The Desi Kitchen Grocery List for Life in the US or UK

Why a list helps more abroad

At home, the corner shop sells everything you need and you buy as you cook. Abroad, the nearest South Asian grocer may be a drive away, and you probably go every two or three weeks. That makes a stocking list useful: if you run out of cumin in the middle of the week, dinner changes.

The list below is organized by how you shop, not by cuisine. Adjust it to your region and your family's taste. It is a starting point, not a rulebook.

Whole and ground spices

Spices are the biggest reason to visit a desi grocery. Prices at South Asian stores are often noticeably lower than the small jars at a mainstream supermarket, and the bags are larger. You can compare unit prices yourself.

The core set (most dishes use these):

• Cumin seeds and ground cumin
• Coriander powder
• Turmeric
• Red chili powder
• Garam masala
• Mustard seeds
• Black pepper
• Green cardamom and cloves
• Bay leaves and a cinnamon stick

Second tier (add as you cook more):

• Fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• Fennel seeds
• Carom seeds (ajwain)
• Chaat masala
• Amchur (dried mango powder)
• Asafoetida (hing)

Buy whole spices in smaller amounts than ground ones, because ground spices lose their aroma sooner. Store everything in airtight containers away from the stove. If you want to see how this looks in a single box, read our post on the masala dabba.

Lentils, beans and grains

These last for months and are cheaper in large bags.

• Red lentils (masoor): cook quickly, good for everyday daal.
• Yellow lentils (toor or moong): the base for many dishes and khichdi.
• Chana daal (split chickpeas): needs longer cooking but is hearty.
• Dried or canned chickpeas: for chana masala.
• Kidney beans: for rajma.
• Basmati rice: buy in a 10 lb (about 4.5 kg) bag or larger if you eat rice daily and have storage space.
• Atta (whole wheat flour): for chapati and parathas. It is not the same as plain wheat flour, so look for the word atta on the bag.

Keep grains and lentils in sealed containers. A dry, cool cupboard is enough. If you notice tiny insects, freeze new bags for a few days before storing them.

Fresh staples

These are the items you will rebuy every week.

• Onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger
• Green chilies
• Fresh coriander and mint
• Potatoes and cauliflower (for aloo gobi)
• Lemons and limes
• Yogurt (plain, full-fat if you use it for cooking)
• Eggs

Ginger, garlic and green chilies can be minced and frozen in small portions. That saves you from dashing out for one missing ingredient.

Freezer and shelf helpers

Having a few shortcuts means a bad day does not end in takeout.

• Frozen peas (matar pulao and many curries)
• Frozen paratha or roti, if you do not make your own
• Canned tomatoes, as a backup when fresh ones are poor
• Coconut milk for some southern and coastal curries
• Tamarind paste
• Ghee and a neutral cooking oil
• Tea leaves, sugar and milk powder if your household drinks chai

Substitutes when you cannot find something

You will sometimes be missing an ingredient. A few swaps that usually work:

None of these is identical, but they will keep dinner moving.

Reading labels and quantities

Units differ between stores. US shops often sell by pound and ounce, UK shops by kilogram and gram, and desi stores may use either. One pound is about 454 g, and 1 kg is about 2.2 lb. When a recipe gives amounts in metric and the label is in ounces, use a small kitchen scale or look for the conversion on the pack. The recipe pages in Degchi show both metric and US measurements, so you do not need to convert in your head.

Build the list around your week

Rather than buying everything at once, build your list from the meals you actually plan to cook. If you plan three lentil dinners, you do not need five kinds of lentil. Check your pantry first: look at what is already low, and write only those items down. Degchi has a pantry tracker that marks items as Have, Low or Out and generates a shopping list from them, but a note on the fridge works just as well.

A practical shopping rhythm

• Every two to four weeks: the desi grocery, for spices, bulk rice and lentils, frozen items.
• Every week: a regular supermarket for fresh produce, dairy and eggs.
• Once a quarter: a pantry check. Throw out anything stale and note what you rarely use.

A final tip on budget

Buy the biggest bag only if you will use it. A 20 lb (about 9 kg) bag of rice is not a bargain if half goes stale. Compare price per kilogram or per pound, not the headline price, and ask yourself honestly how fast your household eats through each item. Over time you will learn your own numbers, and the grocery list will shrink to what you actually use.