A Subsititute Guide for Common Ingredients in Indian Cuisine

Thanks to lockdowns, chances are your kitchens are running frugally with ingredients you have in stock. Indian cuisine usually calls for some specific spices that you don’t normally have in your pantry. Ideally, if you run out of something in your kitchen, you'd hurry to the supermarket, but that's not a luxury anymore. You have to make do with what you have. This means you need to get creative by substituting this with that. But we’ve got you covered! Here are the best substitutes for common ingredients you find in Indian cuisine. You can thank us later!

Tamarind

Tamarind is mostly used in South-Indian cooking and of course, you can substitute tamarind! Using equal parts of lime juice or rice wine vinegar with sugar, you can concoct your own mix. If you're using lime juice, add 2-3 drops of white vinegar for the tangy effect.

Hing or Asafetida

Asafetida is a powder made from the sap of a plant relative to fennel. This is one of those strong aromatic ingredients that go into the oil before anything else. It’s commonly used in Indian cooking but is virtually unknown in the West. It’s very unique and nearly impossible to substitute. It is a wonderful spice, with a slightly sulphur taste somewhat comparable to onions or shallots. Although used sparingly by the pinch, if you don’t have hing, the best substitute is onion, fresh garlic or even garlic powder.

Chaat Masala

An Indian favourite, chaat masala is used in multiple ways. Whether it’s for a summer drink, sprinkled on fruits or sandwiches. Substitute chaat masala easily by making your very own version. You'll need coriander powder, cumin powder and dry mango powder mixed with a generous amount of salt. Lemon juice & some salt would do, too.

Fresh Ginger

Used in tea, dal & many other Indian curries, fresh ginger is likely to go out of stock in your kitchen. But worry not, you don’t always need fresh ginger. The simplest way to substitute fresh ginger is by using ginger powder.

Saffron

Lockdown has got us all cooking at home. And boring food is made interesting with rich ingredients. Saffron is very much used in Indian desserts and biryanis. However, being a really expensive ingredient you can replicate its flavour by substituting it with rose water and a pinch of turmeric.

Cashew or Cashew Paste

Cashews are usually a household staple, stored away in an air-tight container in our freezers. But sometimes you only want to substitute it for a healthier result. You can swap cashews in curries with sesame seed, couscous or peanut paste. You can even make a richer curry with curd or heavy cream if you're out of cashews in your pantry.

Garam Masala

Garam masala is a combination of powdered warming spices. There are many different variations of the spice mix, based on the different regions in India. If you don’t have garam masala, use equal parts of any of the following that you have in your pantry, and powder it before using: black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom powder, bay leaf, cumin powder, and clove powder. You need to be cautious of the clove powder, though, as it can easily overpower

Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is a long, slender rice native to the Indian subcontinent. Basmati is characterized by its fragrant, nutty aroma. It’s similar to jasmine rice, so it can easily substitute basmati rice. Source: ButteredVeg & IndianFoodNetwork