The Internet gives all the information we need on what we are looking for, so it is easy to find out the names of the Indian groceries and where one can buy them. One of the first searches Indian immigrants make when they move anywhere in the USA is to look for Indian grocery stores or in the nearby stores look for grains, pulses, vegetables, and fruits that they utilize in their cooking. Yet again, the internet has made it easy to find online Indian grocery stores that deliver groceries at the doorstep or have an arrangement for store pickup.
Finding Indian groceries
Though local stores stock many groceries that Indians consume, an Indian grocery store will have all the grocery products in a single place. Different parts of India have different varieties of groceries or different styles of cooking the same ingredients. For instance, in North India people prefer Basmati rice whereas in the rest of the country people use regular rice. The same vegetables and meats are cooked with different types of spices. The South Indian breakfast meals are rarely eaten in the North and so on. Hence, it is important to have a large Indian grocery store where all the groceries from every region can be purchased.
How do Indians cook in the USA?
Indian grocery stores will have vegetables, spices, and popular Indian brands of spice mixes besides the bread and rice. One can purchase frozen Indian meals, chapatis, parathas, naans, and much more. They can also buy frozen vegetables, dosa batter, idli batter and so much more. One can buy ready-to-eat meals from MTR, Haldirams, and other popular Indian companies whose food is heated in the oven. It is cheaper to cook one’s meals and most of the Indians prefer to do that. One can purchase pressure cookers, blenders, and kadhais that they may be comfortable using for cooking. Vegetables come in precut mixes for specific dishes and so do spice blends. SO, one can buy rasam or sambhar masalas, biryani masala, pulao vegetable mix, or similar such mixes that make cooking very easy.
Shopping in the Indian grocery store
The advantage of shopping for Indian groceries in an Indian grocery store is that they will know the popular regional names for the products one is purchasing. So, if you do not know that Ladies Fingers is called Okra in the USA, it does not matter. One can ask for elaichi instead of cardamom and moong instead of floundering for its name online. Also, the Indian grocery stores have excellent snack counters where one can treat themselves to popular Indian snacks such as dhoklas or samosas.
Whether it is cooking for festivals, parties, or special occasions, one can find all the ingredients and cook the meals at home. Whether it is for catering services or for cooking at home, the prices are within reach for everyone and even students can benefit from purchasing their groceries locally rather than bringing it in bulk from home.
