families |
| Mooli | Daikon | Identical |
| Arbi | Taro (yu tou, satoimo) | Identical |
| Idli, dhokla | Steamed rice cakes, mantou, Vietnamese bánh bò | Steamed, soft, fermented or raised |
| Dosa, neer dosa | Rice-flour crêpes, bánh xèo (without egg), cheung fun | Rice-batter pancakes and rolls |
| Thoran, poriyal | Namul, gomaae, mallum | Lightly cooked, dressed vegetables |
| Rasam | Clear soups (tang), tom yum (mild) | Thin, spiced, sour broth |
| Avial, olan | Sayur lodeh, Thai curries | Vegetables in coconut |
| Payasam, kheer | Tong sui, mango sticky rice, bubur | Sweet milk- or coconut-based desserts |
| Kadha | Ginger–jujube tea, ginger syrup | Warming decoctions |