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.

This certified organic basmati rice from Pure Indian Foods is aged for at least two years, until every grain is fragrant and aromatic. The longer aging process means the slender, extra-long grains cook up dry and separate easily—unlike mushy, clumpy, sticky generic brands. It’s some of the best basmati we’ve ever tried. Use this light, quick-cooking rice in any recipe, or serve plain or in a pilaf alongside vegetables, meat, or seafood.

This spice blend starts with a foundation of turmeric and gets added dimension from warming, spicy ginger and brown mustard seed. Pure Indian Foods builds authentic flavor using ajwain seeds, a hard-to-find ingredient that you won't find in commercial blends; the spice has a somewhat minty and anise-like flavor that adds a touch of brightness and balances out earthy flavors. We love that the spices are especially bold and aromatic, because they are not pre-ground. Instead, you can keep the spice mix in your pantry without it losing any potency; simply grind the whole bottle when you're ready to use it. Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal's family-owned company Pure Indian Foods company uses only the best ingredients from small farms in the United States and India. Their products add a nuanced complexity and authenticity to dishes that commercial brands simply can't replicate, and the company is our most-trusted source of high-quality, boldly flavored Indian pantry staples.

Rarely have we seen a mango puree in supermarkets and, if we do, it’s often full of sweeteners and additives. Made from Alphonso mangoes, which are renowned in India for their natural sweetness and buttery-smooth texture, this puree contains no added sugar or preservatives—it’s just pure, juicy mango. About five fresh mangos are packed into every jar of this luscious puree and its silky texture is pourable, yet decadent like yogurt, and has a rich, bright flavor that balances sweet and tart, akin to snacking on refreshing mangoes at their peak season.

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.

Pure Indian Foods' Whole DIY Garam Masala is the best version of this Indian spice blend that we have tasted—plus, the most bold and aromatic, since the spices are not pre-ground. Instead, you can keep the spice mix in your pantry without it losing any potency; simply grind the whole bottle when you're ready to use garam masala. (Grind all the spices at once to retain the balanced flavor.) The company's unique blend, based on a family recipe, has a more complex flavor and aroma than other varieties. A base of black peppercorns, cumin, delicate Ceylon cinnamon, ginger and cloves provides an aromatic spicy foundation, along with two types of cardamom pods: minty, citrusy green cardamom and smokier black cardamom. Additionally, Pure Indian Foods uses hard-to-find organic mace—the outer coating of nutmeg that has a more floral flavor and basil-citrus aroma—and woody yet brightly piquant long pepper, which is essential to Indian cooking but harder to source due to its labor-intensive harvest methods. Sprinkle Pure Indian Foods' Whole DIY Garam Masala on simple baked chicken breast or salmon fillet for a quick and flavorful entree, or use it on roasted vegetables, especially squash or sweet potatoes. We especially love this garam masala with popcorn, either sprinkled directly over it or in a version of tarka, an Indian technique for blooming spices in hot fat: Coarsely grind the spices or crush them with a mortar and pestle, then toast in butter. The tarka also works great over lentils, potatoes or greens. On the sweet side, try 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala instead of the cinnamon, cardamom and ginger in our Chocolate-Almond Spice Cookies for extra spice—its intense aroma will add a next-level warmth and complexity to any spiced dessert.

When venturing into Indian cuisine at home, the bright, distinctive flavor of Kashmiri chili pepper is indispensable. This chili powder's fiery red-orange hue belies its relatively moderate spice—think hot paprika, not cayenne. Pure Indian Foods' product is especially fresh and aromatic, preserving the chili's herbaceous, delicate qualities. Treat this versatile spice like a vibrant paprika or chili powder. Its bright fruity flavor is especially delicious with pork dishes; use it for a simple spice rub with salt and pepper on roast tenderloin.

With a flavor falling between fennel and celery, fenugreek leaves add a complex bittersweet accent to all manner of Indian dishes. The dried leaves are milder than the seeds of the plant, with a deep and slightly sweet aroma that some compare to maple. Its subtle pleasant bitterness will deepen the savory flavors in a dish, and the herb pairs well with assertive spices, like those in curries. Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal's family-owned company Pure Indian Foods company uses only the best ingredients from small farms in the United States and India. Their products add a nuanced complexity and authenticity to dishes that commercial brands simply can't replicate, and the company is our most-trusted source of high-quality, boldly flavored Indian pantry staples. Add Pure Indian Foods' Fenugreek Leaves to virtually any curry dish for added dimension, such as our Potato and Green Pea Curry (Aloo Matar) or Potato and Tomato Curry (Aloo Tamatar Sabzi), both of which are inspired by a trip to Mumbai. Fenugreek leaves are also widely used in Persian cooking; try crumbling and mixing into our Baked Persian Herb Omelet (Kuku Sabzi). Or experiment on your own. We like them in lentil soups or crumbled into roasted potatoes or roasted fennel slabs, which pair well with fish, pork or chicken.

Pure Indian Foods Ground Garam Masala is the best version of this Indian spice blend that we have tasted—plus, the most bold and aromatic. The company's unique blend, based on a family recipe, has a more complex flavor and aroma than other varieties. A base of black peppercorns, cumin, delicate Ceylon cinnamon, ginger and cloves provides an aromatic spicy foundation, along with two types of cardamom pods: minty, citrusy green cardamom and smokier black cardamom. Additionally, Pure Indian Foods uses hard-to-find organic mace—the outer coating of nutmeg that has a more floral flavor and basil-citrus aroma—and woody yet brightly piquant long pepper, which is essential to Indian cooking but harder to source due to its labor-intensive harvest methods.

Used throughout the Indian subcontintent to add tartness and clarity without an acid, amchoor is simply dried unripe mango that has been finely ground to a powder. It has a bright, lemony tang that is perfect for balancing richness and accenting other flavors; you can treat it as a non-liquid alternative to vinegar and lemon or lime juice. This spice is similar to one of our favorite ingredients, sumac, though with a sweeter, fruitier flavor. Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal's family-owned company Pure Indian Foods company uses only the best ingredients from small farms in the United States and India. Their products add a nuanced complexity and authenticity to dishes that commercial brands simply can't replicate, and the company is our most-trusted source of high-quality, boldly flavored Indian pantry staples.

For the zesty, warming bite of ginger without the need for grating or peeling, Pure Indian Foods' Organic Ginger Root Granules are an ideal option. This product's built-in grinder allows you to freshly grind dried ginger as you would whole peppercorns, producing evenly sized grains that are slightly more textured than powder and much more bold and flavorful. We trust the high quality of this ginger from Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal's family-owned company Pure Indian Foods, which sources only the best ingredients from small farms in India, where spice is the foundation of all cooking. The company's products add a nuanced complexity and authenticity to dishes that regular commercial brands simply can’t replicate. Try Organic Ginger Root Granules in ginger cookies, whether you feel like light, spicy Swedish Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor) or deeper-flavored Polish Gingerbread Pepper Cookies (Pierniki). On the savory side, the texture of these ginger granules works perfectly with grilled meats, for our Coriander-Roasted Chicken or Nigerian Beef Suya crusted with peanuts and spices.

We love how this organic curry powder hints at the traditional Madras style of curry, while also bringing a balanced flavor that doesn’t just highlight one single spice. They all work together in harmony, creating layers of flavor that arise one after the other. Fenugreek offers that classic curry flavor, while warm cinnamon, spicy ginger and fragrant cloves round things out. Coriander, cumin and tart mustard bring a base note of savoriness, and cayenne and black pepper give a kiss of gentle heat. The quality of the organic spices is evident in how bold and aromatic they come across, which truly sets it apart from others we’ve sampled. Also, this curry powder has a smoother grind, so it will never make a dish gritty.