The old adage says you shouldn’t go shopping hungry, but I dare you to spend more than 5 minutes in this Jackson Heights megamarket and not feel a little rumbling in your tummy.  It’s impossible not to dream up fantastic Indian feasts, or if you’re like me, plan what savory snack you’re going to buy for the long subway ride home.

I’m a lover of condiments, so I always head for the back right corner of the store to get a little inspiration.  There’s coriander chutney, sweet lime chutney, tamarind paste, gor keri (a relish of mango cubes, mustard seeds, fenugreek, red chili and spices), chhundo (a sweet & tangy shredded mango chutney with a touch of cumin and date palm sugar), tahini and sriracha (sun-ripened chilies ground into a paste with garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar).

Maybe you’ll toss a few jars in your cart and move on, but if you worry you aren’t versed enough in Indian cooking to make proper use of these sauces–never fear!  These bottles contain flavors intended to woo your palate, so use them as you please.  FYI, the chhundo goes quite nicely on a slice of manchego or smoked gouda and the coriander chutney makes a great sandwich spread.

Just to the right of the condiments you’ll find an essential fat for Indian cooking: ghee. This clarified butter is fantastic for frying, baking and sauteing because it has a higher smoke point than other oils.  It lends a nutty flavor to any dish and doesn’t require refrigeration.  How great is that?

If buying in bulk makes you happy, grab a 10-pound bag of rice–basmati, jasmin, or sona massori–and load your cart with dried beans.  But don’t miss the fresh produce section!  I spied sugar cane, long beans, banana flower, jack fruit, karela (a bitter melon), green papaya, yellow turmeric, and four kinds of eggplant–Indian, Chinese, Thai and the big purple ones you find in most American supermarkets.

For those in hurry, check out the frozen and prepared foods.  You’ll find everything from premade potato and pea samosas and filled kachori to cubed paneer and precut vegetables to simmer in a curry.  In the refrigerator cases near the exit, there are tubs of prepared batter for dosas–these crepe-like pancakes are fried on a flat griddle called a tawa, but the batter is made from ground rice and fermented black lentils– and idlis–little cakes made from a similar batter.  Both are good for breakfast, or for a light afternoon meal known as tiffin in South India.

Exploring the packed shelves of this supermarket is half the fun.  There’s something intriguing in every aisle (like mukhwas, those birdseed-looking mixtures of fennel seeds, coriander, coconut, sugar balls, sesame seeds and dried mint leaves that you munch on after a spicy Indian meal) and the pleasant men stocking the shelves are more than happy to explain what anything is.  One particularly jovial fellow teased me, “Excuse me, take pictures only of the product, not the men who works on the product?”  And if Jackson Heights is out of the way, there’s another Patel Brothers in Flushing (not to mention the countless others across the nation).

Oh, and about that snack for the ride home.  I recommend a bag of spicy or black peppered banana chips, but don’t forget to refill your water bottle before you dig in.