Pickles have this unique ability to change an ordinary meal into an exciting one. In no time, a plain ghee-doused paratha can become a delicious lunch when a dollop of garlic pickle is added to it. A simple bowl of dahi-chawal becomes special with a touch of kachchi kairi....

During last year’s lockdown, the owners of Matamaal, the Kashmiri Pandit restaurant in Gurugram, realised that people were craving their dishes like rogan josh and yakhni curry. “We started thinking of something that can be easily made at home,” says chef and director Nalini Sadhu, who came up with the Rogan Josh Spice....

A catchy line on a host of pickles and squashes piques my interest: “Old Fashioned Gourmet”. Further probing reveals a passionate lady — Shyam Lata Sihare, fondly calledAmma, who was behind the products. When I call, Shyam Lata says, “Aap aayiye, hamareproductschakiye aur phir achha lage to likhiye.”...