A  
Achar Pickle.
Adrak Ginger.
Ajwain or Ajowain Lovage.
Aloo Potato.
Alu chole A vegetarian dish using chickpeas, potatoes and tamarind.
Alur dom A dish using whole potatoes.
Am Mango.
Am chur Mango powder. A very hot sour flavouring agent.
Aniseed Sanuf.
Areca Betel nut.
Asafoetida Hing. Gum obtained from root of giant fennel-like plant. Used in powder or resin form. A rather smelly spice.
Aserio Aniseed.
Ata or Atta Chupatti flour. Fine wholemeal flour used in most Indian breads. English wholemeal is a suitable alternative.
   
B  
Badai Aniseed stars.
Badam Almond.
Bargar The process of frying whole spices in hot oil.
Basmati The best type of long grain rice.
Bay leaf Tej patia. This very well known leaf is used fresh or dried in certain Indian recipes.
Besan Chickpea flour.
Bhajee or bhaji Dryish mild vegetable curry.
Bhajia Deep fried fritter, usually onion. See pakora.
Bhare Stuffed.
Bharta or Bhurta Mash or puree.
Bhoona or Bhuna The process of cooking the spice paste in hot oil. A bhoona curry is usually dry and cooked in coconut.
Bhunana Roast.
Biriani A traditional dish. Rice baked with meat or vegetable filling.
Black salt Kala namak.
Bombay Duck A smallish fish native to the Bombay area known locally as Bommaloe Macchi. This was too hard for the British to pronounce so it became Bombay Duck. It is dried and appears on the table as a crispy deep fried starter or accompaniment to a curry.
Bombay potato Small whole potatoes in curry and tomato sauce.
Boti kebab Marinated cubes of lamb cooked in a tandoor oven.
Brinja Aubergine.
Burfi or Barfi An Indian fudge-like sweetmeat made from reduced condensed milk in various flavours eg plain or pistachio.
   
C  
Cardamom Elaichi. Various types, notably green, white, and brown. One of the most aromatic and expensive spices.
Cashew nuts Kaju
Cassia bark A corky bark with a sweet fragrance similar to cinnamon and is used extensively in Northern Indian cookery. Although cooked in the curry the bark is too coarse to eat.
Cayenne pepper A type of chilli powder.
Ceylon curry Usually cooked with coconut, lemon and chilli.
Chaamp Chop.
Chakla belan Special rolling pin and board.
Chamcha Ladle.
Chana Type of lentil.
Chawal Rice.
Chhalni Sieve.
Chilgoze or Nioze Small long creamy nuts with brown shells used in cooking or eaten raw.
Chilli There are a great man species of chillies, which are the fleshy pods of shrub-like bushes of he capsicum family. Chillies range from large to small, and colours include green, white, purple, pink, and red. Curiously, although synonymous with Indian food they were only brought to the sub-continent from South America some four centuries ago. They are now the most important heat agent in Indian cookery. They vary in hotness from mild to incendiary-like potency. Most commonly, small green or red chillies are used fresh. Red chillies can be dried and used whole, and chilli powder is made by grinding dried chillies.
Chimta Tongs.
Chirongi or Charauli Small rounded nuts resembling Egyptian lentils. Used in puddings or pullaos.
Chor maga Melon seeds. Used as a thickener.
Chupatti A dry 6 inch disc of unleavened bread. Normally griddle cooked ,it should be served piping hot. Spelling varies eg Chuppati, Chapati etc.
Chutneys The common ones are onion, mango and tandoori. There are dozens of others which rarely appear on the standard menu.
Cinnamon Dalchini. The quill-like dried bark of the cinnamon tree. It is one of the most aromatic spices. Same family as cassia, it is generally used in dishes which require a delicate flavour.
Cloves Lavang.
Coriander Dhania. One of the most important spices in Indian cookery. The leaves of the plant can be used fresh and the seeds used whole or ground.
Cummin or Cumin Jeera. There are two types of seeds: white and black. The white seeds are a very important spice in Indian cookery. The black seeds (Kala Jeera) are seldom used. Both can be used whole or ground.
Curry The only word in this glossary to have no direct translation into any of the sub-continent's fifteen or so languages. The word was coined by the British in India centuries ago. Possible contenders for the origin of the word are,Karahi or Karai (Hindi), a wok-like frying pan used all over India to prepare masalas (spice mixtures): karhi - a soup-like dish made with spices, chickpea flour dumplings and buttermilk; Kari - a spicy tamil sauce;Turkuri - a seasoned sauce or stew; or Kari Phulia, neem or curry leaves.
Curry leaves .Also known as Kadipatha in Hindi, Small leaves a bit like bay leaves, used for flavouring.
   
D  
Dahi Yoghurt.
Dahi wala A meat dish cooked in a savoury yoghurt sauce.
Dalchini or Darchim Cinnamon.
Degchi Brass or metal saucepan without handles also called Pateeli or Batloi.
Dewa Lentils. There are over sixty types of lentil in the sub-continent. The most common restaurant types are masoor, channa and urid.
Dhania Coriander.
Dhansak Traditional chicken or meat dish cooked in lentil and vegetable puree.
Dhungar Applying the smoke of charcoal to ingredients.
   
Do piaza Traditional meat dish. Do means two and piaza means onion. It gets its name because onions appear twice in the cooking process.
Doroo Celery.
Dosa or Dosai A south Indian pancake made from rice and lentil flour. Usually served with a filling.
Dum Steam cooking. Long before the west invented the pressure cooker India had her own method which lasts to this day. A pot with a close fitting lid is sealed with a ring of dough. The ingredients are then cooked in their own steam under some pressure.
   
E  
Ekuri Spiced scrambled eggs.
Elaichi Cardamom.
   
F  
Fennel Soonf.
Fenugreek Methi. This important spice is used as seeds and in fresh or dried leaf form. It is very savoury and is used in many Northern Indian dishes.
Foogat Lightly cooked vegetable dish.
   
G  
Gajar Carrot.
Garam masala Literally 'hot mixture'. This refers to a blend of spices much loved in Northern Indian cookery.
Garlic Lasan.
Ghee Clarified butter or margarine much used in Northern Indian cookery.
Ginger Adrak (fresh) Sont (dried); a rhizome which can be used fresh, dried or powdered.
Gobi or phoolgobi Cauliflower.
Goor or gur Jaggery (palm sugar) or molasses.Ginger.
Gosht Lamb.
Gram flour Chickpea flour (besan).
Gulab jaman An Indian dessert. Small 1-inch diameter balls of flour and milk powder deep-fried to golden and served cold in syrup. Cake-like texture.
Gurda Kidney. Gurda kebab is marinated kidney skewered and cooked in the tandoor.
   
H  
Halva Sweets made from syrup and vegetables or fruit. Serve cold in small squares. It is translucent and comes in bright colours depending on ingredient used; e.g. orange (carrot), green (pistachio), red (mango), etc. Has texture thicker than Turkish delight. Sometimes garnished with edible silver foil.
Handi Earthenware cooking pot.
Hasina kebab Pieces of chicken breast, lamb or beef marinated in spices and then skewered and barbecued with onion, capsicum and tomato. Of Turkish origin.
Hindi Hindi is the official language of India. Although there are fourteen or so other languages in India, only Hindi translations have been used in this glossary. Spelling of Hindi translations have been used in this glossary. Spelling of Hindi words can vary in English because 5they are translated phonetically from many Hindi dialects.
Hing Asofoetida.
Hisa Bill (account)
Huldi Turmeric.
   
A-H  -  I-Z