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Glossary of some commonly used Indian Spices in English, Hindi and regional languages: Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati
| English | Hindi | Tamil | Kannada | Marathi/ Gujarati | Notes |
| aniseeds, fennel seeds | saunf | sombu | bade soppu, sompu (u sounds as it does in Hindi’s chotu) | badishop / variyali | |
| asafoetida | hing | perumkayam, perungaya | hingu, ingu (u sounds as it does in Hindi’s chotu) | hing | good for digestion |
| basil seeds, sweet basil | sabja seeds, subja, falooda seeds, tukmaria | kaama kastoori | sabja seeds / tukmariya | added to falooda | |
| bay leaf | indian tej patta, tamalpatra | brinji elai | masale ele (e sounds as it does in ‘e’lephant) | tamal patra | tej patta leaves are commonly called as indian bay leaves.but they are not related to the bay laurel leaves.both have different appearance and aroma.tej patta has an aroma similar to that of cinnamon barkwhile bay leaves have a lemony aroma. |
| big mustard seeds | sarson | dodda saasive kaalu | sarsav | ||
| black cardamon | badi elaichi | periya elakkai | kappu elakki or kari elakki | elcho | |
| black cumin seeds | kala jeera | karung seeragam | kappu jeerige or kari jeerige | ||
| black mustard seeds | rai | kappu saasive or kari saasive | rai | ||
| black pepper | kali mirch | milagu | menasinkalu, kappu menasina kaalu or kari menasina kaalu | kali miri / teekha | |
| black salt | kala namak | saindhava lavana | sanchal | used in shinkanjivi – indian lemonade.you can add them in fruit juices.it has a sulphric taste & add a lot of zing to the drink | |
| caraway seeds | shahjeera | perum seeragam | shahjeera | shahjeera | |
| carom seeds, thymol seeds, oregano, bishops weed | ajwain | omam | owa, oma kaalu or vaama kaalu | owa / ajmo | |
| chilli powder | lal mirch powder | milagai tool | (kempu – red) menasina pudi | marchu powder | |
| cinnamon | dal chini | lavanga pattai, pattai | dal chini,daalchinni or chakke (chakk as it does in chakkli, e as in‘e’lephant) | dal chini / tuj | |
| clarified butter | ghee | nei | tuppa (tu as it does in Hindi’s ‘tu’m) | ghee | |
| cloves | laung, lavang | krambu | lavanga | laving | |
| coconut desiccated | sukha nariyal ka choora/boora | thuruvina thengai | turida tengu or turida tenginkaayi (t in both words should be pronounced as in Hindi’s ‘t’il) | topranu khaman | |
| coconut dry | sukha nariyal | ona kobbari or vana kobbari | copra / khopru | ||
| coconut fresh | nariyal | thengai | tenginakaayi or tengu d (t in both words should be pronounced as in indi’s ‘t’il) | chobra / khopru, topru | |
| coriander powder | dhana powder | dhaniya podi | kotthambari pudi or dhaniya powder | dhane pood | |
| coriander seeds | sabut dhania | kottumallividai, dhaniya | kotthambari beeja or kotthambari kaalu | dhane / kothmir na dana | |
| coriander, cilantro | dhaniya, dhania | kothamalli ilai | kotthambari soppu | kothmari, kothmir | |
| cumin seeds | jeera | jeerakam | jeerige | jeeru | |
| curry leaves | kari patta, kadipatha | karuveppilai | karibevu | limda, mitho limbdo | |
| dry fenugreek leaves | kasoori methi | kasoori methi | |||
| dry mango powder | amchur | mangai podi | maavinkaayi (powder is pudi) | ambyachachur / amchur | very often added in punjabi recipes like chole, rajma |
| fenugreek seeds | methi ke dane | menthiyam,ventiyam | menthe kaalu or menthe beeja | methya dane / methi dana | |
| fenugreek | methi | venthaiam | menthe soppu | ||
| garlic | lasan, lahsun, lahsan | poondu | bellulli | lasun / lasan | |
| fresh ginger | adrak, adhrak | inji | hasi shunthi | ala / adu | |
| dry ginger | saunth, sounth, soonth | sukku | onagida sunthi or onagida shunthi (da as in Hindi’s ‘du’m aloo) | sunth | saunth chutney recipe |
| green cardamon | hari elaichi, choti elaichi | elakkai | hasiru elakki | veldoda. velchi / elchi | |
| green chilli | hari mirch | pachai milagai | hasi menasu or hasi menasanikaayi | hirvi mirchi / chidiya marcha/lilu marchu | |
| ground nut, peanuts | moongphalli, mungphali | nila kadalei | shengaa or kadale beeja | sheng dane / shing | |
| holy basil | tulsi | tulasi | tulasi | tulas / tulsi | |
| jaggery | gur | vellam | bella | gul / gol | |
| palm jaggery | tara gura, sharkara tada | pana vellam | ole bella or thaati bella | ||
| lime | nimboo, nimbu | elumichai | limbu or limbe hannu | limbu | |
| cocum, kokum | bhirinda, bhirnda | kokum or brinda or punarpuli | kokam, aamsul | ||
| lime peel | nimbu ka chilka | elumichai thol | limbehannina sippe or limbu sippe | ||
| mace | jayitri, javitri, javntry | jaipatri | jaapattre or jaakaayi pattre | jaipatri / javintri | |
| mint | pudina, podina | pudina, pudhina | pudina soppu or pudina ele | pudina / phudino | |
| nutmeg | jaiphal | jhadhikkai | jaaji kaayi or jaayi kaayi | jaiphal | |
| onion seeds, nigella | kalonji, kalaungi | kalonji | kalaunji | kalonji | |
| pine nuts | chilgoze, nioze | pine nuts | |||
| dry pomegranate seeds | anardana | anardaana or onagisida daalimbehannina beeja | dadum na dana | ||
| poppy seeds | khus khus | khasa khasa | gasa gase | khas | |
| raisins | kismish | kaindha dratchai / ularndha dratchai | ona draakshi or vana draakshi | bedane / suki draksh | |
| red chilli | lal mirch | milakaivatral | kempu menasu | lal mirchi | |
| rock salt | sendha namak | kal uppu | kalluppu or kallu uppu | sendhe laun / sindhalumithu | used in religious fasting as common saltis not allowed during fasting/vrat |
| rock flower,stone flower | pathar phool | kalpaasi | kallu hoovu | dagad phool | |
| salt | namak | uppu | uppu | meeth / mithu | |
| sesame seeds | til | ellu | ellu | til / tul | |
| saffron | kunkuma, kesar, zafran | kumkumappu | kesari | keshar / kesar | |
| sichuan pepper, szechwan pepper | tilfda, tirphal, tephal, teppal | kamte kaayi or jummina kaayi | |||
| star anise | chakriphool | lavanga poo | chakkra moggu | ||
| sultanas | munacca | sultanas | easily available in north india | ||
| tamarind | imli | puli | hunase or hunase hannu | chincha | |
| turmeric | haldi | manjal | haladi or arishina or arishina pudi | halad | |
| vetiver | kewra | vetiver | |||
| vinegar | sirka | ||||
| water melon seeds | magaz | kallangadi hannina beeja |
Source: vegrecipesofindia