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 | Â 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.
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.