Indian Grocery Shopping List for Indians

In this post I am sharing with you my Indian grocery shopping list with detailed check lists. There is a downloadable grocery checklist that is customisable in the end of this post. It's printable list of grocery for Indian groceries you can use every time you shop for the grocery. 

Many of you have requested me this grocery list for Indians who want to stock up for a month or two. Using this downloadable and printable grocery checklist, you can shop for your groceries. I have provided extra space in the list where you can add your specific items.   

Having lived my whole life  in remote areas, First due to my Father’s job where we lived practically in the outskirts of town, and then after being married to a military officer and hence remote postings one thing I have learned is how to effectively manage supplies in my kitchen without frequent grocery shop trips. 

I love cooking and that requires me to buy groceries but frankly speaking, I do not really enjoy the daily grocery shopping. So that habit of grocery shopping for a month is still in the practice.

Even though I live in a big city now,  grocery shopping still remains the same. You shop for grocery items to use in Indian Kitchen with this checklist.

(updated to add on 20march 2020) MANY READERS ASKED FOR INDIAN GROCERIES LIST OF ABSOLUTE MUST BUY FOOD FOR CORONAVIRUS - you can read this article - Food to stock up for Coronavirus

Read First 

Before you go ahead and check out my List for monthly grocery shopping, please know that this checklist is what I use on a monthly basis.

This includes the pantry essentials that I use for the North Indian style of cooking and form a basis for most of Indian cuisines.  In case you are living abroad most of these will be available in Indian grocery store near you. 

Soon I will be sharing a Master grocery checklist which will cover ingredients for all main Indian cuisine. We are working on that, so you can check back later in the week. Till then you can check this list first and add on as per your specific requirements.

The quantities of grocery  in the list is sufficient for 3-4 people so in case you are planning for less or more people you can adjust the quantities. In master grocery checklist, no quantities are mentioned you can write as per your requirements depending upon number of family members.

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Rice

Rice Total - As per our meal plans we consume lesser amount of rice, average consumption comes out approximately 250grams per meal for 3 people. And our monthly consumption is  approximately 4-4.5 Kg per Month.

We consume a variety of rice depending upon our meals so in one month buy a variety for which is enough for 2 months. And next month I give a skip to buying rice or restock a particular variety if I am running low or think that I need that again this month due to some event menu plan or guests etc.

• 2Kg - long grain basmati rice
• 1kg Biryani Rice 
• 1kg Raw rice 
• ½kg Gobindo blog rice
• 1 kg short grain Sona masuri rice.
• ½kg Jasmin rice (if you love asian cuisine )
• ½kg red Matta rice
• 1kg Idli rice

Flour/Atta 

I have made this Indian grocery shopping list based on fact that  I buy a variety of flours as per our menu plan. As I always plan my menu ahead so more or less I know in advance that what I am going to make in any particular week I buy it on Sunday if I am running low or I am out of stock. 

• Wheat flour/chakki aata 5 kilos (per month)
• Besan/chickpeas flour 1 kg (Every month)
• Moong dal flour 500grams (every month)
• Ragi flour -1kg (every 2nd month)
• Maida - 500grams (every 2nd month)
• Semolina (sooji) - 500grams
• Millet flour (Bajra) - 500grams (every 2nd month)
• Maize flour/makki aata 500grams (every 2nd month)

Dal/Lentils & Legumes 

• Split region peas Dal (Toor Dal/ arhar dal) - 500grams
• Bengal gram dal (chana dal): 500 grams
• Green Gram Dal (Mung Dal):500 grams
• Yellow moong dal (dhuli moong) 500grams
• Whole Black gram dal (urad dal) 500grams
• Chickpeas/garbanzo beans (Kabuli chana)  500grams
• Kidney beans (Rajma) 500grams
• Brown chickpeas  (kala Chana)500grams
• Lobia 500grams
• Whole Pink lentils ( sabut masoor daal) 500grams
• split Moong  dal (moong chilka)- 500grams (every 2nd month)
• split Urad dal (Urad chilka)- 500grams (every 2nd month)

Coffee + TEA and Sugar

• Coffee-  250grams (Buy my 6 month’s supply mostly from travel abroad as we mostly consume speciality coffee one per day on average)
• Sugar - None
• Jaggery: 250gms
• Milk Powder/dairy whitener (for emergency) 
• Or Tetra Pack long life milk  (for emergency)
• Assam Tea leaves - 250 grams 
• Green tea - 1 pack 

Spices ( I stock only once every 3 months)

• Coriander seeds (dhania): 200grams
• Mustard seeds: 200 grams
• Fenugreek Seeds: 100 grams
• Peppercorns 100 grams
• Cumin Seeds: 250 grams
• Red Chillies powder - 250grams
• Kashmiri red chilli - 200 grams
• Tamarind: 250 grams
• salt: 2 kilos
• asafoetida: small pack (every 6 month)
• sesame seeds  300 grams
• Turmeric Powder: 250 grams
• Baking soda: 50 grams
• Cardamom: 200 grams (Every year from Dubai trip, store in fridge)
• Cinnamon - 100grams per month (I drink cinnamon tea every morning)
• Carom seeds 
• Dry ginger 
• Black pepper corns
• ground black pepper
• Cloves 
• bay leaves
• Whole dried red chilli
• Nutmeg
• Vinegar 

Pasta, Noodles, Breakfast and Snack 

I generally do not buy biscuits, namkeens from outside, because we tend to go overboard while eating them and end up eating a much bigger serving than recommended so I usually avoid them in bulk.

So none of them are on my grocery list. Instead of heavily fried crispy snacks or sugary snacks I buy a few packets of instant ready to eat breakfast mix and cook ½ of a small packet which comes out to about 100-150 calories for a snack.  

• Pasta - 750 grams- 1kg per month ( other than fresh pasta (Gnocchi) I buy mostly from my trip abroad  and store it in freezer
• Vermicelli - 250grams 
• Flattened Rice (Poha) - 500 Grams
• Noodles - 400 grams (one or two varieties)
• Quinoa - 1kg 
• Soya chunks - 250grams

Milk / Non-Dairy milk

• Organic cow milk 15 litre in 30 days (Every alternative day)
• 2 litre - Almond milk (homemade)
• 1 litre - oats milk 
• 1 litre soya milk (homemade) 
• 1 litre coconut milk  (tinned)
• 200ml milk cream
• 200 grams paneer (per week)
• Any two variety of cheese 

Sauces / Masala /Paste

• Tomato paste - 1 tin (250 grams)
• Tomato puree - 250 grams pack
• Mayonnaise 100 grams (I use homemade )
• Pasta sauce - 1000 grams (I use homemade once a month and freeze it)
• Tomato ketchup - 250 grams ( every alternate month)
• Soy sauce - 250 ml ( every alternate month)
• Chilli sauce - ( every alternate month)
• Imli sauce ( every alternate month)
• Thai green curry paste 
• Nutella - every 3rd month 

OIL/ FATS 

• Ghee: 2 kg per month ( though it comes from our village in bulk)
• Cold pressed Peanut oil - I litre 
• Cold pressed mustard oil - I litre 
• Rice bran oil for deep frying -I litre 
• Butter -200 Grams 

Other than these about 300 grams homemade butter churned out from 15litre milk we consume in the total month.

Frozen Food 

I usually do not buy them as I like to freeze my own because Mom does that for me. At any point in time I have frozen peas, frozen corns, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen smoothie packs in my freezer.

Other than that you may find tubs of frozen bhuna masala,  frozen paratha, one or two portions of frozen cooked rice etc. or whatever meal I have to freeze.  

But You may add frozen vegetables for the times when these are not available in the season or you do not have time to buy.

• Frozen peas
• Frozen corn
• Frozen paratha 
• Mixed vegetables 

Cleaning Supplies 

• Dish washing soap - 1 litre 
• Washing Machine Detergent - 1 litre 
• Drier sheets 
• Dish washing tablets - 10 per month ( one pack lasts me for 3 months)
• Flour cleaner 
• Glass cleaner
• toilet cleaners 
• Room fresher ( I use homemade make it with pure oils)
• Aroma oil - one small bottle
• Garbage bags 
• Dis-infectent 
• Sponges scrubs and foam 
• Toilet paper roll

Toiletries / personal hygiene

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Toothpaste
• Dental Floss
• Mouth wash
• shaving cream
• Rajor, tooth brush, combs, 
• ear buds, sanitary napkins, cotton wools, pads for make up remover
• Moisturiser 
• Hand lotion
• Body lotion
• Loofah
• Frozen snacks 

Disposables 

We do not use them too often, at one point I used to but these are either harmful for the environment or not suitable for our health so I buy and stock but as far as possible I do not use them. So this is not exactly a monthly grocery item but I added here just in case you might want to stock for emergencies 

How I manage is another article altogether. I will try to write a post soon.

• Tissue paper
• paper plates 
• Aluminium foil 
• cling wraps
• Ziplock bag 
• Toothpicks

Hope this Indian grocery shopping list will help you all as a reference. You can always add or substitute as per your family members needs and taste. I am also embedding here is a Indian Monthly Grocery Checklist In case you want to download and print it. 

Indian Grocery Shopping List - Checklist click to download

If I missed something do let me know in the comments below. And if you have your secret tips and tricks Please share them as well in the comments I would love to hear them. 

When You are done grocery shopping and want to know what to do with those groceries to use them effectively, You can read:

Indian Meal Prep 101: For Indian meal plans and Meal Prep Ideas