Charchari

Use equal weight. Cut into large chunks; cooks down much faster (10-12 minutes) and softens into the sauce rather than staying starchy and firm.

Use 80% of the weight. Cube and add in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking; adds rich dairy protein instead of starchy bulk.

Use 45% dry weight. Soak overnight and boil until fully soft before stirring into the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Use the same weight. Scrub and leave whole or halve if large; they cook in about the same time and give a similar waxy bite.

Use the same weight. Peel only if the recipe needs it; cut to the size of new potatoes so they cook evenly. The flesh is slightly more floury.

Use the same weight, cut into even walnut-sized pieces. It may break down a little more in long cooking, thickening the gravy.

Use the same weight; cut into similar florets and cook 2–3 minutes less. It is greener and slightly stronger in flavour.

Use the same weight and break into even florets. This is essentially the same vegetable, so cooking and flavour change little.

Use the same weight; cut into wedges and cook 3–5 minutes less. It becomes much softer and sweeter, so the dish loses cauliflower's bite.

Use the same weight; peel and cube. Firmer and less sweet, so cook 5–10 minutes longer and taste for sugar.

Use the same weight; peel and cube. Sweeter and starchier; reduce added sugar and cook until just tender.

Use the same weight; cut larger chunks. Watery and soft, so cook 5 minutes less and reduce liquid.

Use the same weight; peel, deseed and cut into similar pieces. It is firmer and slightly more watery, so add a little less water and cook 5 minutes longer.

Use the same weight; no need to peel. It cooks faster and releases water, so reduce the recipe liquid by about 10% and add it later.

Use the same weight; peel and remove the stone. It stays firmer, so cut it smaller and cook a few minutes longer.

Use the same weight; halve or quarter and cook 2–3 minutes longer. They hold their shape better in the sauce.

Use the same weight; slice or cube to the recipe's size. Similar flesh, slightly firmer.

Use the same weight; cube and salt for 10 minutes if the recipe does. It absorbs oil a little more.

Use equal weight; trim tough stems and cook as directed. Yields a very similar melting texture, though red varieties will tint the dish.

Use equal weight, finely chopped. Slightly more peppery, so sauté for two minutes longer to soften the bite.

Use 75% of the weight, finely shredded. Adds a robust, peppery bitterness; balance with a tiny pinch of sugar if needed.

Use the same weight, sliced on the diagonal; it gives a similar crunch but no pea sweetness.

Use the same weight, topped, tailed and sliced; cook until just tender.

Use 50–60% of the weight if the recipe wants shelled peas; add them later so they do not overcook.

Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Use equal weight. Soak in warm water for 20 minutes and grind to a smooth paste; produces an even creamier, slightly richer gravy than poppy seeds.

Use equal weight. Soak and grind finely; provides similar thickening and body with a slightly nuttier, faintly bitter edge.

Use equal weight. Blanch, peel, and grind finely with a splash of water; lends a velvety body and gentle sweetness to gravies.

Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Use equal weight whole. Fry in hot oil or ghee as tempered spice; gives a richer red colour with slightly milder heat.

Use 50% to 70% of the weight. Stir into the oil with ground spices; distributes heat evenly throughout the dish without whole chilli skins.

Use the same weight. The seeds are smaller and hotter; fry in hot oil until they pop, about 20–30 seconds, and reduce the heat if they darken too fast. The dish will be a little sharper.

Use the same weight. They are milder and larger; fry a few seconds longer until they pop. The finished dish will have less pungency.

Use 70% of the weight of whole seed, added with the other ground spices rather than fried whole. You lose the popping texture and the heat comes through more evenly.

Use equal weight, finely sliced. Shallots soften and brown faster, giving a slightly sweeter and more delicate base to curries.

Use 80% of the weight, finely shredded and browned slowly with a pinch of asafoetida. Replicates the bulk and natural sweetness in gravies without allium.

Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Use equal weight; scrape off the skin and grate or finely julienne according to the recipe.

Use equal weight; stir straight into the sizzling aromatics, taking care as the extra moisture may spit.

Use 15 to 20% of the weight; add alongside ground spices, noting it imparts warm, dry heat rather than zesty freshness.

Use equal weight. It handles high-heat cooking well, but lacks the signature pungent, nasal heat of mustard oil.

Use equal weight. Neutral in flavour, so your curry will lack the characteristic Bengali or North Indian pungent punch.

Use 70% of the weight, added with the ground spices rather than tempered whole. You lose the whole-seed crackle but keep the five-spice aroma.

Use about 40% of the weight, with equal amounts of fennel seed and nigella seeds if you have them. It is not a true blend; the result is cumin-forward and less complex.

Use about 30% of the weight with cumin and mustard seed to approximate the blend. It adds sweetness but misses fenugreek's bitterness and nigella's onion note.

Use a 2 cm piece (about 1 g) for every 1 to 2 bay leaves. Fry in whole-spice temperings; provides the cassia-like warmth typical of Indian tejpatta.

Use 0.5 g per leaf. Stir into the sauce during simmering; gives the same warm woodiness but darkens the colour slightly.