A popular accompaniment to samosas, tamarind chutney is a sweet and sour Indian condiment that can act on its own straight from the jar or add deep flavor to soups, sauces and more. This one is rich, but with a drizzleable texture almost akin to maple syrup and also stands out for its clean taste and pronounced acidity. It’s not as saccharine as others we’ve tried, but rather has a softer sweetness from dates that balances well with savory dishes. And after the initial sweetness and tamarind tang comes the spice of cumin and kashmiri chili, then a cleansing, bright bite of ginger. The taste left on the palate is like rich caramelized sugar.

Panch Phoron (meaning “five spices” in Bengali) is an aromatic spice blend often used whole and not ground. It’s made with equal parts earthy cumin, sweet fennel seed, fragrant fenugreek, herbaceous nigella and punchy mustard. The spices complement one another perfectly, making this blend a great flavor starting point for coating meats and easily seasoning veggies. We suggest blooming the spices in ghee or another fat of your choice to truly coax out its flavor to make a tarka (seasoned fat) to increase the blend’s versatility that much more.

An essential aromatic in southern Indian cuisine, hing is made from the dried resin of a giant fennel plant. It’s incredibly pungent and aromatic, but develops a mellowness and allium savoriness reminiscent of leeks or onions when bloomed in ghee, hot oil or butter. The cooking process completely transforms the hing into something garlicky and a little funky, with an almost meaty, soy-like savoriness that’s simply unmatched. The aroma is softly musky and the mouthfeel is silky smooth, since the hing incorporated into fat before it’s used. This spice is exactly what you’ve been missing when recreating South Indian dishes at home.

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.

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.

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.

This curry 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.

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.

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.

Tandoori Masala is a do-it-all seasoning blend that is traditionally used for dishes cooked in a tandoor oven, especially in North Indian cuisine; it also flavors popular Anglo-Indian curries such as butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. Pure Indian Foods' version is grounded in warm paprika and cumin, with pungent garlic for a deeper flavor and floral undertones from coriander and cardamom. This tandoori masala omits the heat of chili, which you can add yourself for an extra kick. 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. Blend Tandoori Masala with kosher salt and a pinch of sugar to use as a rub on all manner of meats for roasting and grilling; the smoky, toasty notes of the tandoori blend enhance the grilled flavor. We particularly like this tandoori blend's warm flavors on salmon, shrimp or steak, paired with a simple raita of thick Greek yogurt blended with mint, cilantro, grated garlic and salt. Add it to melted butter and sizzle for a few moments until aromatic, then drizzle over cauliflower, chickpeas, spinach and even popcorn. Or stir into yogurt flavored with lime juice and salt to use as a vegetable dip.

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.

Pure Indian Foods sources its turmeric root from small family farms in India and keeps it in granule form, so it provides a rich, potent earthiness to dishes. Freshly grind turmeric as you would whole peppercorns with the built-in grinder, which also keeps things mess-free—no yellow residue everywhere (a common peril of working with ground turmeric in the kitchen). Derived from the root of a leafy plant in the ginger family, this spice has earthy, almost musky notes that are released the moment you freshly grind turmeric. Use this product as part of a spice rub on chicken or salt-crusted pork tenderloin. Turmeric's warm earthiness also pairs well with vegetables, such as in our Indian-Spiced Spinach with Tomatoes and Dill or Ginger-Turmeric Potatoes and Green Beans (Aloo Faliyan). We also love it in our Indian Lentils with Spiced Oil (Tarka Dal), for which turmeric granules can be lightly crushed alongside mustard and cumin seeds to make tarka, a spice-infused oil.

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.

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.