pdflatex can't find mf.base

[Mayuresh <mayuresh%acm.org@localhost>]

I can't find the base file `mf.base'!
grep: ptmr7t.log: No such file or directory
mktextfm: `mf-nowin -progname=mf \mode:=ljfour; mag:=1; nonstopmode; input
ptmr7t' failed to make ptmr7t.tfm.
kpathsea: Appending font creation commands to missfont.log.

! Font OT1/ptm/m/n/10=ptmr7t at 10.0pt not loadable: Metric (TFM) file not
foun
d.

On guesswork and some web searches I ended up installing some arbitrary
font packages, but could not work around this as yet. Please advise which
package I should install. (Preferably no meta please!)

Mayuresh