Spices are the backbone of Indian cuisine. Indian food relies on the addition of a few spices or many spices. These are added sparingly to the food while cooking. Below you will find a list or glossary of spices with their English names and in some more Indian languages.
Not only the spices, add a ton of flavor to the dish, but some of the spices like cumin, carom seeds, fennel seeds help in digestion. For this reason, they are added to many recipes to aid digestion.
A few spices like green chillies or red chili powder add some pungency and heat to the dish. Depending on the recipe, the spices are added whole or in their powdered/ground form to the food.
There are many spice blends made by grinding whole spices in the Indian cuisine. Many families make their own spice blends like the essential garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, sambar powder, rasam powder etc.
Although you can buy the spice mixes from outside but homemade is always better. As they are free from fillers, additives and preservatives. Homemade spice blends have more intense flavors and a great fragrance.
Spices can be stored easily in a cool dry place in an air tight jars or containers. Sometimes a few spices can have mold or fungal growth on them depending upon the climate conditions. In this case you have to discard these spices.
You can also store spices for a longer time in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. Lastly, when buying spices it is better to buy organic spices and check the expiry date on the package. Make sure to finish the spices within their shelf period.
Get the names of spices, in English, Hindi and some more Indian regional languages in the table below. I hope these translations of the names of the spices in various Indian languages is useful to you.
I am also thankful to all the readers who have shared the name of spices in these regional languages through emails and the comments below. It is because of their contribution we have been able to expand this list and make it bigger.
Note that if you are using mobile phone or tablet then scroll the below table from left to right to see all the names.
List of Spices Names
| English | Hindi | Tamil | Kannada | Marathi | Konkani | Gujarati |
| Aniseeds, fennel seeds | Saunf | Sombu | Badishep | Variyali | ||
| Asafoetida | Hing | Perumkayam, perungaya | Hingu | Hing | Hingu | Hing |
| Basil seeds, sweet basil | Sabja seeds, subja, falooda seeds, tukmaria | Sabja | Tukmariya | |||
| Indian Bay Leaf | Tej Patta | Brinji elai | Tamalpatra, Tej Paan | Tamal patra | ||
| Big mustard seeds | Sarson | Sarsav | ||||
| Black cardamom | Badi elaichi | Periya elakkai | Mothi Ilaichi | Elcho | ||
| Black cumin seeds | Kala jeera | Karung seeragam | Kale Jeere | |||
| Black mustard seeds | Rai | Kadughu | Mohri | Rai | ||
| Black pepper | Kali mirch | Milagu | Menasinkalu | Kalimiri | Mari | |
| Black salt | Kala namak | Kale Meeth | Sanchal | |||
| Caraway seeds | Shahijeera | Perum seeragam | Shahajire | Shahjeera | ||
| Carom seeds, Thymol seeds, Bishops weed | Ajwain | Omam | Owa | Owa | Wonwo | Ajmo |
| Chilli powder | Lal mirch powder | Milagai tool | Lal Mirchi Powder, Tikhat | Marchu powder | ||
| Cinnamon | Dalchini | Lavanga pattai, pattai | Dalchini | Dalchini | Dalchini | Taja |
| Clarified butter | Ghee | Nei | Tup, Shuddha Toop | Ghee | ||
| Cloves | Laung, lavang | Krambu | Lavang | Laving | ||
| Coconut desiccated | Sukha nariyal ka choora/boora | Thuruvina thengai | Sukhe Khobre | Topranu khaman | ||
| Coconut dry | Sukha nariyal | Ularndha thengai | Sukhe Khobre | Copra, khopru | ||
| Coconut fresh | Nariyal | Thengai | Naral | Khopru, topru | ||
| Coriander powder | Dhania powder | Dhaniya podi | Dhane pood | |||
| Coriander seeds | Sabut dhania | Kottumalli Vidai, dhaniya | Dhane | Kothmir na dana | ||
| Coriander Leaves, Cilantro | Dhaniya, dhania | Kothamalli ilai | Sambhar, Kothimbir, Kothmir | Kothmari/kothmir | ||
| Cumin seeds | Jeera | Jeerakam | Jeere | Jeeru | ||
| Curry leaves | Kari patta, kadipatha | Karuveppilai | Kadi Patta, Godlimba | Limda, mitho limbdo | ||
| Dry fenugreek leaves | Kasoori methi | Kaaindha vendhaya ilaigal | Kasuri Methi | |||
| Dry ginger | Saunth, sounth, soonth | Sukku | Sunthi | Sunth | Sunthi | Sunth |
| Dry mango powder | Amchur | Mangai podi | Mavinkai Churu | Aamchur | Amchur | Amchur |
| Fenugreek seeds | Methi ke dane | Menthiyam, Vendhayam | Methya dane | Methi dana | ||
| Fenugreek Leaves | Methi | Vendhaya Keerai | Methi | |||
| Garlic | Lasan, lahsun, lahsan | Poondu | Lasun | Lasan | ||
| Fresh ginger | Adrak, adhrak | Inji | Ala | Adu | ||
| Dry ginger | Saunth, sonth | Sukku | Sunth | Sunth | ||
| Green cardamom | Hari elaichi, choti elaichi | Elakkai | Veldoda, Velchi | Elchi | ||
| Green chilli | Hari mirch | Pachai milagai | Hirvi mirchi | Chidiya marcha/lilu marchu | ||
| Ground nut, peanuts | Moongphalli, mungphali | Nila kadalei | Sheng dane | Shing | ||
| Holy basil | Tulsi | Tulasi | Tulas | Tulsi | ||
| Jaggery | Gur | Vellam | Bella | Gul | God | Gol |
| Palm jaggery | Tara gura, sharkara tada | Pana vellam | ||||
| Lime | Nimboo, nimbu | Elumichai | Limbu | Limbu | ||
| Cocum, kokum | Bhirinda, bhirnda | Kokam, aamsul | ||||
| Lime peel | Nimbu ka chilka | Elumichai thol | Limbachi Saal | |||
| Mace | Jayitri, javitri, javntry | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Javintri |
| Mint | Pudina, podina | Pudina, pudhina | Pudina | Phudino | ||
| Nutmeg | Jaiphal | Jhadhikkai | Jaiphal | Jaiphal | ||
| Onion seeds, Nigella | Kalonji, kalaungi | Kalonji | Kalonji | |||
| Pine nuts | Chilgoze, nioze | |||||
| Dry pomegranate seeds | Anardana | Kaaindha maadhulai vidhaigal | Dadum na dana | |||
| Poppy seeds | Khus khus | Khasa khasa | Khas Khas | Khas khas | ||
| Raisins | Kismish | Kaindha dratchai / ularndha dratchai | Bedane | Suki draksh | ||
| Red chilli | Lal mirch | Milakai Vatral | Lal mirchi | |||
| Rock salt | Sendha namak | Kal uppu | Sendhe laun | Sindhalu Mithu | ||
| Rock flower, Stone flower | Pathar phool | Kalpaasi | Dagad phool | |||
| Salt | Namak | Uppu | Meeth | Mithu | ||
| Sesame seeds | Til | Ellu | Til | Tul | ||
| Saffron | Kunkuma, kesar, zafran | Kumkumappu | Keshar | Kesar | ||
| Screwpine, pandanus | Kewra | Rambai ilaigal | ||||
| Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper | Timur, tirphal, tephal, teppal | |||||
| Star anise | Chakriphool | Lavanga poo | ||||
| Sultanas | Munakka | Manuka | ||||
| Tamarind | Imli | Puli | Chincha | |||
| Turmeric | Haldi | Manjal | Halad | |||
| Vetiver | Khus | |||||
| Vinegar | Sirka | |||||
| Water melon seeds | Tarbuj ke beej | Tharboosani vidhaigal | Kalingad Bee |
Few More Similar Posts:
This Spices List post from the archives (first published in April 2009) has been republished and updated on 13 June 2021.
The Tamil word for vetiver is also vetiver. The English word was taken from the Tamil word, I believe.
Thanks.
The Tamil name for vinegar is kaadi
Thanks for the info.
In Punjabi we say Maggan, a herb. what is the english name please?
Thanks
Long Pepper also called Pippali in Hindi.
how do you know this many
its awesome
That is because we use all these spices in Indian cuisine.
What is oregano in hindi?
There is no hindi name for oregano.
What is the English name of a masala ” Sund”
Dry ginger in root form and in powdered form it is dry ginger powder or ground ginger.
U dont remind sonf
It is listed and is the first spice in the table – named as saunf.
Poppy Seed is also known as Posto dana in hindi as well as in bengali.
Thanks a lot for the info and will update.
Hi Dassana
Excellent compilation of Indian spices along with their names in different languages. However, I am sad to see that you did not include Telugu in the list. You may know (or may not) Telugu is the second most widely spoken language in India after Hindi. Here is a historical fact: When British were ruling India, on the Indian currency there were only 4 languages printed – English, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu – nothing else. The reason being that even in those days, Telugu used to be the most dominant language in the entire south. Later in mid 1950s, India ditched the old British monetary system and introduced new currency. Since then, the government started printing all official languages of India on the currency.
Hi Rom, This is one of the earliest post of mine and was made when I had started the blog. Some Indian languages I did not add as the tables would have become too vast and at that time say 10 years ago there was no way I could format the tables well. Even now the table does not fit on a mobile screen. In the future I will add Telugu as well as other languages. Thanks for sharing the info and a piece of history. It is interesting to know. Thanks again.
Marathi Language
1) Bay Leafs- Tamalpatra
2) Mustard Seeds- Mohori/ Rai
3) Cardimon- Velchi
4) Black cumin seeds- Kale Jeere
5) Black Salt- kale Meeth
Thanks a lot Pooja for the spice names in Marathi. It will help the readers as well.
Sarson seed is not mentioned.
It is mentioned in the list.
what we call mangraila in english
mangraila are known as nigella seeds in english and kalonji in hindi.
Marathi names of some of the spices from your list:
1. Bay leaf – Tej Paan
2. Black Cardamom – Mothi Ilaichi
3. Black Cumin seeds – Kale Jeere
4. Black mustard seed – Mohri/Rai
5. Black Salt – Kala Meeth
6. Caraway Seeds – Shahjeera
7. Chilli powder – Lal Mirchi Powder
8. Clarified Butter – Shuddha Toop
9. Cloves – Lavang
10. Coconut Desiccated – Khobra Kiss
11. Green Coriander – Sambhar/Kothimbir
12. Cumin seeds – Jeere
13. Curry leaves – Curry Patta
14. Fenugreek – Methi
15. Sultanas – Manuka
thanks for taking time to write the names in marathi. i will update in some time. thanks again.
Harre
Murre
Pippar
In english
long pepper.
Hi.. I wish to give you some updates for few in tamil as follows,
Mustard – kadughu
Salt-uppu
Coconut dry – ularndha thaengai
Dry fenugreek leaves- kaaindha vendhaya ilaigal
Dry pomegranate seeds- kaaindha maadhulai vidhaigal
Screwpine/pandan leaves- rambai ilaigal
Watermelon seeds- tharboosani vidhaigal
thank you very much sharulatha. i have updated these in the post.
What to call kangi ke beej, what we use in panjari, in English?
i guess you are talking about melon seeds (called as magaz in hindi) that are added in panjari.
Hello Dassana,
I’m a big fan of your site, I use it whenever I would like to cook Indian food, or just to read about it. I have a question about shah jeera, which you call caraway in English on your site. I’ve googled it and some Indians call it caraway while others call it black cumin. In my Indian cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey she writes black cumin is shah(i) jeera. In the Indian food store, on the black cumin package, the label also says kala shah jeera. In the chart on this page, you list shah jeera and black cumin separately. Caraway (in Latin: carum carvi) has a very strong aroma, a bit like fennel and we use it a lot in several European cuisines and to flavour rye bread, potato dishes, etc. It smells very different from cumin. Black cumin (Latin name: Bunium bulbocastanum) looks a bit similar but has a very different aroma, more similar to cumin but to my nose, does not smell so pleasant, it has an earthier smell.
Could you please help me with this? Shall I use caraway or black cumin when you write shahjeera in your recipes? Thank you!
thank esther. in india, both kala jeera and shah jeera are sold separately. kala jeera has a bitter taste and used in ayurvedic medicines. whereas shah jeera is aromatic and pleasant. from what i know caraway seeds is shah jeera. i would suggest you to use caraway seeds and not black cumin. i hope i have managed to solve the confusion.
Hello, my friend bought me a bag of green fennel seed from an East Indian store. What are they used for? They do not look the same as regular fennel seed. They are much smaller and very green. Can you please clarify this for me please? Thank you in advance, love this site!
jacquie, its the same fennel seed. depending on the variety, the color can be from green to greenish-yellow or greenish-brown. the size also will vary. you can lightly toast them and store in an air tight jar. then use them as mouth freshener. in india after every meal, fennel seeds are served in homes as well as in restaurants. having them after a meal helps to digest the food. you can even temper the dishes that you make with fennel seeds.
Looking for vernacular names Hindi-Tamil-Malayalam etc for “TILL”
you mean sesame seeds. in hindi sesame seeds are called as ’til’. in malayalam and tamil, known as ‘ellu’
What is the english name of muthungai powder(in malayalam) used in keralayurveda
you mean murungai?
Difference between khus khus and couscous
khus khus is poppy seeds got from the poppy plant. couscous are large rava like grains made from semolina and wheat flour.
please include ; magach’ in Hindi and equivalent names in english and other regional languages
will do. thanks.
What is the Hindi word for Anise Star ?
Thanks!
star anise, is called as chakri phool in hindi.
In my previous comment I suggested to add mustard seeds called RAI in Hindi and Urdu. When I reopened site it’s already there. Now I suggest to add चिरौंजी, English not known.
Thank you.
yes, it is already there. chironji is also known as charoli. will add in some time.
Very much informative. Please add “mustard seeds” (called RAI, राई in Hindi and Urdu)
Sir , what is 37 sarson called. Generally used to tie in wrists of newly born babies apart from its use in spices.
i do not know what it is called.
Please give English name of magajtari and which seed is it?
magaj are known as melon seeds in english. in the market you get seeds of both water melon as well as musk melon.
please provide in odia language of all spices
Asish, We don’t know Odia language otherwise we would have added the info. If someone shares this info then we will update.
You also missed dill
will add.
Some Marathi equivalent terms –
Bay leaf = tejpan
Mustard seeds (big/small) = Mohri (Jaad/barik)
Black cardamom = welchi
Cumin seeds = jire
Black salt = kale meeth, or paadeloan
caraway seeds = shahajire
Chili powder = tikhat
Clarified butter = toop
Cloves = lavang
Desiccated coconut = suke khobre
Coriander/cilantro = kothimbir/kothmir
Curry leaves = kadhi patta/ godlimba
Dry fenugreek leaves = kasuri methi
Mango powder = Aamchur
Fenugreek = methi
Lime peel = limbachi saal
Poppy seeds = khaskhas
Watermelon seeds = kalingad bee.
Hope this helps.
thanks a lot rajeev for this detailed info. i will try to add include in some time. it surely does help us as well as the readers.
Turmeric -> Arishina (In kannada)
Tamarind-> Hunase hannu( in Kannada)
red chilli -> ona menasinakayi (in kannada)
Rock salt -> Kal uppu (In kannada)
Green Chilli -> Hasi menasinakayi (In Kannada)
saffron -> Kesari (In kannada)
Mustard seeds -> Saasive kaalu (in kannada)
Chilli Powder -> Menasina pudi (In kannada)
Clarified Butter -> Tuppa (in kannada)
cloves -> lavanga (In kannada)
Coconut dry -> ona kobbari(in kannada)
curry leaves -> Kari bevu (in kannada)
pooja, thanks a lot for this info. will try to add when i have some time on my hands.
Can u please tell me Hindi or Gujarati name of black marobalan
in hindi its called as haritaki, hara, harad or baheda. i myself take haritaki powder everyday as it is very good for the health.
What is cholie or known as ramdanna in English
Thanks
amaranth seeds.
Hi, kharbooje ka beez that’s musk melon seeds .. in Gujarati it is magaz na beej
Used in gravy
thanks.
stone flower
Hii I am marathi boy so can you plz tell me GANGAFHAL in english.
pumpkin.
Thirty-eight years ago, a Gujurati friend gave me a recipe for a chicken curry. He used a spice he called ‘badio’ for seasoning the oil, along with with various other spices. I’m fairly sure the ‘badio’ were small seeds, and I had assumed that they were coriander. Having seen your glossary, I am no longer sure I had the right spice. Please does anyone have any idea what ‘badio’ might be?
The curry always tasted delicious even if I hadn’t used the exact recipe. Thank you.
not sure what is badio. but there is a spice named badiyan, which is star anise.
Nice
Nice
DEAR SIR,
I DO NOT KNOW LANGUAGES USED EXCEPT ENGLISH.
I FOUND HINDI IS VERY NEARER TO URDU.
IT IS VERY INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL FOR ME.
I THANK YOU FOR THIS GOOD EFFORT
thanks a lot and glad to know that this translation was helpful to you.
The spice you have left is
Haldi in panjabi and turmeric in English
will add. thanks.
Can you please let me know what do they call “Padhelavan” (Marathi) in English and Kannada.
Thanks.
its black salt. lavan means salt.
Black salt
Samudr namak: Sea salt and jauz are missing.
will update in some time.
Your spice list in multiple languages is extremely useful.. Would like the spice list in Excel format, so we can rearrange as per our need. PLEASE SEND US AN EDITABLE VERSION. Thanks
will see how i can add an excel version on the post. thanks for the suggestion.
In gujrati
water melon seed= Tarbuj na be
tamarind= Aambli
star anise=badiya
cocum, kokum=kokam
palm jaggery= Desi gol
lime peel= Limbu ni chal
dry fenugreek leaves= Suki methi
black cumin seeds= kadu jeeru
thanks narendra for this info.
Sesame seeds in Kannada is ellu
thanks for the info gangadhar.
Coconut desiccated in Kannada khobri pudi
Black mustard is called sasvi in kannada
and wht about kesar???????
will update.
Thank you for the catalog. it is very useful.
Vetiver is a Tamil word. So vetiver is vetiver in Tamil. Also, kokum is called kudampuli in Tamil and malayalam.
okay. i always thought vetiver is an english word 🙂 thanks for the info. with regards to kudampuli, i have kerala kudampuli and it is different from kokum. in fact i have both kokum and kudampuli stored in jars. they belong to the mangosteen family and hence there could be confusion between them. since i have used both of them in curries, they give different sour quality in curries. hope this helps.
Kewra is screw pine water
Vevetier is khus KA pani
i know. thanks. will update.
Nice.
thank you.
HINDI / GUJRATHIS NAME FOR FLAXSEED, SESAM SEED, CHIA SEED ETD.,
hindi names
flaxseed – alsi
sesame seed – til
chia seeds – no hindi name
Hi,what is biryani phool?
i always used to think biryani phool is stone flower or dagad flower. but some one had also commented that is star anise or chakri phool.
Very helpful glossaries and good recipe collection!!!
What is the English equivalent of the spice called “badiyan” in Gujarati?
thankyou avani 🙂 badiyan is called as stra anise in english and chakri phool in hindi hope this help’s you.
Really very useful collection
Thanks Krishnakumar
Very informative.
बडी पीपल
For imli in kannada …… Hunase hannu
thanks for the info veda.
I want to know name in English and Tamil for Pipal and Akkarkara pl
for pipal, are you referring to pippali. not sure of the tamil name, but in english, pippali is called as long pepper. i searched for akkarkara online and came to know that its english name is pellitory.
Pippali is thippali in Tamil.
thanks for this info too harini.
Marathi moggu a spice in karanatak it’s English name is Kopak
I would like to know the Gujarati name for the same.
Good work done by u.
Thank u very much.
thanks for the info harismita. i am not sure what is the gujarati name of the marathi moggu.
Salt=namak
Thanks for putting together a useful list
welcome sam and thankyou 🙂
Dagad phool in english and is it called star aniz???
papri dagad phool is known as stone flower.
haldar is gujarati for turmeric.
thanks. will update.
Is kalonji and Kala jeera are same ? Please reply.
both are different. kalonji are nigella seeds and kala jeera is black cumin.
English name of til
sesame seeds.
Thank u for ur list it’s very helpful for me….
B.coz I learn cooking by net. Or video and always confused in masala name..
..
So thank u……. For help
welcome always mayur and thankyou 🙂
It is very helpful for preparing my school project
thanks aneesh
Does anyone know about the seed called “jakkia/jhakia” in Hindi? It is common in Uttarakhand and the mountain areas. I’ve never seen it in the west and can’t find any information or an English name online.
It’s often used for potato and cabbage sabjis.
Hi CP,
Jakhiya, the spice used for tempering vegetables (greens, potato etc) in Uttarakhandi cuisine are seeds of Cleome viscosa. It’s common name is Asian Spiderweed. We source our supply annually from Dehradun because Jakhiya is rarely available outside Uttarakhand.
While it is used for cooking & medicinal purposes in Uttarakhand, it would be interesting to know from others, if it is used for cooking in other parts of India.
Thanks.
What is marathi moggu known as in hindi and english…i also want to know which spices are exactly included in garm masala
noor, moggu is called as kapok buds in english. check garam masala recipe here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-garam-masala/
Hi
I want to know Hindi words used for PARSLEY and OREGANO
PLZ HELP
Aisha
aisha, i don’t know. hope some reader can help. locally where i buy vegetables they call parsely as ‘chinese dhania’.
Anybody please can tell me what are ” NARME”” seeds does it hve any other name????
I want to know what is flax seed and where it is available and in which indian dish it is used
sushmita, flax seed is called as ‘alsi’. it is very healthy and you will find it in good grocery store or super store. in indian recipes dry chutneys are made from them. good egg substitute for making cakes.
I always search your recipes. It is too good to see all the spices in one list. Actually , I wanted to know about BIRIANI PHOOL . I don’t know the use if this spice in biriyani.please help
biryani phool is stone flower or patthar phool. its added in biryanis, pulaos and in kormas. even in biryani or pulao masala this spice is added.
This phool is known as badyan khatai
Nice it almost have all spices name.
Hello dear,
I am not fond of cooking but I have to do it. And I believe that whatever you do, do it with your best effort. So I keep on searching for food items of my childhood and what my mom cooked for us. She was superb cook. Accidentaly I stumbled on your site many times and I started liking it. Its too good. Right now I need some help without that I will not be able to have my Panchfodan. I want to know MARATHI name for Kalonji or Mangarail. I got ENGLISH name but not MARATHI one. Please help.
thanks a lot richa. i don’t know what is kalonji called in marathi. i live in maharashtra and even in the shops or stores where i buy kalonji, its written as kalonji or nigella seeds but no marathi name is printed on the packet.
Thanks for replying dear. No problem, now I will search Nigella seeds. Lets see what happens. Thanks again.
welcome richa
hi pls could u tell me the english word for tefllam konkani and then the botanical name of tefllam thanks god bless and sorry for the trouble from jane
jane, are you asking about tirphal?
what is an indian vegetable recipe (like saag in hindi or palle in kannada called in english)
bryan, saag is a term used in hindi for leafy greens. i don’t know kannada.
Hi Dassana, i would like to applaud and congratulate you for your remarkable efforts in put just ‘genuine’ and perfect recipes. there are so many web sites, but the truth is not all depict the true ‘home made’ food recipes. they all have something added to the original recipes to ‘self promote’.
im truly impressed by your ‘honest’ and so ‘sober’ explanations.
Dassana, i came across a spice called ‘Kali Jeeri’.. this doesnot look like onion seeds/nigella or the black jeera or Shahjeera. i have heard that it has immense medicinal value. And that it is also used in Punjab for heavy food items like chana,chole, rajma.. would you know about its culinary and medicinal values. any information on its use will be appreciated.
thanks kajal for your kind words. from what i know about kali jeeri or kalo jeero is that the same term is used for nigella seeds and shah jeera. recently in a fb group too there was some confusion over kala jeera and shah jeera. it seems kala jeera is bitter in taste. in our home cooked punjabi food we neither add nigella seeds nor shah jeera nor kala jeera to rajma or chole. all i know is that kala jeera is good for digestion and in boosting immunity.
hi dassana,
i am chetana.
first of all, hats off! fantastic work and nice virtual place here! keep up the great work.
i always refer to, try many recipes and have tried many recipes with great results from your space. i read your every inch of your recipe page carefully and follow it to t, of course, with measurements required by me. this is my first comment, remark, till all this time. nevertheless, you are always remembered after my every dish/meal recreated from here. i think and feel your recipes, measurements, are almost accurate, like say, 98%. well, i am sure, you do agree that no recipe can be 100% accurate.
i would like to provide my list of Kannada names for all the spices you have tabled above. i am a Kannadiga.
aniseeds / fennel seeds – bade soppu, sompu (u sounds as it does in
Hindi’s chotu)
asafoetida – ingu (u sounds as it does in Hindi’s chotu)
basil seeds, sweet basil – kaama kastoori
bay leaf – masale ele (e sounds as it does in ‘e’lephant)
big mustard seeds – dodda saasive kaalu
black cardamom – kappu elakki or kari elakki
black cumin seeds – kappu jeerige or kari jeerige
black mustard seeds – kappu saasive or kari saasive
black pepper – kappu menasina kaalu or kari menasina kaalu
black salt – saindhava lavana
carom seeds – oma kaalu or vaama kaalu
chilli powder – (kempu – red) menasina pudi
cinnamon – daalchinni or chakke (chakk as it does in chakkli, e as in
‘e’lephant)
clarified butter – tuppa (tu as it does in Hindi’s ‘tu’m)
cloves – lavanga
coconut dessicated – turida tengu or turida tenginkaayi (t in both
words should be pronounced as in Hindi’s ‘t’il)
coconut dry – ona kobbari or vana kobbari
coconut fresh – tenginakaayi or tengu d(t in both words should be
pronounced as in Hindi’s ‘t’il)
coriander powder – kotthambari pudi or dhaniya powder
coriander seeds – kotthambari beeja or kotthambari kaalu
coriander – kotthambari soppu
cumin seeds – jeerige
curry leaves – karibevu
dry ginger – onagida sunthi or onagida shunthi (da as in Hindi’s ‘du’m
aloo)
dry mango powder – mavinkai churu – churu is piece and not powder,
powder is pudi – it should be maavinkaayi
fenugreek seeds – menthe kaalu or menthe beeja
fenugreek – menthe soppu
garlic – bellulli
fresh ginger – hasi shunthi
dry ginger has appeared twice – once after dry kasoori methi and once
after fresh ginger
green cardamom – hasiru elakki
green chilli – hasi menasu or hasi menasanikaayi
groundnuts – shengaa or kadale beeja
holy basil – tulasi
palm jaggery – ole bella or thaati bella
lime – limbu or limbe hannu
cocum – kokum or brinda or punarpuli
lime peel – limbehannina sippe or limbu sippe
mace – jaapattre or jaakaayi pattre
mint – pudina soppu or pudina ele
nutmeg – jaaji kaayi or jaayi kaayi
poppy seeds – gasa gase
raisins – ona draakshi or vana draakshi
red chilli – kempu menasu
rock salt – kalluppu or kallu uppu
stone flower – kallu hoovu
salt – uppu
sesame seeds – ellu
saffron – kesari
szechwan pepper – kamte kaayi or jummina kaayi
star anise – chakkra moggu
tamarind – hunase or hunase hannu
turmeric – haladi or arishina or arishina pudi
watermelon seeds – kallangadi hannina beeja
The ones which I have left –
caraway seeds – ‘may be’ pronounced as shajeera itself – meaning to
say the vendor might understand or may be seeme sompu which is
little less known name: I myself haven’t heard this name, prefer to say
it shahjeera
dry fenugreek leaves – ‘may be’ pronounced as kasoori methi itself
onion seeds – ‘may be’ pronunced as kalaunji itself; ormay be eerulli
beeja which is little less known: I myself haven’t heard this name,
prefer to say it kalaunji
pine nuts – ‘may be’ pronounced as pine nuts itself
dry pomegranate seeds – ‘may be’ as anardaana or onagisida daalimbe
hannina beeja
sultanas – ‘may be’ as sultanas
thank you for all the great recipes.
god bless us all!
thanks chetana for your feedback and sharing this info in kannada. i will try to update in some days. i do agree that no recipe can be 100% perfect. even if the same recipe is made by the same person with the same ingredients and in the same proportions, the taste is not the same always.
corriander powder is known as Dhanajiru in gujarati.
I really liked your concept.
thanks jalpa
hi dasanna, xlnt glossary of cooking overall. Very precise. Though I know Hindi as a language, understand in movies and channels, this is something that is clearing all the doubts. Thanks a lot and God bless you both for such an extraordinary support through the site. DK
Welcome DK ji. Thanks for your blessings and positive feedback. Still we have a lot of work to do in this section.
mustard is very nice plant and so gud
Thank god I now know the English names
Mace means wat in Kannada. Plzzzzzzzzz share it…
bhagyakiran, i don’t know. may be some reader can help.
Ragi is also nachnei
shabuddin, yes ragi is called as nachnei. very nutritious but it comes in millet category.
Cocum is also known as Aamsul in Marathi language.
thanks suresh for the info. i have updated it in the post.
What is mean of galangle spice in hindi
galangal is a spice which is from the ginger family. but it tastes and has a flavor, aroma completely different from ginger. i don’t know what its called in hindi. its commonly added to food in thai cuisine.
Wht is black peppercorn & mortar-pestle
sanjana, black peppercorn is sabut kali mirch. mortar-pestle is hanuman dasta in hindi.
Hi Dassana,
I don’t think it’s hanuman dasta. I couldn’t find anything to say that on google too. I think it is called imam dasta in hindi.
its the same. back home we call it by this name.
it s really very useful for my brother.
thanks jayashree
It is really very useful information. . . Thanks for sharing this with all of us. . .
welcome vrinda
What do we say for kokum in english? The sour one….
saiyed, garcinia indica is the botanical name in english for kokum.
its really helpful…being an american,i am very fond of spices cause one among my housemaids is a indian. Plus…Hats Off To You!!!!They are really helpful.^-^!
thanks dana
I have just stumbled upon your site while surfing for Indian Spices & their versions. The main photo is a benchmark for many competitors – great sense of work keeping those rustic looks – Yes I have not yet been through your vegrecipesofindia.com First I wanted to complement about your great work – excellent
I have been in the Advertising Photography worked for over 38 years now retired.
thanks a lot shreeram ji. means a lot when the positive feedback comes from am experienced photographer. do browse through the site whenever possible.
good.
1 water melon seeds- chal magag in bangla
2 onion seeds-kalo jeera in bangla
3 poppy seeds- posta dana in bangla
thanks kaveri. we will update in some days.
it helped me a lot
:
:
:
hope its correct
atul, yes the info is correct.
What is the hindi name of Chia seeds
najeeb, there is no hindi name for chia seeds as they are not native to india.
HOLY BASIL ARE TULSI LEAVES
TULSI SEEDS ARE CALLED CHIA SEEDS IN ENGLISH AND SABJA IN HINDI
tulsi seeds are not chia seeds or sabja seeds. sabja seeds are seeds of sweet basil. sweet basil is different variety of basil. chia seeds are different. i have used both chia seeds and sabja seeds and both are different.
HIII valuble informations but if with pics will be easiest for us to know and remeber the english names
thanks. adding pics is a lot of work. we plan to do in the future.
In bengali Saunf is Mouri
thanks for the info. will update soon.
Hiii….. Can any one plzzzz tell me the Gujarati or Hindi meaning of this food items
Green olives:
Black olives:
Zucchini:
in hindi, olives are called as jaitoon or zaitoon. the veggie vendors i buy from, call zucchini as zucchini. on searching on google, some folks are calling it as turai or torai. but there are other varieties of turai also available in the indian market.
Hi i want to contribute some gujarati name for this spice list……
sweet basil: tukmariya
bay Leaf: tamal patra
big mustard seeds: sarsav
black cardamom: elcho
black mustard seeds: rai
black pepper: teekha
chilli powder: marchu powder
clarified butter: ghee
cloves: laving
coconut desiccated: topranu khaman
coconut dry: khopru
coconut fresh: topru
coriander: kothmari/kothmir
curry leaves: mitho limbdo
dry ginger: sunth
green cardamom: elchi
green chilli: chidiya marcha/lilu marchu
ground nut, peanuts: shing
holy basil: tulsi
lime: limbu
mace: javintri
mint: phudino
dry pomegranate seeds: dadum na dana
poppy seeds: khas khas
raisins: suki draksh
salt: mithu
star anise: baadiya
tamarind: ambli
turmeric: haldar
vetiver: kewdo
water melon seeds: magtari
thanks niyati for sharing the names. they have been added to the post.
Thanku so much for giving such a information about all spices and it help me out
welcome iswarya
hi.. jus wanted to contribute to this wonderful list.. these are the names in tamil
caraway seeds – perum seeragam
ajwain – omam
coconut – thengai
coriander powder – dhaniya podi
coriander seeds – dhaniya
fresh corainder – kothamalli ilai
curry leaves – karuveppilai
mint – pudhina
dry ginger – sukku
jaggery – vellam
palm jaggery – pana vellam
lime – elumichai
lime peel – elumichai thol
raisins – kaindha dratchai / ularndha dratchai
cashew – mundiri
almond – badam
fig – atthi pazham
vetiver – vetiver
rock salt – kal uppu
asafoetida powder – perungaya podi
the asafoetida that is thick like tamarind – katti perungayam
cinnamon – pattai
lavangam is clove
fresh desiccated coconut – thuruvina thengai
white sesame – vellai ellu
black sesame – karupu ellu
thanks akshatha for sharing the tamil names. i will update in some days. thanks once again.
Thanks for the lovely info.
Can someone let me know few more :
Red pepper :
Red pesto :
Chorizo sausage :
Parsley :
rosemary :
Fresh sage:
Fresh thyme
welcome munir
English name : Marathi Name
Salt : Meeth
Rock Salt : Sendhe Laun
Red Chilli : Lal Mirchi
Raisins : Bedane
Poppy Seeds : Khas
Mint : Pudina
Kokum : Kokam
Lime : Limbu
Holy Basil : Tulas
Groundnut : Sheng Dane
green Chilli : hirvi mirchi
green Elaichi : Veldoda. velchi
dry ginger : Sunth
fresh ginger : Ala
Garlic : Lasun
fenugreek seeds : Methya dane
Coriander seeds: Dhane
coriander seed powder : dhane pood
thanks a lot yatin. we will update the info in some days.
raisins is MANUKE
fennel seeds – marathi name : badishop
thanks kajal. i have updated it in the post.
Thanks for the comprehensive list, as well as the spelling alternatives. By the way, is Kokum the english name? I always thought that was the indian one!
welcome sunit. i think its the indian name. but worldwide also it is called as kokum.
Thank You for such a lovely information, Now a days I am watching YouTube for cooking some times I get confused after hearing such difficult name but now it will be easy for me. Once again Thank You Very much
welcome abdul and thanks for sharing your feedback as it helps.
thanks a lot for the info abt spices..
welcome vikas
dill is sowa or surwa,
marjoram is marwa,
celery is Shalari, Ajmud, Randhuni
liquorice is mulethi
thanks roop. i will for sure update the post in a day or two 🙂
love you….thanks for the grtttt help…cooking for my mom today…
good to know that you are cooking for your mother. nice gesture.
what do you call “sendha namak” in English? its different from common salt and rock salt.
Suchita, sendha namak is rock salt and is used mainly during religious fasting or vrat. sendha namak is different from common salt or black salt. you can get it big grocery or super stores in india.
Sendha namak is also called sindhu salt or saindhava lavanam(Sanskrit) or indu uppu(Tamil). It is called Himalayan pink salt in English. When in crystal form, they look pink. When powdered they look white.
thanks for the info harini.
Thanks a lot for this helpfull information !
welcome shri chand
Hi .. this was cool.. the holy basil is different from normal basil ?
for a long time . i used tulsi for basil in my dishes and it came real yuck 🙂 thanks for clarifying !
i still cant find basil (normal ones) anywhere !
basil is usually available in cities like mumbai, bangalore etc. tulsi cannot be substituted for basil.
This was quite helpful. However, I could not find the Indian names of Marjoram,Liquorice, DILL, Celery Seeds. If you may send to my above e mail ID , I will be obliged. Thanks once again.
Anurag, i will update in the post in some days. i don’t send emails.
thank u so much… for this update:-)
welcome uzma
Thanks for this piece of important information pertained to names of food ingredients in Hindi. Like one reader here said, I knew most ingredient names in English,but least in Hindi. Thanks once again.
welcome shweta
hey.thanks very useful!!!
Update the same with theire pictures,so it will be more uselful.. 🙂
welcome pradnya. i agree with your suggestion but practically it will make the page lot of time to load and will become very slow.
thnks for helping out , I think I knw most of them but their English translations is good n I swear I knw the Hindi names only thnkuuu for getting me the proper names…..traditional spices traditional India…:)
welcome.
english and hindi translation are very good I liked it a lot. Thanks 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ur information about spices are toooo gud thanxxx alot 4 dis
welcome nikita
thanks for The help
welcome runu
Good help. Thank u.
welcome manisha.
what is Rock flower .in hindi or english . . it is a spice . it looks like the root of a plant
nalini, rock flower is also called as stone flower. in marathi it is known as dagad phool. (in marathi dagad means stone). in hindi it is called as pathar phool and in tamil it is called as kalpaasi. its a lichen and is used as a spice. i also add these to the kormas or pulaos sometimes. they have a strong aroma and flavor. these are also used in making the maharashtrian goda masala and in some recipes in the chettinad cuisine.
Great help for me
Thanks for this useful info. My question is : What is hindi for Basil ? Is this plan available in India ? What can we use as substitute for Basil leaves?
basil is called as basil. even the indian vegetable vendors call basil as basil. there is no substitute for basil leaves. tulsi is called as holy basil, but the taste and flavors of tulsi and basil is very different from each other. sweet basil seeds are called as sabja/tukmaria. basil leaves are easily available in india. on most supermarket shelves in the vegetable section, you will easily find basil leaves. also in the vegetable markets in indian metros and cities you can find basil. you can also grow basil like tulsi in a pot. you just need to buy the seeds or a small potted plant.
plz tell me is normal basil n sweet basil same herb?? n the basil used in italian n thai cuisine.. is it this one only…?
there are many varieties of basil. regular or normal basil is different from sweet basil. thai basil is different from the basil used in italian cooking. what you generally get in the market is italian basil unless the pack mentions it as thai basil.
I have seen 9 different type Basil growing in pots in an USA nursery ,bought four sachets of seed and planted in sping here in Karachi its growing so nice but in summer I have the pots under the shade.
yes there are many varieties. but here we mostly get italian basil and sometimes thai basil. not many varieties like that in USA.
will u please tell me the english name of “MUG”. i do not know whether it is a spice ?
generally mung beans are called as mug.
U have mentioned english name for magaz is water melon , where as it’s musk melon and both have difference in properties.
actually both are called as magaz. the one which is available where i live has magaz written on the pack and includes watermelon seeds.
Information given is really nice, thank-you for sharing
welcome shweta
realy all the details r useful.
hi,
wanted to know what is Balsamic vinegar…here we are getting only fruit vinegar or synthetic vinegar (which are white or dark brown in colour).
wanted to make sirke wale pyaaz….but am getting confused with the vinegar types….
thanks
radhika
hi radhika. you can use white vinegar in the sirke wale pyaaz recipe. balsamic vinegar is made from the juice of sweet white trebbiano grapes. it is a traditional vinegar from italy.
Thanks a lot for this Glossary. Makes it so much easier to find Indian spices in a foreign land.
Hi Maams/ Sirs,
Nice of you all for posting this knowledgeble information. In fact this knowledge is of utmost importance and necessity coz we can know what we are eating. I think very less people are aware of this. My sincere salute to you all. Thanks. Suresh, Goa
thanks suresh
very nice and informative..though we seem to know english these special names always go unheard..thanks
thanks meghana
impressive
I will be frequently visiting this site. keep it in my favourite list.
nice post on Indian spices , here get all information, as well as export quality product from central India
what is the english name of AJINOMOTO please update this
ajinomoto is called as chinese salt and also sodium glutamate. since these are spices and ajinomoto is not a spice, have not updated in this list.
I would like to correct you on one thing here. Basil is defenitely not Tulasi. Tulasi belongs to the same family but in english it is Holy Basil. The Basil used in food is antirely different species. Some how all indian sites keep giving this incorrect name for Basil. It is wrong please correct it.
thanks sv nagappa. of course i know the difference between tulsi and the basil leaves. in fact there are many different varieties of basil and tulsi is one of them. in fact even i am amazed how i made this error. will correct it on the page.
In the pic above, its not a bowl.but a stone grinder, which was traditionally used by the women in Maharashtra, especially in the rural parts. It was used to grind grains like wheat, jowar, bajra, maize etc. Its basically used to make flour from grains.
It involves a lot of labor and effort. I have seen women doing it and I used to think how much strength they must be having 🙂
You may get it in the villages or towns of Maharashtra in the local market. It is still used by some people. I am not sure if you will get it in Indian metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore etc. Outside India, I don’t think you will get to see this.
I think you are mistakenly taking the pic for the masala dabba or spice container. Usually, as I have seen the spice containers are made up of steel or aluminium and you can get them easily in India in any local shop or stores like big baazar, spencer etc.
I hope I have answered your question 🙂
Can you tell me what this bowl that has the spices is called and where I can buy it?
Can you email me when you get the answer to that dabha question?
Thanks!
it was really cool and it helped me a lot in my project………………… thankyou
welcome shreya
Hi im sahil want to know about chaarmaguz thank
sahil, charmagaz consists of 4 different type of seeds – water melon seeds, pumpkin seeds, cucumber seeds and muskmelon seeds.
Hi im sahil want to know about chaarmaguz thank
Hello mam. Rock salt in tamil is induppu/in thuppu.
thanks for the info BD.
What is ragi called in hindi
ragi is called mandua, madua in hindi.