Taking care of your own diet might be quite daunting, especially amidst a severe workload, but having a well-organized pantry makes meal planning easier. In fact, it is a different type of happiness altogether to know that you don't have to struggle with ingredients while cooking a meal. Hence, it is important to scan through your pantry at regular intervals and get your essentials before they run out of stock. Now, if you notice, every pantry setup is unique to each one's meal preference, but still, there are some common ingredients that hold a fixed position in every household. We curated a list of a few such essentials that you must always keep in stock. Read on.
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Here are 8 essential cooking ingredients that you should always keep stocked in your kitchen:
1. Oil and spices:
The very basics in every cooking process, oils and spices are a must in every kitchen pantry. While spices vary as per usage, some of the essential ones used in every Indian cooking are cumin (jeera), coriander (dhania), mustard seeds (sarso), turmeric (haldi), red chilli powder, and garam masala. Likewise, for oils, you should always have at least one bottle of refined oil and mustard oil each for making different types of foods. Some people also stock coconut oil, sesame oil, and olive oil as per their cooking needs.
2. Dal and legumes:
This is probably the most accessible and affordable source of nutrients in our everyday diet. They are packed with protein, fibre, vitamins, antioxidants, and various other healthy properties for overall goodness. Some of the most common dal and legumes are masoor dal, moong dal, toor dal, chana dal, rajma, chole, and lobia.
3. Flour and rice:
Rice, roti, and paratha are staples in India. You need them for every meal to pair with sabzi, dal, and even a simple achar at times. Now, if you explore, you will find different varieties of rice and flour options across India. But the most common ones that are a must in every household remain basmati rice, atta, and maida. Some people replace white rice with brown rice and have ragi atta, bajra atta, and makai atta, amongst others to make some special dishes. The choice is yours!
4. Tea and coffee:
Can you imagine starting a day without a cup of coffee or chai? We can't. Hence, it is important to have at least one jar of tea and coffee handy to kick-start your mornings and refuel with energy. Some people also stock green tea and green coffee to detox in between meals.
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5. Salt and sugar:
The importance of salt and sugar needs no separate introduction. These are essential to add taste and flavours to your meal. While common white salt and sugar are a must in your pantry, you can also stock some pink salt/rock salt and jaggery to give your meals a healthy spin.
6. Potato and onion:
A potato and some onions can help you make a pool of recipes. From sabzi to exotic baked potatoes, you can prepare it all whenever you feel like. Keeping these two vegetables constant, you can keep experimenting with the rest as per your meal plan.
7. Ginger and garlic:
It is impossible to imagine making a base for curries without these two ingredients. You can either buy them whole to prepare a paste for your dish, or you can simply opt for the ready-made ginger garlic pastes to save time and effort.
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8. Eggs and bread:
These ingredients can sort your meal anytime during the day. While eggs work as your best friend at every point in life, bread can help you put together a simple toast, an exotic sandwich, and various other dishes of your choice. Now, whether you want a simple milk bread or a multi-grain or brown one - that's totally up to you!
We always make sure we never run out of these ingredients in the kitchen. You should try it too! And if you have any other kitchen essentials in mind, do share them with us in the comments below.