Amchoor & Anardana

Amchoor, also spelt amchur and sold as dry mango powder, is made by slicing unripe green mangoes, drying them in the sun and grinding the slices to a pale beige powder. It is fruity and sharp, and it goes into chole, bhindi masala, samosa and aloo tikki fillings, and chaat masala. Anardana is the seed of a wild sour pomegranate, dried and ground, darker and more tart, and it is used in Punjabi chana, stuffed parathas and chutneys.

Choose amchoor for a clean, fruity sourness in vegetable dishes and snacks, and anardana when you want a deeper, almost winey tang in chickpeas or meat. Amla powder, ground from dried Indian gooseberry, sits here too for cooks who use it in chutneys and pickles. A small pack lasts well, because a teaspoon is usually enough for a family pot.

Add sour powders near the end of cooking, once the dish is almost dry, so they stay bright. They draw moisture from the air and cake easily, so keep them in a tightly closed jar and break up lumps with a dry spoon. Use them with chaat masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and the rest of the ground spices.