Tandoori Bharwan Tamatar

Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.

Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

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, pressed well to remove excess moisture and cut into cubes. Pan-fry lightly before adding; absorbs sauces similarly, though it lacks dairy sweetness.

Use equal weight, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes to leach out excess salt. Holds shape during frying, but has a denser, saltier chew.

Boil until just tender, same weight, then cool and peel; texture and cooking behaviour are almost identical.

Use same weight; waxy new potatoes hold shape better in curries, so simmer gently.

Use same weight but expect a sweeter taste and softer mash; reduce further cooking to 5 minutes.

Use equal weight directly from fresh or frozen. Toss into the pan near the end of cooking to preserve sweetness and bright green colour.

Use 70% of the weight, boiled until tender but holding shape. Adds pleasant body and starch, though it lacks the juicy sweetness of fresh peas.

Use equal weight, pitted and finely chopped. Lends a deeper, slightly more tart sweetness to curries and rice dishes.

Use equal weight. Fry lightly in ghee until golden; substitutes the burst of sweetness with a rich, buttery crunch.

Use 30% of the weight, finely grated. Dissolve straight into the sauce to match the intended sweetness, though without the fruity chew.

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 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.

Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.

Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Use 100% of the weight. Many commercial gram flours are milled from split peas; performs identically in pakora batters and kadhi.

For crisping batters or binding cutlets: use 50% to 60% of the weight. Produces a very crisp shell but lacks the earthy, roasted nutty flavour of besan.

Use the same weight; this is the same spice.

Use 75% of the weight, toasted; different, less medicinal flavour.

Use 50% of the weight, crushed; sweeter and milder.

Use the same weight. The names are used interchangeably; check seasoning.

Use the same weight. It is thick enough for marinades and raitas, with a slightly sharper taste.

Use about 175% of the weight and strain through muslin for 3–4 hours to get the same thick weight.

Use the same weight. Toss with lemon juice and salt just before serving so it stays crisp.

Use the same weight, sliced. It gives a fresher, wetter side than a mixed salad.

Use the same weight, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes and drained. It adds sharpness rather than leafiness.

Use the same weight; it is hotter and more ginger-forward, so add a little tamarind paste or jaggery to balance.

Use the same weight and add a teaspoon of grated ginger; tamarind chutney keeps the sour-sweet base, mint chutney makes it fresher.

Use the same weight; it is sweeter and fruitier, so add a little tamarind and grated ginger to bring it closer.