Welcome to the world of international & gourmet foods

COVID TRADING UPDATE - 1 July 2021

Our Dandenong Store remains open.

However, for those unable to shop in-store, try shopping online with us.

As usual:

  • We will contact customers with shipping charges (or if any products are unavailable);

  • Credit card payments will only be processed once goods are dispatched; and

  • We'll endeavour to dispatch orders within 5 business days.

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Established in 1982, Hindustan Imports is a pioneer of trade in Indian groceries, Asian groceries, spices and herbs, international & gourmet food, health food and wholesale groceries.

Hindustan Imports sources products across the globe.  With an enviable reputation in the industry as a market leader, Hindustan Imports enjoys preferential status with many exporters, who offer us the best of their products.

Our product range is impressive, with over 4000 products available.  Our main product lines are rice, flour, legumes (peas, beans, dhal & lentils), spices, dried herbs, edible nuts, dried fruits, ghee & oil, a range of branded food products and kitchen equipment, cooking utensils and cookware.

Our business is structured around three departments:

  • Online Store:  Buy groceries online!

  • Retail Shop:  Visit our grocery shop in Dandenong, Melbourne!

  • Wholesale Department:  Wholesale groceries for your business!

 

 

Featured Products

Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is traditionally grown in Northern India and in parts of Pakistan.  Basmati rice is popular for its flavour and fragrance.  It is free flowing rather than sticky, unlike most other kinds of long-grain rice.  When cooked, the rice is lighter and more fluffy than standard white rice.  Indian basmati rice attracts premium price as against Pakistani basmati rice.

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Uses:  Basmati rice is traditionally used in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes and often used for cooking biryani, pulao, etc.  However, of late, it has become the ultimate rice choice of modern day food connoisseurs around the world.

Basmati is available in white or brown varieties, depending on the extent of the milling process.  To produce white rice, the bran layers of the rice are milled off.

How to recognise:  A basmati rice grain is shaped like a sword and post cooking, each grain elongates at least twice that of its original size.  

The rich aroma is another way by which one can recognise basmati rice.  The flavour of basmati rice is caused by the aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which is at about 90 parts per billion.  That's about 12 times more than in any other rice!

Benefits:  Basmati rice has a "medium" glycemic index (between 56 and 69), thus making it more suitable for diabetics as compared to other rice grains.

 

 

Cardamom

Cardamom is one of the world’s very ancient spices.  It is the “Queen of Spices” second only to Saffron.  It originates in Southern India, but now grows in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Indo China, Tanzania and PNG.  

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Uses:  Can be used in whole, seed or powder form. However, it is best to keep the whole pods, as seeds and powder quickly lose flavour.   

Green Cardamom:  In pod form, has a strong unique taste and intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance.  Used in rice dishes, stews and curries, savouries and sweets, and for flavouring in chai (masala tea) and coffee.

White Cardamom:  Sun bleached cardamom used in baking and some desserts, as it helps keep light coloured batters and sauces.  Due to the bleaching process, it loses some flavour and aroma.

Cardamom Seeds:  Collected from the pod, with a spicy sweet flavour and an aroma similar to eucalyptus.  Used in pastries, cakes, biscuits, fruit desserts and curries.

Cardamom Powder:  Produced from the seeds.  Used as an ingredient in desserts, curries, stews and garam masala (spice mixture used in Indian cuisine).  It has a strong flavour and is used in small quantities.

Black Cardamom:  Large, hard, black-brown, winkled pods with distinct aroma to that of Green Cardamom.  As such, its use is limited mainly to oriental dishes.  Has a very pungent odour, with a strong camphor smell.

Psyllium Husk

Psyllium Husk (or Isphagula) is the covering of seeds grown from the plant, Plantago Psyllium.  It is prdocued  from the crushed seeds of the plant.  It is a herb native to parts of Asia and the Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa.  It has long been recognised as an excellent source of soluble dietary fibre.  India is the main supplier of Psyllium to the world.

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Benefits:  Psyllium is used to relieve constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea.  It is also used as a regular dietary supplement to improve and maintain regular GI transit, and to help regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.  When psyllium husk comes into contact with water, it swells and forms a gelatine like mass that helps transport waste through the intestinal tract.

Ayurveda recommends its use for colon cleansing / bowel regulation as well as for better blood circulation.

Uses:  Psyllium can be added to any breakfast cereal or used in dietary shakes.  It should always be consumed with lots of water or liquid.  It can also be sprinkled on any other food for extra dietary fibre intake.

Saffron (threads and powder)

Saffron is native to Southwest Asia and was first cultivated in Greece.  It was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.

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Saffron is the most expensive among all the spices.  It is actually the red stigma (tin thread) derived from a small purple flower of Crocus Sativus.  Each flower contains only three red stigmas, so roughly 150 flowers together yield just 1g of dry saffron threads!

Saffron's aroma if often described by connoisseurs as reminiscent of metallic honey with grassy or hay-like notes, while its taste has also been noted as hay-like and sweet.  Saffron also contributes a luminous yellow-orange colouring to foods.

Uses:  Saffron is widely used in Indian, Persian, European, Arab and Turkish cuisines.  Confectioneries and liquors also often include saffron.

Saffron has a long medicinal history as part of traditional healing.  Several modern research studies have hinted that saffron has possible anti-carcinogenic (cancer supressing), anti-mutagenic (mutation preventing), immuno-modulating and anti-oxidant properties.

Pure Spanish saffron threads and powder are available in 1g, 2g and 4g containers and bottles.

Besan Flour

Besan flour is made from blanched tyson chickpeas and is also known as "gram flour", "garbanzo flour" and "chickpea flour".

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Besan flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrates, however no gluten.  Despite this, it has a relatively high proportion of protein in comparison to other flours.

Uses:  Besan flour is used throughout India, parts of the Mediterranean and as far west as Italy and France.

When mixed with an equal proportion of water, it can be used as an egg-replacer in vegan cooking.  It is also used as a batter or coating for frying.

Besan flour can be used in pancakes, pizzas, dumplings, soups and stews, or as part of a gluten-free flour mix for cakes and biscuits.

 

 

Besan flour is available in fine and coarse varieties, in sizes of 1Kg, 5Kg, 20Kg and 25Kg.