Thandai (Tandoori Home Cooking)

Use equal weight. Soak in warm water and grind to a paste or fry identically; yields a slightly creamier and sweeter sauce.

Use equal weight. Lightly roast, skin, and grind; introduces a heavier body and a pronounced roasted-nut aroma.

Use 100% of the weight. Soak in boiling water and slip off skins before frying or grinding; gives a lighter, slightly less sweet richness to curries.

Use 60% of the weight for gravies. Soak in warm water and grind into a fine paste to thicken royal kormas without adding heavy oiliness.

Use 100% of the weight. Roast, skin, and grind; creates a thicker, earthier texture typical of Maharashtrian and western Indian curries.

Use the same weight; grey seeds make a darker paste but taste close.

Use the same weight, lightly toasted; the paste is nuttier and less thickening.

For 10 g poppy seeds use about 15 g cashew nut paste; it thickens more, so reduce other thickeners.

Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.

Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.

Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Use 75% of the weight. Fry in hot oil or ghee; has a sharper, more pronounced liquorice flavour, so use a lighter hand.

Use 60% of the weight. Stir into the sauce with ground masalas; provides identical sweet aniseed flavour without whole seed crunch.

Use one point (single carpel) per 1 g of fennel seeds. Simmer in gravies and remove before serving; gives a deeper, woodier liquorice aroma.

Use 1 to 2 drops per gram of dried rose petals. Add right at the end of cooking off the heat; highly aromatic, so measure carefully to avoid a soapy finish.

Use a few drops off the heat. Imparts a sweet, floral aroma to biryanis and desserts without botanical flecks.

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.

Use 100% of the weight. If using semi-skimmed milk, stir in 10 g butter per 200 g milk to match the richness of whole milk.

Use 60% cream diluted with 40% water by weight to match the fat content of whole milk. Gravies will taste richer and reduce faster.