Frozen Vegetables & Coconut

Many of the vegetables South Asian cooks rely on are hard to find fresh in the UK, or only turn up for a few weeks a year. Drumsticks, okra, tindora, surti papdi, toor lilva, cassava and banana flower are all frozen at source, as are freshly grated coconut and tropical fruit such as mango and jackfruit. This part of our frozen range gathers them in one place, already peeled, chopped or grated.

It is split into three. Frozen vegetables covers Indian and Sri Lankan vegetables, leafy greens like methi and spinach, and everyday peas and mixed vegetables. Frozen coconut holds grated coconut and coconut pieces for chutneys, sambols and curries. Frozen fruit covers mango, jackfruit, custard apple pulp and berries for desserts, lassi and smoothies.

The main advantage is time. Grating a whole coconut or peeling cassava can take half an hour, and a frozen pack skips that step without changing the dish. Most frozen vegetables go straight into a hot pan or curry without thawing, though leafy greens are easier to handle if thawed first and squeezed of water. Use what you need, press the air out of the bag and seal it again before it goes back into the freezer at -18°C. These packs are delivered across the UK. For a cupboard alternative, see desiccated coconut and tinned jackfruit.