Curry Spices

English name Hindi Notes Asafoetida Hing A powder that adds flavour and aids digestion, especially in dals. Cardamom Elaychi Known as 'the queen of spice', cardamon seeds come in various types: the most important being green and black. Cassia Dalchini Often confused with cinnamon by spice importers, this is a cheaper, more robust spice with a similarly sweet, perfumed flavour. Chilli Mirch With five species and 100s of varieties, chillies vary in size, colour and hear enormously. Generally, the smaller the chilli, the hotter it will be. Cinnamon Dalchini A staple of the rich, brown curries of Sri Lanka, this is the inner bark and so is far more fragile and delicate. Cloves Lavang The unopened bud of a tropical tree flower, the pungency is found at the head. Coriander Dhania Both the seed and the leaf are used in Indian cooking, the latter primarily as a garnish. Cumin Jeera/ Zira The roasted, ground seeds are a staple of curry powders and used in Texan chillis. Curry leaf Neem The small green aromatic neem leaves are highly-prized in south Indian cooking and as a medicine. Fennel Saunf The small green stripy seeds are sometimes called aniseed in India and have a similar, if milder, flavour. Fenugreek Methi The seed and the green clover-like leaf are used extensively in Punjabi cooking. The ground seed is an important curry powder flavouring. Palm sugar Jaggery The sap of tropical palm trees is fudge-like and often substituted by cheaper dried sugar-cane juice. Mace Javithri The outer covering of the nutmeg seed, with similar properties. Mango Amchur Dried mango – whether powdered or whole – is used in pickles and to give a sour (but slightly sweet) flavour to food. Mint Podina Only really used in some chutneys and in yoghurt as an accompaniment. Mustard seed Nigra Brown or black mustard seeds are most often used, especially in Bengali cooking. Nutmeg Jaiphal Mostly used in desserts and as an ingredient of garam masala. Paprika Deghi Murchi Bright red paprika, especially from Kashmir, adds a vibrancy and subtle flavour all its own. Pepper Mirch Used as the main source of pungency until chillies arrived from the Americas, pepper has a long tradition in pan-Indian cooking.

Pistachio Pista Mainly used in sweets and kulfis. Pomegranate seed Anardhana Add bitter and tangy properties to certain Moghul-style dishes. Tamarind Imli Like a less sweet date, tamarind juice is used to add a bitter flavour to dishes. I prefer to use tamarind extract for ease of use. Turmeric Haldi This pungent yellow root is admired equally for its digestive, antispectic and flavouring properties. Wild onion seed Nigella/ Kalonji Often misnamed as "black cumin", nigella does not even come from an onion but is used to flavour panch phoran and many Bengali dishes.