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Where to buy South Indian ingredients?

rainbow_carnagerainbow_carnage
edited November 2009 in Local discussion
In a moment of self-delusion, I bought Das Sreedharan's cookbook. (He of Rasa restaurants fame.) Now I need to buy some authentic(ish) South Indian ingredients. Can anyone recommend a shop? Googling yielded Drummond Street. I will check it out on Thursday.

Anywhere closer to SG?
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Comments

  • andyandy
    edited 8:26PM
    what sort of ingredients?
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  • dorothydorothy
    edited 8:26PM
    Think you mainly need coconut, tumeric and tamarind. I find one meal made with coconut milk, normally puts me off any more South Indian fare for around 6 months.

    Should get most of it round here. Drummond St good for strange gourds though I think, if that's what you're after.
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  • DavidDavid
    edited November 2009
    Tesco's? Woody's? Only Indian ingredient I find hard to get is fresh curry leaves. There's a huge Indian supermarket in brick lane which serves that need. Just asked a Sri Lankan friend who reckons all the good fresh stuff is around Wembley - seemed a little random to me but hey. She also said she knows a good site she's going to pass on. Which I'll duly post here.
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  • AliAli
    edited 8:26PM
    Pak now they are staying
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  • rainbow_carnagerainbow_carnage
    edited 8:26PM
    Many thanks for the suggestions. A website would be great, as I'm too lazy to go to Wembley.

    I think it is mostly spices and things like coconut, fresh curry leaves, etc. I'm sure I can get a lot of it from Tesco or Woody's. But then there are things like asafoetida? I don't even know what that is. I doubt Tesco sells it. And urad dal?
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  • andyandy
    edited 8:26PM
    The Clocktower up in Crouch End is pretty good for slightly-off-the-beaten-track spices. Alternatively <http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk>;
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  • ColetteColette
    edited November 2009
    Tesco SGR was selling fresh curry leaves a few weeks ago (seriously - I was shocked too), not sure if they still have them in stock. They also sell small finger aubergines and a few other bits and bobs like jaggery (palm sugar) and all the different pulses and spices you need. It's actually pretty good for that. I've bought urad dal from there, and also asafoetida I think. For the urad dal, go to the aisle that sells the speciality ethnic foods - rice flour etc. It's all there. If Tesco isn't doing the fresh curry leaves then Drummond st definitely does them. Buy quite a lot and then either dry or freeze what you don't use. I love Das - his books are my favourites for curry.
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  • GilesGiles
    edited 8:26PM
    Idlis are my favourite - rice and ural dal fermented and steamed. Fond memories.
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  • jandbjandb
    edited 8:26PM
    That's a great link andy ...

    asafoetida sounds lovely too .... Bouquet: a pungent smell of rotting onions or sulfur.
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  • hellojohellojo
    edited 8:26PM
    Pak Supermarket sells urad dal and most spices - not sure about asafoetida though.

    Drummond St is great, and there's also a shop near the end of Drummond St on Hampstead Road that you could try.

    Tesco is getting better and better - check the freezer section as well for starters and desserts if you want to focus on the main course
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  • mapsamapsa
    edited 8:26PM
    I bought some Schwarz asafoetida from Tesco on SGR about 6 months ago. Funnily enough, I still have 99% of it left. It stinks.
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  • dorothydorothy
    edited 8:26PM
    Paks do the Urad Dhal. They do different sorts. I normally use the hulled Urid Dhal for things like Avial. I got that advice from Madjar Jaffrey years ago. However your Das guy might have a method of hulling and grinding the other sorts, so I would defer to his knowledge. The hulled sort is pale yellowy/white looking, quite fine. The other sort looks like black stones.

    All that's brought on a craving for a fish mouli now!
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  • andyandy
    edited 8:26PM
    I hadn't even heard the word "asafoetida" til yesterday and it turns out you've all got it your cupboard!
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  • ColetteColette
    edited 8:26PM
    Oh, and Tesco also sells frozen paneer.
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  • valval
    edited 8:26PM
    There are lots of Indian shops, including a supermarket, in Turnpike Lane.
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