Monthly Grocery List for an Indian Kitchen (With Quantities)

For a family of four: rice 10 kg, atta 10 kg, sooji or rava 1 kg, poha 1 kg, vermicelli 500 g, besan 1 kg, and maida 500 g. A household of two can halve rice and atta; six people should plan 15 kg of each.

Buy staples in the largest pack your storage allows — the per-kilo price almost always drops. Transfer to airtight containers with a bay leaf or a few cloves to keep weevils out, especially through Bengaluru's humid months.

Toor dal 2 kg, moong dal 1 kg, masoor dal 1 kg, urad dal 500 g, chana dal 500 g, rajma 500 g, chana 1 kg. This covers daily dal plus two or three heavier meals a week.

Pulses lose cooking quality after roughly six months, so resist the temptation to stock a year's worth during a sale.

Cooking oil 3-5 litres, ghee 500 g, mustard or coconut oil 500 ml if your cooking uses it. Salt 1 kg, sugar 2 kg, jaggery 500 g.

Spices: turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, hing, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf. Buy whole spices monthly and grind small quantities — ground masala loses aroma in weeks, not months.

Condiments: tamarind, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, pickle, and a jar of peanut butter or jam if your breakfast needs it.

Vegetables, fruit, milk, curd, paneer, bread, eggs, meat and fish belong in a weekly or twice-weekly order. This is exactly where a 29-minute delivery app beats a monthly bulk trip: you buy what you will finish, so less goes into the bin.

A good weekly basket for four: 3 kg mixed vegetables, 2 kg onions, 1 kg tomatoes, 1 kg potatoes, greens 2 bunches, 2 kg seasonal fruit, milk as needed, curd 1 kg, eggs 12-30, bread 1-2 loaves.

Detergent 2-3 kg, dishwash bar and liquid, floor cleaner 1 litre, toilet cleaner, bathroom cleaner, garbage bags, scrub pads, kitchen towel, mosquito repellent.

Personal care: bath soap or body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes every three months, sanitary products, deodorant, shaving items, moisturiser and sunscreen.

Order staples once a month from one shop so you cross the free-delivery threshold in a single basket. Keep a repeat list in the app and edit quantities rather than rebuilding your cart each time.

Compare the price per kilogram, not the pack price. Check the discount against MRP on the product page, and prefer a slightly smaller pack if the larger one will expire before you finish it.