Rice & wheat
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Basmati rice (aged, 1 yr+) | Purana basmati chawal | Light, sweet, cooling; the house rice for khichdi, kanji and pulao | Long, unbroken, aromatic grains; store in airtight bins, add bay leaves against weevils | 10–12 kg |
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| Sona masuri / kolam rice | Chawal | Softer, everyday South-Indian rice; good for curd rice and pongal | Uniform grains, no chalky ones | 3–4 kg |
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| Kerala red matta rice | Lal chawal (rosematta) | Rich in fibre; must be double-cooked very soft for elders | Parboiled red grains; keeps 6 months airtight | 1–2 kg |
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| Njavara rice | Njavara (medicinal rice) | Classical Kerala kanji rice for convalescence | Buy from Kerala Ayurveda suppliers; small packs | 0.5 kg (optional) |
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| Broken rice | Kanki / nuchu | Ideal for kanji, payasam and manda | Clean, dust-free | 1 kg |
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| Poha (thick) | Chiwda / aval | Light, cooling; rinse only, never soak | Thick flakes, not powdery; 2 months | 2 kg |
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| Puffed rice | Murmura / laja / mamra | Lightest grain; laja peya for nausea | Crisp, unsalted; airtight | 0.5 kg |
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| Whole-wheat atta (chakki) | Gehun ka atta | Grounding; daily phulka | Fresh-milled within 3 weeks; store cool | 10–12 kg |
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| Semolina | Suji / rava | Upma, idli, sheera, kesari | Fine & coarse; roast before storing to prevent insects | 3 kg |
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| Broken wheat | Dalia | Fibre-rich khichdi and pulao | Medium cut; airtight | 2 kg |
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| Pearled barley | Jau | Kapha-reducing spring grain; barley water | Plump grains; soak overnight before use | 1 kg |
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| Rolled & steel-cut oats | Jai | Soluble fibre (heart health) | Plain, unflavoured; airtight | 2 kg |
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Pulses & legumes
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Split yellow moong | Moong dhuli | The lightest, tridoshic pulse — the house dal | Bright, uniform, no stones; airtight | 5–6 kg |
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| Whole green moong | Sabut moong | Sprouts (always cooked), usal, payar | Shiny green; keeps 1 year | 1.5 kg |
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| Red lentil | Masoor dal | Quick-cooking; slightly warming | Salmon-pink; airtight | 1.5 kg |
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| Pigeon pea | Toor / arhar dal | Sambar, rasam, dal tadka | Unpolished preferred | 2 kg |
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| Bengal gram split | Chana dal | Heavier — soak 2 h, always with hing | Uniform, golden | 1 kg |
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| Black chickpea | Kala chana | Kadala curry; soak 8 h, cook very soft | Small, dark grains | 0.5 kg |
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| Cowpea | Lobia / payar | Erissery, olan | Cream with black eye | 0.5 kg |
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| Split black gram | Urad dal (dhuli) | Small amounts: idli, tempering, adai | White, unbroken | 1 kg |
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| Horse gram | Kulthi / gahat | Warming; Uttarakhand's gahat dal; winter yusha | Local hill variety; soak overnight | 0.5 kg (winter) |
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| Gram flour | Besan | Kadhi, cheela, khandvi | Fine, fresh; 2 months | 1.5 kg |
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| Roasted gram flour | Sattu | Summer sharbat, paratha | Fresh-roasted aroma | 1 kg (summer) |
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Whole spices
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Cumin | Jeera | Deepana; most-used tempering spice | Greenish-brown, strong aroma | 300 g |
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| Black mustard seeds | Rai / sarson | Tempering for South-Indian dishes | Small, dark, uniform | 200 g |
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| Fennel | Saunf | Cooling digestive; mukhwas | Green, sweet-smelling | 300 g |
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| Coriander seeds | Sabut dhaniya | Cooling; CCF tea, masalas | Light brown, round | 300 g |
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| Fenugreek seeds | Methi dana | Bitter; small amounts only | Golden | 100 g |
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| Carom seeds | Ajwain | Strong digestive for monsoon & heavy foods | Aromatic, clean | 100 g |
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| Black pepper | Kali mirch | Kindles agni; with turmeric | Heavy, dense corns | 150 g |
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| Green cardamom | Chhoti elaichi | Tridoshic; sweets and milk | Green, plump pods | 100 g |
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| Cinnamon (true) | Dalchini | Warming; kadhas, stews | Thin, papery quills | 100 g |
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| Cloves | Laung | Small amounts in whole-spice tempering | Oily, intact heads | 50 g |
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| Bay leaf | Tej patta | Pulao, dal | Whole, aromatic | 30 g |
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| Nutmeg | Jaiphal | Pinch in golden milk (sleep) | Whole nuts; grate fresh | 4 nuts |
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| Saffron | Kesar | Tridoshic; festive sweets | Deep-red threads; from a trusted source | 2–3 g |
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| Dry ginger | Saunth / sukku | 'Universal medicine'; kadhas, sweets | Whole pieces or fresh powder | 150 g |
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| Kashmiri chilli (mild) | Kashmiri lal mirch | Colour with little heat | Bright red, wrinkled | 150 g |
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| Asafoetida (compounded) | Hing | Essential with every pulse; replaces onion–garlic depth | Strong; airtight tin | 50 g |
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| Sesame seeds (white) | Safed til | Calcium; winter ladoos, podi | Cleaned, unhulled or hulled | 500 g |
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| Melon / pumpkin seeds | Magaz / kaddu beej | Thandai, snacks | Fresh, not rancid | 200 g |
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Vegetables — gourds & fruit-vegetables
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Bottle gourd | Lauki / ghiya | Cooling, light — the most-used vegetable | Tender, pale green, nail-pierceable skin | 8–10 kg (summer) |
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| Ash gourd | Petha / kushmanda | Cooling; olan, soups | Heavy, waxy bloom; keeps weeks whole | 3–4 kg |
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| Ridge gourd | Torai | Summer–monsoon; melts soft | Tender, firm ridges | 3 kg |
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| Round gourd | Tinda | Light, cooling | Small, tender, few seeds | 3 kg (Apr–Jun) |
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| Pointed gourd | Parwal | Light; Pitta-pacifying | Firm, unblemished | 3 kg |
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| Ivy gourd | Kundru / tondli | Traditionally used for blood-sugar balance | Green inside (discard red) | 2 kg |
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| Bitter gourd | Karela | Bitter; small portions | Small, dark-green | 1.5 kg |
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| Pumpkin (red) | Kaddu / sitaphal | Sweet, grounding; year-round stored | Heavy, hard skin; keeps weeks | 6–8 kg |
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| Okra | Bhindi | Lubricating (picchila) — Vata | Tender tips snap | 3 kg |
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| Drumstick pods | Sahjan phali | Kapha-clearing; sambar | Firm, slender | 2 kg |
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| Tomato | Tamatar | Optional in all recipes | Ripe, firm | 5 kg |
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| Cucumber | Kheera | Cooked or in raita for elders | Firm, small seeds | 3 kg (summer) |
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| Capsicum | Shimla mirch | Colour in paneer dishes | Glossy, firm | 1.5 kg |
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| Sweet corn | Bhutta | Monsoon soups and chaat | Plump kernels | 3 kg (Jul–Sep) |
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Vegetables — roots, tubers & others
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Carrot | Gajar | Winter halwa, soups; beta-carotene | Deep red/orange, firm | 5–6 kg (winter) |
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| Beetroot | Chukandar | Sweet, grounding | Firm, smooth | 2 kg |
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| Sweet potato | Shakarkandi | Vata food; fasting-permitted | Firm, no sprouts | 3 kg |
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| Potato | Aloo | Small portions; fasting staple | No green patches or sprouts; dark, cool, dry | 6–8 kg |
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| Colocasia | Arbi | Heavy — always with ajwain | Small, firm corms | 2 kg (monsoon) |
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| Elephant yam | Suran / jimikand | Boil with tamarind; good for piles | Firm, no soft spots | 2 kg |
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| Raw banana | Kachcha kela | Binding; poriyal, kofta | Green, firm | 2 kg |
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| Radish | Mooli | Cooked only for elders | Small, crisp, leaves fresh | 2 kg (winter) |
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| Turnip | Shalgam | Winter bharta | Small, heavy | 2 kg (winter) |
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| Cauliflower | Phool gobhi | Blanch first to reduce wind | Compact white curds | 5 kg (winter) |
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| Cabbage | Patta gobhi | Thoran; with ginger & hing | Heavy, tight | 2 kg |
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| Green peas | Matar | Winter protein vegetable | Bright, sweet pods | 5 kg (winter) |
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| French & flat beans | Beans / sem / papdi | Fibre; remove strings | Snap crisply | 3 kg |
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Fruits
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Papaya (ripe) | Papita | Digestive; soft for elders | Yellow-orange, gives slightly | 5 kg |
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| Banana (ripe) | Kela | Never with milk (viruddha) | Yellow with few spots | 4–5 kg |
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| Apple | Seb | Stewed for Vata elders | Himachal/Uttarakhand in season | 4 kg |
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| Pear | Nashpati | Stewed with cinnamon | Ripe but firm | 3 kg (Jul–Sep) |
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| Guava | Amrood | Vitamin C; cook or deseed for dentures | Fragrant, slightly soft | 3 kg (winter) |
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| Pomegranate | Anar | Tridoshic; juice for weak chewers | Heavy, deep colour | 3 kg |
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| Amla | Amla / amalaki | Rasayana; murabba, chutney, candy | Firm, glossy; Nov–Feb | 2 kg (winter) |
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| Oranges / kinnow | Santra / kinnow | Serve at room temp.; not after milk | Heavy, thin skin | 4 kg (winter) |
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| Mango (ripe) | Aam | Soak 1 h before cutting; at lunch | Dasheri, langra (Haridwar region) | 5 kg (May–Jul) |
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| Raw mango | Kairi | Aam panna, chutney | Firm, sour | 2 kg (Apr–Jun) |
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| Bael | Bael / bilva | Summer gut tonic; binding | Hard shell, fragrant | 6–8 fruits (summer) |
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| Muskmelon & watermelon | Kharbooja / tarbooj | Eat alone, not with meals | Heavy, fragrant | 6–8 kg (summer) |
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| Jamun | Jamun | Small portions with rock salt | Plump, dark | 1 kg (Jun–Jul) |
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| Custard apple | Sitaphal / sharifa | Sweet, cooling; pulp for elders | Slightly soft | 2 kg (Sep–Nov) |
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| Chikoo | Chikoo | Soft and sweet | Brown, gives slightly | 2 kg |
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| Coconut (fresh) | Nariyal | Chutneys, avial, stew; grate daily | Heavy with water sloshing | 15–20 nuts |
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Nuts, seeds & dried fruit
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Almonds | Badam | Soak overnight, peel; medhya for elders | Uniform, unbroken; airtight | 1 kg |
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| Walnuts | Akhrot | Omega-3; chop fine | Light-coloured kernels; refrigerate | 0.5 kg |
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| Cashews | Kaju | Replace cream/onion in gravies | Whole, white | 1 kg |
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| Pistachios (unsalted) | Pista | Ground in milk | Green kernels | 0.25 kg |
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| Peanuts | Moongphali | Powdered only for elders (choking risk whole) | Fresh, not rancid | 1 kg |
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| Fox nuts | Makhana | Light, cooling; fasting snack | Large, white, crisp | 1 kg |
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| Flax seeds | Alsi | Omega-3; podi; refrigerate | Brown, shiny | 250 g |
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| Raisins | Kishmish | Soaked raisins on waking (Sharad) | Plump | 0.5 kg |
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| Dried figs | Anjeer | Soaked for constipation | Soft, sweet | 0.5 kg |
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| Dry coconut | Khopra | Masalas, panjiri | Fresh-smelling, not rancid | 0.5 kg |
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Specialty & fasting pantry
| Item | Hindi/local | Kitchen & Ayurvedic note | Buying & storage | Weekly qty for 20 guests |
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| Buckwheat flour | Kuttu atta | Fasting; warming | Buy just before Navratri (spoils fast) | 1 kg (fasts) |
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| Water-chestnut flour | Singhara atta | Fasting; cooling | Fresh, small packs | 1 kg (fasts) |
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| Amaranth flour & popped seeds | Rajgira | Complete protein; fasting | Fresh, airtight | 1 kg (fasts) |
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| Sago pearls | Sabudana | Fasting khichdi, kheer | Medium pearls, uniform | 1 kg (fasts) |
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| Rose water | Gulab jal | Coolers, phirni | Food-grade, steam-distilled | 200 ml |
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| Khus (vetiver) | Khus / ushira | Summer sharbat | Food-grade essence or clean roots | 50 ml / 50 g |
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| Fruit salt (for steaming) | Eno | Dhokla, idli | Plain, unflavoured | 100 g |
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| Rice flour (roasted) | Chawal ka atta | Idiyappam, puttu, kozhukattai | Fine, roasted; airtight | 2 kg |
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