Seafood Bhel with Nimbu & Sev

Use the same weight. Clean and add at the same stage; cook only until pink, about 2–3 minutes, so they stay tender. Texture is springier and sweeter, not as soft as squid.

Use the same weight, halved lengthways if large. Cook 2–3 minutes; they are firmer and need slightly less time than squid.

Use the same weight, cut into thick strips. Add 3–4 minutes before the end; it flakes rather than turning tender like squid, so the dish is softer in texture.

Use the same weight. Chop if large; cook until shells open, about 3–5 minutes. Firmer and brinier.

Use the same weight and chop. Cook for 3–5 minutes; larger and brinier.

Use the same weight. Add late and cook for 2–3 minutes; no shell, so less briny.

For 100 ml wine use 25 ml white wine vinegar plus 75 ml water; simmer 2 minutes to soften the sharpness.

For 100 ml wine use 1 tbsp lemon juice made up to 100 ml with water; add off the heat. Sharper and less complex.

Use the same volume; add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice for acidity. Lighter, without wine's fermented depth.

Use the same peeled weight. Cook for 2–3 minutes until pink; firmer texture and less sweet than crayfish.

Use the same weight of shelled tails, split if large, and cook 1–2 minutes longer; closest texture.

Use the same cooked weight, cut into tail-sized pieces and add at the end to avoid toughening; sweeter and richer.

Use equal volume or weight; slightly sweeter and less pungent, but otherwise an imperceptible swap.

Use 25% of the weight; imparts dry, fruity sourness, best stirred in right at the end of cooking.

Use 50% of the weight; delivers pleasant fruity tang but turns pale sauces considerably darker.

Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.

Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Use the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.

Use about half the weight, mixed with black salt and a pinch of ground cumin. It gives tang and saltiness but lacks the minty, asafoetida notes.

Use about half the weight and add lime juice to taste. It gives the salty, sulphurous edge but not the full tangy blend.

Use the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.

Use the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.

Use the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.

Crush or break into small crisp pieces and use the same weight as sev; add at the last moment so it stays crisp. It gives a salty crunch but not sev's fine noodle shape.

Crush coarsely and use the same weight; it gives a nutty, crisp legume taste. Add just before serving, as it softens in hot gravy.

Toast in a little ghee until crisp and use the same weight; substitute only for texture as a garnish, not for sev eaten on its own.