Kitchen Items for an Indian Grad Student - II

Here comes the tough part - choosing what food items you're going to take with you. While there are some mandatory spices that you must carry, the remainder of the space is yours to fill up!

Spices and Herbs:

• Sambhar powder
• Rasam powder
• Jeera powder - 200 gm
• Red chili powder - 200 gm
• Turmeric powder - 100 gm
• Coriander powder - 100 gm
• Black pepper powder -100 gm
• Chhole Masala - can be used for making rajma as well
• Royal Garam Masala
• Kitchen King Masala - used to make kurma
• Pav Bhaji Masala - this is one of the easiest dishes to make with any available vegetables
• Tandoori Chicken Masala - can be used for potatos or paneer also
• Shahi Biriyani Masala - an all-in-one dish that doesn't require sides
• Dried red chili pepper
• Mustard seeds
• Urad dhal
• Jeera seeds
• Coriander seeds 
• Fenugreek seeds
• Black pepper seeds
• Anise
• Cardamom
• Clove
• Saunf
• Kasoori methi
• Asafoetida powder
• Cinnamon bark pieces
• Sesame seeds [Optional]
• Splitz tamarind concentrate 
• Smith and Jones ginger-garlic paste pouch

Note:

• Do not carry curry leaves with you in any form to be on the safe side.
• Make sure everything is completely dry and stored in a sealed packing.
• A palm-sized Ziploc bag of spices is sufficient for 6-9 months, if cooking for 1 person
• The tamarind concentrate an ginger-garlic paste are best to use in the pouches with a screw-on enclosing. This preserves them longer and you don't need to worry about using a clean, dry spoon each time you need you use some.

Apart from the above spices and herbs, I also took a variety of ready-to-eat mixes. These are the brands that I've tried:

• Parampara Mixes - I've tried the chicken curry and it's really easy to make! 
• Ching's Secret - The schezwan chutney is a must. They also sell 10/- powders for making fried rice, hakka noodles, chicken 65, vegetable manchurian and chili paneer which are very convenient. 
• Maggi noodles
• MTR - The puliogare mix is really good
• Chef's Basket - They sell very good mixes with noodles, seasoning and spices.

You do not need to take rice, atta or dhal. You can purchase it on arrival. Other miscellaneous items that I took:

• Papad - you can microwave these for 10-30 seconds for a quick snack/side dish for rice.
• Pickle
• Pickled rice mix - for lemon rice, coriander rice, mint rice, etc.
• Coconut milk powder
• Garlic rice powder/ dhal rice powder
• Soyatein

Get a few things (Maggi/ Knorr noodles) that you can make easily with one pan for the initial few days. 

It is advisable to get scrubbing sponges for cleaning the dishes as well. Brands like Scotch-Brite are expensive. However, you can get other brands at the DollarTree.

Check out a list of pots and pans to take with you!

Kitchen Items for an Indian Grad Student - I

 A few of my friends have been asking me what they should take with them when they go abroad for the first time so I've prepared a list of things that I took and refined it a bit.

Let's start with the pots and pans:-

Everything that I bought was from Prestige or Futura. Here's my exhaustive list:

• Prestige 3-Liter Clip-On Cooker
• Futura 1.5 Liter Saucepan
• Prestige Die Cast Plus Tawa with Heat Indicator
• Futura 3.75 Liter Deep-Fry Pan (Kadai) - I recommend getting a non stick kadai instead of this though
• Stainless steel rice pot that fits inside the cooker with a lid
• 1 rolling pin and board for making roti
• 1 knife
• 1 peeler
• 4 spoons
• 2 forks
• 1 shallow serving spoon
• 1 deep serving spoon
• 1 spatula (for flipping roti/dosa)
• 1 tumbler/cup
• 1 spill-proof lunch box
• 1 plate (microwavable)
• Spare parts for the cooker (gasket, weight, etc.)
• 1 vegetable chopper [Optional]
• 1 cutting board [Optional]
• 1 hot pot clip handle [Optional]
• 1 sieve [Optional]
• 1 idli tray that fits in the cooker [Optional]

Stainless steel pot that fits inside the cooker with lid

Important Notes:

• Everything must be INDUCTION compatible!
• The stainless steel pot is VERY convenient for cooking rice and dhal at the same time and not getting the cooker dirty. Simply keep the rice in the pot with the required amount of water and the dhal on the top tray with water, turmeric, and oil. Add water to the pressure cooker, put the pot in and cook as you normally would cook the rice and both items would be ready in no time. The dhal does not spill and the cooker does not get dirty if the pot is correctly placed with the right amount of ingredients.
• If you are short on space, you can leave out the sauce pan and the kadai. The pressure cooker can be used as a kadai/sauce pan as well. These are easily available abroad.
• You can get spoons, forks, plates, plastic containers, salt and pepper shakers, cups, cutting board sheets at the DollarTree. Do not buy a knife here. 
• It is not advisable to use plastic items while heating food. I recommend buying a 10-piece Pyrex set on arrival. 
• The vegetable chopper is convenient if cooking in bulk. Otherwise, it is a hassle to clean.

To know about what spices and food items to take, check out Part - II!