Ingredients in Indian Cooking

See also:

• Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages
• Wikipedia list of Indian spices

English	Scientific	Hindi	Notes
ajwain / carom seed / bishop's weed	Trachyspermum ammi	अजवाइन (ajvain)	Tiny brown seeds with strong peppery-thyme flavor, popular in North Indian cooking.
allspice	Pimenta dioica	कबाब चीनी (kebab cheeni)	Dried fruit resembling large brown peppercorns. Flavour of cinammon, nutmeg, and cloves. Not frequently used in Indian cuisine.
almond	Prunus dulcis	बादाम (badam)
anise	Pimpinella anisum	छोटी सौंफ (choti saunf)	"little fennel" A mixture of aniseed with roasted dry coconut and poppy seeds are eaten after meals as a mouth freshener.
asafoetida	Ferula assafoetida	हींग (hing)	Dried gum resin of an east Indian plant. Has strong unpleasant smell when raw, but has flavour of garlic in cooked dishes.
aubergine / brinjal / eggplant	Solanum melongena	बैंगन (baingan)
banana	Musa acuminata × balbisiana	केला (kela)
basil, holy	Ocimum tenuiflorum, formerly O. sanctum	तुलसी (tulsi)	Basil variety cultivated for religious and medicinal purposes, rather than cooking.
basil seeds	Ocimum basilicum	सब्जा (sabja); तुकमारिया (tukmaria)	Gelatinous coating when soaked in water, so look like little eyes or frog spawn in drinks like falooda.
bay leaf	Laurus nobilis	तेज पत्ता (tej patta)	Compare entry "Malabathrum / Malabar leaf"
bitter melon / bitter gourd	Momordica charantia	करेला (karela)
black cumin	Bunium persicum	काला जीरा (kala jeera) शाही जीरा (shahi jeera) हिमाली जीरा (himali jeera)	"black cumin" "imperial cumin" "Himalayan cumin"
black cumin / nigella / onion seed	Nigella sativa	कलौंजी (kalonji)	Often sprinkled over breads before baking.
black-eyed pea	Vigna unguiculata subspecies unguiculata	लोबिया (lobiya)	Cooked as dhal.
black gram	Vigna mungo	उड़द (urad)	Cooked as dhal. Main ingredient of South Indian dishes, idli and dosa. Popular in Punjabi cuisine, used to make dhal makhani.
brinjal / aubergine / eggplant	Solanum melongena	बैंगन (baingan)
butter, clarified		घी (ghee)
caraway	Carum carvi	अजमाद (ajmaad) विलायती जीरा (vilaayti jeera)	According to Khana Khazana, "If you ever find references to caraway in books about Middle East, Indian or Far East cooking, then the most probable explanation is a translation mistake and you should probably read cumin[...] Use of Caraway Seeds in Indian cuisine is limited. Typically it has been used in some regions for flavoring rice dishes like Pulao."
cardamom, black	Amomum subulatum	काले इलायची (kale elaichi) बड़ी इलायची (bari elaichi)	Coarser in flavour and larger in size than green cardamom.
cardamom, green	Elettaria cardamomum	छोटी इलायची (choti elaichi)
carom seed / ajwain / bishop's weed	Trachyspermum ammi	अजवाइन (ajvain)	Tiny brown seeds with strong peppery-thyme flavor, popular in North Indian cooking.
carrot	Daucus carota	गाजर (gajar)
cashew nut	Anacardium occidentale	काजू (kajoo)
cassia	Cinnamomum aromaticum	जंगली दालचीनी (jangli dalchini)	"wild cinnamon"
cauliflower	Brassica oleracea	गोभी (gobi)
celery seed	Apium graveolens	अज्मुद (ajmud)	Compare entry "radhuni".
celery, wild / radhuni	Trachyspermum roxburghianum	अज्मुद (ajmud)	According to Wikipedia, these "small dried fruits, mistakenly referred to as seeds, are similar in appearance to those of ajwain, celery, and caraway. Because of their similarity in both appearance and flavor, it is often confused or substituted with celery seed."
charoli	Buchanania lanzan	चिरौन्जी (charoli)	Tiny almond-flavoured dried seeds commonly used in sweets in India.
cheese, Indian / paneer		पनीर (paneer)	Indian fresh cheese made by curdling heated milk with acid.
chickpea	Cicer arietinum	चना (chana) छोले (chole)
chickpea, desi / Bengal gram	Cicer arietinum	काले चने (kala chana)	"black chickpea" Smaller and darker than the kabuli type chickpea, with a higher fibre content and hence a very low GI index. Used to make chana dhal.
chickpea, green (unripe)		हरा चने (hara chana)
chickpea, kabuli / garbanzo bean	Cicer arietinum	काबुली चने (kabuli chana)	Larger and lighter coloured than the desi type chickpea.
chilli	Capsicum annuum	मिर्च (mirch)
chilli, green	Capsicum annuum	हरी मिर्च (hari mirch)
chilli, red	Capsicum annuum	लाल मिर्च (lal mirch)
cilantro / coriander	Coriandrum sativum	धनिया (dhaniya)
cinammon	Cinnamomum verum	दालचीनी (dalchini)
clove	Syzygium aromaticum	लौंग (laung)
coconut	Cocos nucifera	नारियल (narial)
coconut, dessicated		सूखा नारियल (sukha narial)
coconut milk		नारियल का दूध (narial ka doodh)
coriander / cilantro	Coriandrum sativum	धनिया (dhaniya)
corn / maize	Zea mays	मक्का (makka)
cumin	Cuminum cyminum	जीरा (jeera)
curry leaves	Murraya koenigii	करीपत्ता (karipatta) मीथ णीम (mitha neem) मीथ नीम पत्ता (mitha neem patta)
date	Phoenix dactylifera	खजूर (khajur)
dill	Anethum graveolens	सोआ (soa)	Both the leaves (dill weed) and the seeds may be eaten.
drumstick	Moringa oleifera	सहजन (sahjan)	From Wikipedia: "The immature green pods called “drumstick” are probably the most valued and widely used part of the tree. They are commonly consumed in India and are generally prepared in a similar fashion to green beans and have a slight asparagus taste. The seeds are sometimes removed from more mature pods and eaten like peas or roasted like nuts. The flowers are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms. The roots are shredded and used as a condiment in the same way as horseradish; however, they contain the alkaloid spirochin, a potentially fatal nerve-paralyzing agent."
eggplant / aubergine / brinjal	Solanum melongena	बैंगन (baingan)
fennel seed	Foeniculum vulgare	सौंफ (saunf)
fenugreek	Trigonella foenum-graecum	मेथी (methi)
fenugreek leaves, dried	Trigonella foenum-graecum	कसूरी मेथी (kasoori methi)
flour, gram		बेसन (besan)	Flour made from chickpeas.
flour, plain		मैदा (maida)	Wheat flour used in Indian cooking and baking.
garam masala		गरम मसाला (garam masala)	" hot mixture"
garbanzo bean / chickpea, kabuli	Cicer arietinum	काबुली चने (kabuli chana)
garlic	Allium sativum	लहसुन (lahsun)
ginger, dried	Zingiber officinale	सोंठ (sonth)
ginger, fresh	Zingiber officinale	अदरख (adrakh)
gum tragacanth		कटीरा गोंद (katira goond)	A thickener and coating for desserts.
horse gram	Macrotyloma uniflorum	कुलथी (kulith)	One of the lesser known beans, generally used as cattle feed but also eaten in South Indian states.
Indian gooseberry	Phyllanthus emblica	आँवला (aamla)
jaggery		गुड़ (gur)	Unrefined sugar made from boiling raw sugarcane juice or palm sap.
kidney bean	Phaseolus vulgaris	राजमा (rajma)
lady's finger / okra	Abelmoschus esculentus	भिंडी (bhindi)
lemon	Citrus × limon	नींबू (nimbu)	Compare entry "lime".
lentil, red	Lens culinaris	मसूर (masoor)
lime, acid, Persian / Tahiti	Citrus × latifolia	नींबू (nimbu)	Compare entry "lemon".
lime, sweet	Citrus × limon	मीठा नींबू (meetha nimbu)
Malabathrum / Malabar leaf	Cinnamomum tamala / Cinnamomum tejpata	तेज पत्ता (tej patta)	Often erroneously labelled "Indian Bay Leaves". Compare entry "bay leaf".
mace	Myristica fragrans	जावित्री (javitri)	From the covering of the nutmeg seed.
maize / corn	Zea mays	मक्का (makka)
mango powder	Mangifera indica	आमचूर (amchoor)	Tangy seasoning made from green, unripe mangoes which have been peeled, thinly sliced, sun-dried and ground.
meat, generic		गोश्त (gosht)
mint	Mentha spicata	पुदीना (pudina)
mung bean	Vigna radiata	मूँग (mung)	Cooked as dhal. Main ingredient of the South Indian soup rasam
mustard seed, black	Brassica nigra	काली राई (kaali raai) काली सरसों (kali sarson) लाल सरसों (lal sarson) राई (raai)
nigella / black cumin / onion seed	Nigella sativa	कलौंजी (kalonji)	Often sprinkled over breads before baking.
nutmeg	Myristica fragrans, Myristica malabarica	जायफल (jaiphal)
okra / lady's finger	Abelmoschus esculentus	भिंडी (bhindi)
onion	Allium cepa	प्याज़ (pyaz) गण्डा (kanda)
onion seed / black cumin / nigella	Nigella sativa	कलौंजी (kalonji)	Often sprinkled over breads before baking.
paneer / cheese, Indian		पनीर (paneer)	Indian fresh cheese made by curdling heated milk with acid.
parsley	Petroselinum crispum	अजमोदा (ajmoda)
pea, split	Pisum sativum	मटर की दाल (mater ki dhal)	Not commonly used on the Indian sub-continent.
pepper, black	Piper nigrum	काली मिर्च (kaali mirch) गोल मिर्च (gol mirch)
pigeon pea	Cajanus cajan	तूअर (toor) अरहर (arhar)	Split pigeon peas (toor dhal) are one of the most popular pulses in India and the main ingredient of the South Indian stew sambar.
pistachio	Pistacia vera	पिस्ता (pista)
pomegranate	Punica malus	अनार (anar)
pomegranate seed, dried	Punica malus	अनारदाना (anardana)
poppy seeds	Papaver somniferum	खसखस (khaskhas)
potato	Solanum tuberosum	आलू (aloo)
pulse, split		दाल (dhal)	From Wikipedia: "[Generic term for] preparation of pulses (dried lentils, peas or beans) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split"
pulse, whole		साबुत (sabut)
radhuni / celery, wild	Trachyspermum roxburghianum	अज्मुद (ajmud)	According to Wikipedia, these "small dried fruits, mistakenly referred to as seeds, are similar in appearance to those of ajwain, celery, and caraway. Because of their similarity in both appearance and flavor, it is often confused or substituted with celery seed." Compare entry "celery".
rice, basmati	Oryza sativa	बासमती चावल (basmati chaaval)
rose	Rosa	गुलाब (gulab)
rose water		गुलाब पानी(gulab pani)
saffron	Crocus sativus	केसर (kesar) जाफरान (zaafraan)
salt		नमक (namak)
salt, black		काला नमक (kala namak)	Natural volcanic rock salt mined in the Himalayas salt ranges and processed. Dark violet colour from iron sulphide, and slight bitter taste and distinctive smell from sulphur compounds.
semolina		रवा (rawa) सूजी (sooji)	Coarse wheat flour.
sesame seeds	Sesamum indicum	तिल (til)
silver foil		वर्ख (varak)	Thin edible layer of silver, used for garmishing Indian sweets.
spinach	Spinacia oleracea	पालक (palak)
star anise	Illicium verum	चक्र फूल (chakra phool)	Component of garam masala
tamarind	Tamarindus indica	इमली (imli)
taro	Colocasia esculenta	अरबी (arbi)
turmeric	Curcuma longa	हल्दी (haldi)
vermicelli		सेवई (sev)	Often made from arrowroot or cornflour rather than wheat, in drinks/dessert like falooda. Also dried chickpea flour noodles sprinkled over chaat dishes.
yoghurt		दही (dahi)