Pure Indian Foods’ organic tamarind paste has a pure, clean flavor with a bracing tartness. This thick, smooth paste is our favorite form for using tamarind as a souring agent. While fresh pods are available in some markets, it’s more commonly sold as a concentrate or as dense blocks of pulp that need labor-intensive soaking and straining; both forms sacrifice nuanced flavor in favor of convenience, whereas this tamarind paste is both easy to use and intensely flavorful. Pure Indian Foods, which traces its roots to 1889 in northern India, still uses traditional methods to make its products. The company’s pantry staples have a complexity and authenticity that just can’t be imitated.

Organic jaggery is a raw, unprocessed Indian sugar produced from unfiltered sugarcane juice. We love this one from Pure Indian Foods for its deep, earthy flavor—reminiscent of maple and caramel—and its moist, almost creamy, yet crumbly texture. The family-owned company traces its roots to 1889 in northern India and sources pantry staples have a complexity and authenticity that just can’t be imitated. Use jaggery as an all-purpose sweetener; it pairs well with warm spices like cinnamon, allspice and cardamom or with anything coconut or citrus.

Kitchari (or “khichdi”) is a hearty South Asian porridge—a comfort food akin to chicken noodle soup or a stick-to-your-ribs bowl of oatmeal—of gently stewed rice and husked split mung beans, or gram lentils. Nourishing, filling and easy to prepare, this dry blend from Pure Indian Foods combines ultra-long, delicate basmati rice with high-quality yellow lentils that cook up silky smooth. When cooked, the soft stew is savory-sweet and rich. To prepare, simmer the blend with water until tender; for best results, cook with a pinch of salt and Pure Indian Foods Organic Ground Kitchari Spice Mix, which is a mixture of turmeric, coriander, cumin seed, brown mustard seed, ginger, fenugreek and ajwain seed. Then top with a dollop of ghee.