KitchenSpice names in English and Hindi
What is ajwain called in English? What is nigella in Hindi? Search 54 spices, herbs, souring agents and dry fruits by either name, and see what each is used for.
| English name | Hindi name | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Cumin seeds | जीरा jeera | Tempering for dal and sabzi; roasted and ground for raita and chaat. |
| Caraway (black cumin) | शाह जीरा shah jeera | Thinner and darker than jeera. Used in biryani and pulao. |
| Carom seeds | अजवाइन ajwain | Parathas, pakora batter and mathri. Strong, thyme-like taste. |
| Mustard seeds | राई, सरसों rai, sarson | Tempering in South and East Indian cooking; pickles. |
| Fenugreek seeds | मेथी दाना methi dana | Pickles, kadhi and sambar tempering. Bitter if burnt. |
| Dried fenugreek leaves | कसूरी मेथी kasuri methi | Crushed over butter chicken, paneer gravies and dal at the end. |
| Fennel seeds | सौंफ saunf | Pickles, Kashmiri dishes and as a mouth freshener. |
| Nigella seeds | कलौंजी kalonji | On naan, in pickles and Bengali panch phoron. |
| Coriander seeds | साबुत धनिया sabut dhania | Crushed for stuffing and chutneys; ground into dhania powder. |
| Turmeric | हल्दी haldi | Colour and earthy taste in almost every dal and sabzi. |
| Red chilli powder | लाल मिर्च पाउडर lal mirch | Heat. Kashmiri chilli gives colour with less heat. |
| Black pepper | काली मिर्च kali mirch | Whole in pulao and rasam; ground over eggs and soups. |
| Asafoetida | हींग hing | A pinch in hot oil for dal and kadhi. Very strong, so use little. |
| Cloves | लौंग laung | Whole in rice dishes and garam masala. |
| Green cardamom | छोटी इलायची chhoti elaichi | Tea, kheer, sweets and biryani. |
| Black cardamom | बड़ी इलायची badi elaichi | Smoky. For rajma, chole and meat curries, not for sweets. |
| Cinnamon | दालचीनी dalchini | Whole in pulao and curries; powdered in baking. |
| Indian bay leaf | तेज पत्ता tej patta | Whole in rice, dal and gravies. Removed before eating. |
| Nutmeg | जायफल jaiphal | Grated in tiny amounts into sweets and rich gravies. |
| Mace | जावित्री javitri | The lacy red cover of the nutmeg seed. Used in biryani masala. |
| Star anise | चक्र फूल chakra phool | Whole in biryani and some garam masalas. |
| Saffron | केसर kesar | Soaked in warm milk for kheer, biryani and sweets. |
| Dry mango powder | अमचूर amchur | Sourness for chole, samosa filling and chaat. |
| Dry ginger powder | सोंठ sonth | Chutneys, tea masala and winter sweets. |
| Dried pomegranate seeds | अनारदाना anardana | Sourness in Punjabi chole and stuffed parathas. |
| Poppy seeds | खसखस khaskhas | Ground to thicken white gravies. |
| Sesame seeds | तिल til | Til laddu, gajak, chutneys and on breads. |
| Black salt | काला नमक kala namak | Chaat, raita, jaljeera and fruit. |
| Rock salt | सेंधा नमक sendha namak | Used in fasting (vrat) food. |
| Tamarind | इमली imli | Sambar, rasam, chutney and chaat. |
| Kokum | कोकम kokum | Souring for Konkani and Gujarati dals and sol kadhi. |
| Curry leaves | करी पत्ता, कड़ी पत्ता kadi patta | Tempering for sambar, poha, upma and chutneys. |
| Mint | पुदीना pudina | Chutney, raita, biryani and drinks. |
| Coriander leaves | हरा धनिया hara dhania | Garnish and green chutney. |
| Garlic | लहसुन lahsun | Tempering, pastes and chutneys. |
| Ginger | अदरक adrak | Tea, pastes and tempering. |
| Green chilli | हरी मिर्च hari mirch | Fresh heat in tempering, chutneys and salads. |
| Dried red chilli | सूखी लाल मिर्च sukhi lal mirch | Whole in tempering; soaked and ground for red gravies. |
| Stone flower | पत्थर के फूल patthar ke phool, dagad phool | A lichen used in goda masala, Chettinad and biryani masalas. |
| Jaggery | गुड़ gur | Sweets, chikki, and a small piece in Gujarati dal. |
| Baking soda | मीठा सोडा, खाने का सोडा meetha soda | Dhokla, bhatura and to soften chana. |
| Vinegar | सिरका sirka | Pickled onions, Indo-Chinese dishes. |
| Rose water | गुलाब जल gulab jal | Sweets, sharbat and biryani. |
| Fox nuts | मखाना makhana | Roasted as a snack; in kheer and fasting food. |
| Melon seeds | मगज magaz | Ground to thicken gravies; in thandai. |
| Chironji | चिरौंजी chironji | Small nut-like seeds for halwa and kheer. |
| Dried dates | छुहारा chhuhara | Winter sweets, milk and panjiri. |
| Raisins | किशमिश kishmish | Kheer, pulao and halwa. |
| Cashew nuts | काजू kaju | Sweets, gravies and pulao. |
| Almonds | बादाम badam | Soaked and eaten; in sweets and milk. |
| Walnuts | अखरोट akhrot | Eaten plain, in chutney and in baking. |
| Pistachios | पिस्ता pista | Garnish for sweets, kulfi and kheer. |
| Peanuts | मूंगफली moongphali | Poha, sabudana khichdi, chutney and chikki. |
| Dry coconut | सूखा नारियल, गोला sukha nariyal, gola | Grated into sweets and masalas. |
Nothing matches. Try a shorter spelling.
Names that are often mixed up
- Jeera and shah jeera: cumin is the everyday brown seed. Shah jeera (caraway, also sold as black cumin) is darker, thinner and sweeter, and is used in biryani.
- Kalonji is not onion seed: the small black seeds on naan are nigella. They are sometimes sold as "onion seeds" or "black cumin", but come from a different plant.
- Tej patta and bay leaf: the Indian tej patta is the leaf of a cinnamon relative and has three long veins. The European bay leaf has one central vein and a different smell.
- Saunf and ajwain: fennel is green, sweet and larger. Ajwain is tiny, grey-brown and sharp.
- Badi and chhoti elaichi: green cardamom is for sweets and tea. Black cardamom is smoky and only for savoury dishes.
Keeping spices fresh
- Buy whole spices and grind small amounts. Ground spices lose their smell within a few months.
- Store in airtight jars away from the stove and sunlight.
- Roast whole spices on low heat for a minute before grinding to bring the aroma out.
Questions people ask
What is ajwain called in English?
Carom seeds. You may also see the names bishop's weed or ajowan.
What is kalonji in English?
Nigella seeds.
What is the Hindi name of asafoetida?
Hing. It is sold as a powder mixed with flour, or as a stronger solid lump.
What is javitri?
Mace, the red lacy covering around the nutmeg (jaiphal) seed.
More kitchen help
- Cups to gramsAtta, maida, sugar, rice, ghee and more, by ingredient.
- MeasuresTeaspoon, tablespoon, cup, ml, katori, pav, tola and seer.
- Oven temperaturesCelsius, Fahrenheit and gas mark, with fan oven settings.
- SubstitutesWhat to use when an ingredient is missing.
- Cooking timesPressure cooker minutes for dals, beans and rice.
- How much to cookRice, dal, atta and vegetables for any number of people.
- Food storageHow long food keeps in the fridge and the freezer.
- Dal and grain namesDals, flours and millets in English and Hindi.
- Vegetable namesTori, tinda, parwal: English and Hindi names with season.