This Christmas, let Indian flavors be your marching orders in the kitchen, as festive feasts need a global twist about them!
Christmas is around the corner, and with all the time left, it's easy to miss out on those required ingredients. You need to look beyond your regular grocery list of fresh veggies, dairy products, meat, and wine, and if you're thinking of adding some flair to your Christmas food shopping list, search for an Indian grocery store online or explore Indian groceries online in the USA. From festive sweets to indulgent main courses, Indian ingredients can elevate your holiday spread. Here is a thoughtfully curated Indian grocery list for Christmas food shopping that will make your festivities a celebration hit!
Here is the list curated to get the top 10 things from an Indian Grocery Store Online:
1. Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Why it's a must-have: Ghee is the number one holiday dessert and Indian food flavor transformer. Rich nutty taste adds to even a simple Christmas cookie format and Indian sweet like Badam Halwa.
Recipe Idea: You can readily switch ghee into sugar cookies in place of regular butter or simply use it to sprinkle onto roasted veggies as a festive accent.
2. Spices (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves)
Why it's a must-have: These warm aromatic spices are mainstays of holiday baking and Indian desserts. Perfect for cozy vibes both in flavor and aroma.
Recipe Idea: Spice up your traditional Christmas Cake with cardamom and cloves or make Masala Chai Latte as a holiday drink.
3. Flour (All-Purpose Flour and Besan)
Why it's a must-have: Whether you're baking pastries or making Indian snacks, flour is non-negotiable. Besan (gram flour) is ideal for festive treats like Gujia.
Recipe Idea: Use all-purpose flour for Classic Christmas Shortbread Cookies or besan for crispy Pakoras.
4. Jaggery (Gur)
Why it's a must-have: Flavored with a sweet hint of caramel, jaggery is healthy and claims the spot of a better alternative to refined sugar.
Recipe Idea: Make Flour Cake or Cookies (Switch sugar with jaggery as a healthy alternative)
5. Dry Fruits (Cashews, Almonds, Raisins, and more).
Why it's a must-have: Dry Fruits are what is required to make the Christmas cakes and the soft Indian sweets "Crunchy" very good.
Recipe Idea: Christmas Dry fruit Cake or the bowl of Dry Fruit can be made or served at any occasion page.
6. Coconut – Fresh, dried, or milk.
Why it's a must-have: Coconut is versatile and present in many Indian cuisines, recipes, curries, and sweets. It is also thought to be an auspicious time during the festival season.
Recipe Idea: In Coconut Cookies or Coconut Burfi, make use of grated coconut.
7. Seasoning ingredients (Pickles, Chutneys and Tamarind Paste)
Why it's a must-have: Mango pickle and tamarind chutney are rich in tangy flavor and they are perfect appetizers.
Recipe Idea: Include tamarind chutney in cheese boats or sprinkle it over roasted Brussels sprouts.
8. Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is soft unaged cheese made from curdling heat and acid.
Why it's a must-have: Soft cubes of Paneer can be chosen for Indian dishes.
Recipe Idea: Don’t miss an opportunity to surprise your family with a colorful Paneer Butter Masala or a Paneer Pot Pie in fusion style.
9. Basmati and Sona Masoori rice
Why it's a must-have: A well-cooked pot of rice signifies and complements any festive food – whether authentic Indian food or cooked-up freestyle food.
Recipe Idea: Cook one of the most popular Jeera Rice or make a yummy biryani.
10. Sweet mixes basically include Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, and Ladoo.
Why it's a must-have: These mixes will, indeed, be time savers, and generators of even lesser work in these often busy seasons.
Recipe Idea: Gulab Jamun, served with whipped cream that is topped with crushed dry fruits.
Christmas Recipes Using Indian Ingredients
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Badam Halwa (Almond Pudding)
Ingredients:
- Almonds (Badam): 1 cup
- Ghee: 1/4 cup
- Sugar: 3/4 cup
- Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Milk: 1 cup
- Saffron strands: A pinch (optional)
Cooking Steps:
1. Start with soaking almonds in hot water for a minimum of 1 hour.
2. Now peel and grind almonds into a smooth paste.
3. Add some ghee to a pan and heat it on a slow flame.
4. Now add the almond paste, and sauté on low heat until the raw smell disappears.
5. Slowly add milk while stirring so that lumps do not form.
6. Now add sugar, and allow it to simmer until thickened and leaving the sides of the pan.
7. Add some cardamom powder and garnish with saffron strands. Serve hot.
-
Gujia
Ingredients:
- 2 cups - all-purpose flour
- Ghee - 1/4 cup of dough
- Dried Coconut (grated): 1/2 cup
- Jaggery: 1/2 cup
- Almonds and Cashews (chopped): 1/4 cup
- Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Milk: As needed (to seal edges)
Cooking Steps:
1. Mix flour with ghee and knead into a stiff dough using water. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
2. In a pan, roast grated coconut, jaggery, chopped nuts, and cardamom powder until combined. Let it cool.
3. Roll out small portions of the dough into circles, place a spoonful of filling in the center, fold, and seal the edges with milk.
4. Now heat ghee in a pan on medium heat
5. Deep-fry the Gujias until golden brown.
6. Once it cools down, they are ready to serve.
-
Masala Chai Cake
?Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup ghee or butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons Masala Chai Spice Mix (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger powder)
- 2 eggs or yogurt as a substitute
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking Steps:
1. Heat oven to 355°F (350°F; 175°C) and put the oven.
2. In one bowl mix together the flour (sp nâng b?t ), baking powder, baking soda, and chai spice mix.
3. Next cream the sugar and butter until it is light and fluffy.
4. Beat eggs in one at a time, with the added beating after it is mixed in, then the vanilla extract.
5. Then alternate the dry mixture and milk into the batter, using both dry and milk at the beginning and the end of each transfer.
6. Bake it in the prepared pan for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, and add to the pan.
7. Dust for special occasions with powdered sugar as it cools down.
-
Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour: 1 1/4th cups
- Cocoa powder: 1/4th cup
- Baking powder: 1/2 tsp
- Salt: A pinch
- Ghee or Butter (softened): 1/2 cup
- Sugar: 1/2 cup
- Jaggery (grated): 1/4 cup
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
- Chocolate chips: 1/2 cup
- Milk: 2-3 tbsp
Cooking Steps:
1. Before starting with that mixture, set the oven to 350°F (180°C) with the baking sheet covered with parchment and place it in.
2. In a cup or a small bowl, sift together the flour, the cocoa powder, the baking powder, and the salt.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl cream together the ghee/butter with sugar and jaggery till fluffy. If it’s in mason jars, you’re fine. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Afterwards, mix dry with wet until combined gradually with a wooden spoon. Work the dough with just enough milk to make a soft dough.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Roll the dough small and then scoop small amounts of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space for any cookie to spread.
7. When the edges are firm, bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Let stand, for 5 minutes, then place on a sheet and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
9. Or make that occasional holiday gift!
Final note: Christmas and Indian flavors
Let's incorporate Indian flavors to make your holiday celebrations shine this year, whether baking spiced cookies, tantalizing curries or treating yourself to an array of Indian sweets. Once the festivals pop up, there's no end to what you can do. For those who have no clue about where to buy Indian groceries in the USA, an answer awaits you. For one-stop premium Indian online grocery shopping, Quicklly sweeten your deal. Don't tire yourself during this festive season running around the mall for groceries. Instead, just go out and make some beautiful and happy memories with your family! Because food's what everybody's on everybody's mind this holiday, Quicklly made the new quick and easy ultimate Christmas gift!