Grocery stores in a newer land can be the most familiar place or the strangest you will see. Depending on the store-to-store, you might see your staple and favourite items or foods you have never seen. Searching for Indian flavours can get challenging for individuals who have just moved abroad. Worry not! This guide by The Affordable Store will come in handy to help you find authentic Indian flavours in foreign aisles. These can range from substitutes to lesser-known brands, to ensure that you get the best on your plate!

Accept the substitutes:

Embrace the fact that there might not be the exact spices that you are looking for. Different countries have different terrains and ways of agriculture. Growing might be difficult without altering the biological composition of the crop. Replacing these with substitutes can therefore help you get similar tastes while widening your taste buds. For instance, Cayenne pepper can replace red chillies, paprika for Kashmiri chillies and cumin for jeera. These can be found under the international or ethnic section. Bell peppers can replace capsicum where whereas eggplant can replace brinjal. Dairy products such as yogurt and cheese can be a good switch for paneer and dips, and coconut oil can work great in place of ghee.

Experiment works great:

As they say, change is essential in life. You can try experimenting with certain staples and see how they fare in your diet.  Consider buying long-grain white and brown rice if basmati rice is not in stock. Herbs such as oregano mint, parsley and thyme can work well and are available everywhere. Explore pumpkin and sesame seeds for extra taste. Swiss chard and spinach can be used in place of methi and saag. Frozen vegetables and ready-made mixes such as parathas naan and chapatis can also be considered.

International Section (Your best friend):

Big marts often do not restrict themselves to a country or a continent. They keep almost every other item, to bring in more and more diversity and customers. Entering the international section is like entering a completely different world, you will keep on hopping from one aisle to another in awe! Soy sauce in the Asian aisle can give a new meaning to your curries and canned tomatoes from Latin America can be great for your sauces. Olives from the Mediterranean can be a welcome addition to your raitas and salads.

Use Online Resources:

The Internet is your playground! Platforms such as YouTube and Google provide commendable recipe suggestions at affordable prices. You can also consider joining WhatsApp and Twitter communities and interacting with like-minded individuals and food enthusiasts! A lot of professional chefs come up with newer ingredients every day to enhance your dish. Downloading recipe apps such as Paprika and Whisk is a good alternative to practice and better yourself with step-by-step tutorials. You can also try reading popular cookbooks!

Tea and Beverages:

Chai blends and ready made lassi and fruit drinks can do great to go along with your dish/snack or quench that thirst!

Remember, the key is to have fun and learn along the way. Keep experimenting and practising until you get the flavours that instantly activate your taste buds! The staff nowadays are generally friendly, asking them for guidance can be of great help! Happy Cooking!