Where to Find Authentic Tamil Ingredients in Toronto

Building a Tamil Pantry in Toronto

One of the first questions Tamil newcomers to Toronto ask is: where do I find proper ingredients? Canadian supermarkets carry some South Asian basics, but for authentic Tamil cooking, you need specific varieties of rice, lentils, spices and fresh produce that are rarely found outside specialist stores.

The Essentials

Rice and Lentils

• Parboiled rice (for dosa, idli and rice dishes) — look for the red parboiled variety from Sri Lanka or South India
• Urad dal (whole and split) — essential for dosa batter and many gravies
• Toor dal — the base for sambar
• Kali payaru (black-eyed peas)

Spices

• Jaffna curry powder — distinctly different from Indian blends, with a higher proportion of coriander and less turmeric
• Dried red chillies — Guntur or Byadagi varieties for the best colour and heat
• Maldive fish — dried tuna used as a flavour base in many Sri Lankan Tamil dishes
• Fresh curry leaves — only the fresh variety will do; we stock them weekly

Fresh Produce

• Drumstick (murungakkai)
• Raw jak fruit (palakkai)
• Green plantains
• Taro (seppankizhangu)
• Bitter gourd (paavakkai)

Find It at Tamil Heritage Grocers

We carry all of the above and much more — over 600 authentic Tamil and Sri Lankan products sourced directly from trusted suppliers. Visit us in Scarborough or browse our current stock in person. New shipments arrive weekly on Thursdays.