In these parts, Gagan Indian Grocery Store is the place to go for Indian ingredients. It is small but mighty. If you’re looking to try a new brand of Basmati rice, Gagan gives you not one choice but a dozen.  Would you like to compare and contrast different brands of ghee or tamarind concentrate, or buy frozen paneer or fresh grated coconut? You can do this, plus spend a long time looking at the great variety of prepared sauces, condiments, spice blends, snacks, desserts and even “ready-to-eat” meals in pouches that need only to be heated. I don’t buy conventional American convenience foods—especially something that is shelf-stable—because the list of ingredients tends to be very scary. But every box of Indian “in the pouch” foods or packaged snacks or sweets that I’ve looked at includes only food in the list of ingredients—not scary sounding preservatives or chemicals. (If it’s possible for Indian food companies to do this, why can’t American food companies?) (more…)