Find All of the Indian Food and Flavors You Love in One Place

If you are familiar with cuisine from Indian restaurants, you may find that it is difficult to replicate the same flavors in your home because most markets do not offer some of the spices and ingredients that you need to capture the same tasty flavors. Indian cuisine tends to be highly dependent on curries and uses a wide variety of flavorful spices, grains, and meats. The taste of Indian food is a unique flavor profile and is made from products grown locally, which can sometimes make it more difficult to source.

International Fresh Market is your local grocery store in Naperville with a large selection of Indian grocery items and ingredients. We offer a wide selection of fresh, high-quality Indian food products, including spices, meats, produce, and grains that can enable you to prepare the authentic Indian dishes of your choice. Let us know if there are products you are looking for and cannot find and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Our supermarket offers many of the following Indian grocery items:

 

Browse Indian Grocery Staples

Some of the pantry staples that we carry are dry ingredients that store well and are used in many Indian dishes. These items are versatile and can be used in a wide variety of foods, including other ethnic varieties. Since Indian dishes are somewhat regional, combining these pantry staples with different vegetables or spices gives you multiple options. Many supermarkets do not provide large offerings, but at International Fresh Market, we pride ourselves in being the only grocery store that you will need.

 

Highly Nutritious Pearl Millet

Pearl millet are small, tear-drop-shaped seeds that are white, yellow, brown, gray, ivory, purple, or black. They are the most common of all pantry staples, mostly because of their versatility and easy storage. Also known in India as Bajra, it has a high nutritional content, being iron-rich, gluten-free, with an ample source of copper and magnesium. It can be eaten like rice or ground into flour for flatbreads.

 

Lentils, Dal, Chickpeas and Beans

We carry a large variety of lentils, dal, and other pulses. The type of lentil that you choose will vary depending on the recipe. Indian cuisine often contains a variety of lentils and dal in many colors. Masoor dal, or red lentils, is perhaps the most commonly used lentil in Indian food because they are inexpensive and cook quickly. Toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas) is used in many specialty dishes but is avoided for everyday use because it takes longer to cook. Split pea lentils or moong dal (yellow lentils) are other varieties that are used frequently in Indian cooking.

 

Shop Indian Ghee and Cooking Oils

Though you can use vegetable oil when cooking, some dishes require the use of peanut oil, mustard oil, or coconut oil, depending on the region where the recipe originates from. Some other popular types of oils are sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and soybean oil. Some dishes require the use of ghee for cooking. Find ghee and other popular Indian cooking oils at International Fresh Market.

 

Quality Meat and Seafood

The most popular choices for non-vegetarian Indian dishes are chicken, goat, or mutton. Certain religions refrain from eating beef or pork, but fish is also consumed in some main dish recipes. International Fresh Market offers a wide selection of fresh, high-protein choices for all of your favorite dishes, with a wider offering than other Indian supermarkets.

 

Only the Freshest Indian-Inspired Produce

Indian cooking combines the use of many of the same fruits and vegetables that are used in other cultures and other ethnic dishes. International Fresh Markets offer a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables including:

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Brussel Sprouts
• Eggplant
• Green Beans
• Okra
• Potatoes
• Squash
• Peppers

Fruits are important to Indian cuisine as well, and some are less common in the United States but can be found at International Fresh Market:

• Apricots
• Guava
• Figs
• Lychees
• Loquats
• Mangoes
• Passion Fruit
• Papayas
• Pomegranate

 

Curry and Other Fragrant Indian Spices

Probably the thing that sets Indian cuisine apart from others the most is the spices that are incorporated into the dishes. At International Fresh Market, we offer spices that will help you to add the right amount of Indian flavor to your favorite dishes. Browse our wide variety of Indian-inspired spices such as:

 

Cumin

Cumin is one of the most popular spices used in Indian cuisine. Tasted alone, it has a pungent taste, but when used in cooking it becomes earthy and aromatic. Some describe the flavor as nutty or savory. In addition to its flavor profile, it is said to increase antioxidant intake, improve digestion, and assist in controlling blood sugar.

 

Coriander

Coriander is a spice made from the seed of the coriander plant, also sometimes referred to as cilantro. The seeds have an aromatic floral and lemony flavor and combine well in dishes that also use cumin.

 

Cloves

Cloves are familiar with many types of cooking because of their intense flavor and aroma. Used in both sweet and savory dishes, cloves offer a pungent, yet somehow sweet flavor. Native to Indonesia, it marries easily with several other Indian spices.

 

Cardamom

Cardamom is a strong, sweet, pungent spice that is derived from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. It is used in a number of Indian dishes, as well as sweets and savory desserts and drinks. Some cardamom will taste lemony or minty, while others taste like menthol or have a smoky undertone.

 

Ginger

With a warm, peppery flavor, ginger is native to India and comes from the ground ginger root. Use it in savory or sweet dishes, but burning or overcooking it can make it bitter.

 

Fenugreek

Not as common to American cuisine, the seeds of this plant have a flavor similar to maple syrup Fenugreek is used in Indian cooking, and also has some medicinal applications.

 

Turmeric

Turmeric is a common spice that is essential in the preparation of curry powder. Derived from a root, like ginger, it is a bright yellow-orange and is responsible for the vibrant colors that Indian food is known for.

 

Saffron

Saffron has a sweet, floral flavor, adding an earthiness, as well as a bright red color, to the dishes it is used in.

 

Shop Indian Grocery Essentials at International Fresh Market

From beginners to professional chefs, International Fresh Market can accommodate those special items you need to prepare your favorite Indian dishes. Have questions? Our helpful, experienced staff is here to help.