Glossary

The cuisine of India is characterised by its sophisticated and subtle use of many spices and vegetables grown across India. Vegetarianism can be found very commonly across its society. The diverse climate, ranging from tropical to alpine, has also aided in considerably increasing the types of ingredients available for cooking.

North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee.

East Indian cuisine is famous for its desserts, especially sweets such as rasagolla, chumchum, sandesh.

South Indian cuisine is distinguished by a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain, the ubiquity of sambar and rasam, a variety of pickles, and the liberal use of coconut.

Western India has three major food groups: Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Goan which include foods like groundnuts, jowar and bajra.

Having so many different food types being eaten by people speaking different languages, creating a common ground is always a difficult task. English can be commonly understood across India. Converting the Indian name to English name whether its a food type or process of cooking is a tedious task. I have made an attempt at this. Some Indian names may be different from what I know them as.

English Names for Indian Foods

Process of Cooking



English Names for Indian Foods

Most of the times I know the Hindi/Indian name of a food item and being here (in US) if I need to buy this item, I need to know the English name for it. Till now the following list was pasted in my recipe book.

English Names for Indian Food and their Categories
Indian Name	English Name	Category
Adrak	Ginger	Spices
Ajwain	Carom Seeds / Thyme	Spices
Akhrot	Walnuts	Dry Fruit
Aloo	Potato	Vegetable
Amchoor	Dried Mango Powder	Spices
Amla	Emblica / Indian Gooseberry	Fruit
Anaar Dana	Pomegranate Seeds (Dried)	Seeds
Angoor	Grapes	Fruit
Atta	Wheat Flour	Flour
Badam	Almond	Dry Fruit
Baingan	EggPlant (Brinjal)	Vegetable
Badi Ellaichi	Black Cardomom	Spices
Besan	Gram Flour	Flour
Bhuna Chana	Roasted Gram	Pulses
Bhutta	Corn Cobs	Vegetable
Chana	Chick Peas	Pulses
Chana Dal	Bengal Gram Dal	Pulses
Chikoo	Sapota	Fruit
Chhuara	Dates (Dried)	Dry Fruit
Daal - Generic	Pulses	Pulses
Dahi	Yoghurt	Dairy
Dalchini	Cinnamon	Spices
Degi Mirch	Kashmir / Hungarian Paprika	Spices
Dhania Patta/leaves	Cilantro / Coriander Leaves	Vegetable
Dhania Powder	Cilantro / Coriander Seeds grinded	Spices
Elaichi (Chhoti)	Green Cardamom	Spices
Elaichi (Moti)	Brown Cardamom	Spices
Ghee	Clarified Butter	Dairy
Gulab Jal	Rose Water	General
Gur	Jaggery	General
Hari Mirch	Small Green Chilly	Vegetable
Hing	Asafoetida	Spices
Imli	Tamarind	General
Jaiphal	Nutmeg	Seeds
Javitri	Mace	Spices
Jeera	Cumin Seeds	Seeds
Kaju	Cashew Nut	Dry Fruit
Kala Jeera / Black Cumin Seeds	Caraway Seeds	Seeds
Kala Namak	Rock Salt	Masala
Kali Mirch	Black Pepper	Spices
Kalonji	Black Onion Seeds	Seeds
Kamarkas	Sage	General
Kari Patta	Curry Leaves	Herb
Kasuri Methi	Fenugreek Leaves	Herb
Kesar	Saffron	General
Khajur	Dates	Dry Fruit
Kheera	Cucumber	Vegetable
Khoya, Mawa	Dried Whole Milk/Thickened Milk	Dairy
Khus-khus	Poppy seeds	Seeds
Kishmish	Currants / Golden Raisins	Dry Fruit
Lahsun	Garlic	Spices
Lal Mirch Powder	Red Chilli Powder	Spices
Laung	Clove	Spices
Maida	All Purpose Flour	Flour
Malai	Cream	Dairy
Masur Dal	Red Lentils	Pulses
Matar	Green Peas	Vegetable
Mattha (Chhaach)	Butter Milk	Dairy
Methi	Fenugreek Seeds	Seeds
Mirch	Chilly	Vegetable
Moong Dal	Green Gram	Pulses
Moong Fali	Groundnut	Dry Fruit
Namak	White Salt	General
Narial	Coconut	Dry Fruit
Nimboo	Lemon	Fruit
Nimboo ka Sat	Citric Acid	Acid
Palak	Spinach	Vegetable
Paneer	Cottage Cheese	Dairy
Patta Gobi	Cabbage	Vegetable
Paav / Pav / Pao	Bun	Cereal
Phitkari	Alum	General
Phool Gobi	Cauliflower	Vegetable
Pista	Pistachio	Dry Fruit
Poha, Chiwda	Flaked, Beaten rice	Cereal
Pudina Leaves	Mint Leaves	Vegetables
Rai	Black Mustard Seeds (Small)	Spices
Rajma	Red Kidney Beans	Pulses
Rava / Suji	Semolina / Cream of Wheat	General
Sabudana	Sago	General
Sabut Moong	Whole Green Gram	Pulses
Sarson	Mustard Seeds (Moti)	Spices
Saunf	Fennel Seeds	Seeds
ShahJeera	Black /Royal Cumin Seeds	Seeds
Shimla Mirch	Capsicum	Vegetable
Sirka	Vinegar	Condiment
Tadka	Seasoning	Cooking Process
Tej Patta	Bay Leaf	Herb
Til	Sesame Seeds	Seeds
Til ka tel	Gingelly Oil	General
Tulsi	Basil	Herb
Tuvar Dal	Yellow Lentil	Pulses
Urad Dal	Black Gram / Horse Bean	Pulses

Back to Top

Process of Cooking

Beat - To stir rapidly in a circular motion, either by hand or with an electric mixer, to introduce air into the mixture to achieve a lighter, fluffy texture.

Blanch - Blanching is the heat treatment of foodstuffs by boiling or steaming in order to kill natural enzymes, soften the tissue and remove raw flavouring.

Brush - Using a tool, such as a pastry brush, to apply liquid (marinade or oil) to the surface of food.

Crumble - To break food into smaller pieces by hand.

Dice - To cut food into small cubes.

Garnish - To add decorative touches to dishes being served.

Grate - To make firm foods, (e.g., hard cheese, vegetables) into small particles by rubbing it against a serrated tool, such as a grater.

Mash - To smash or crush food, such as potatoes, into a smooth mixture.

Mince - To cut food into small, fine pieces.

Puree - To blend or process food into a smooth, thick, paste-like consistency.

Mince - To cut food into small, fine pieces.

Saute - To cook quickly in a very hot pan using a small amount of fat or oil. This technique requires that food to be turned over frequently to allow it to cook evenly.

Simmer - To cook food in liquid, keeping it just below boiling.

Steam - A cooking process that softens food placed in a covered pan or container on a rack or basket.

Strain - To pass through a filter, such as a strainer, to separate solids from liquids.

Toast - To lightly brown the surface of food with dry heat.

Toss - To combine ingredients quickly yet gently using two utensils and a lifting motion.

Whisk - To beat ingredients together using a wire tool called a whisk.

Toast - To lightly brown the surface of food with dry heat.

Back to Top