glossary

amchur (dry mango powder) A souring agent widely used in North India. It is derived from powdered sun-dried green mangoes. Used primarily to sprinkle on chaat and tandoori preparations.

asafetida (hing) A highly aromatic spice derived from the root of the ferula asafetida plant. It is primarily imported from Iran. Although very pungent in its raw form, adding it to hot oil gives a rich onion-like flavor to dishes. In Hindu cooking, garlic and asafetida are not used together as they provide similar flavors. Asafetida is also used for its medicinal properties as it aids digestion. It is generally used in its powdered form and is available from Indian grocery stores in little containers.

atta flour A high-gluten flour used to make unleavened Indian breads such as chapati, puri, naan, and paratha. It’s available at Indian grocery stores.

black chickpeas (kala chana) Also known as bengal gram, these are a variety of lentil. Unlike regular chickpeas, these are dark brown in color, smaller in size, and harder. They need to be soaked overnight before cooking. Chana dal is made from black chickpeas by removing the skins and splitting them in half.

black cumin seeds (jeera) Cumin comes from the same family as fennel, caraway, and aniseed. It is used whole and in powdered form. It’s a delicate spice and will turn bitter if cooked for more than a minute. It is used to temper dry vegetarian dishes and pullaos.

cardamom, black & green Green cardamom is sourced mainly from South India and Sri Lanka. It is used whole and in powdered form. It is also one of the main ingredients in a garam masala. Crushed cardamom seeds are also used in sweet dishes. Black cardamom is grown in the Himalayan foothills. It is bigger than its green counterpart and has an earthy/woody flavor. It is used in garam masalas, too, and also in pullaos in North Indian cooking.

carom seeds (ajwain) Carom seeds come from the same family of plants as coriander, cumin, and fennel. It is also known as bishop’s weed, caraway seeds, or thymol seeds. It is usually used in its seed form, as a flavoring agent in batters and as a part of tempering (tadka). It has a strong flavor and is therefore used in small quantities. Ayurvedics claim it aids digestion and helps to control nausea.

cassia bark Also referred to as Chinese cinnamon, it is an aromatic bark closely related to cinnamon. It is harder than cinnamon and has a darker woody look. It’s used in either powdered form or whole, and forms part of garam masalas.

chana dal This is a derivative of the black chickpea where the skin has been removed and the kernel has been split in half. It looks like yellow split peas but is different as it does not readily boil down and collapse like the yellow split peas. It is available at Indian grocery stores.

charoli (chironji) Known as chironji in Hindi, it is the soft seed center of a bush cultivated in northwest India. It is primarily used in sweets and as a thickening agent for gravies. It has a sweet flavor.

chili powder, kashmiri, red & yellow Chili is an integral part of all Indian cuisines. There are a variety of chilies and chili powders based on regions, and their use is dictated by their characteristics. The Kashmiri chili is a dark-colored and mild-flavored chili. It imparts a deep red color when used in dishes and is medium hot. It is similar to paprika, but it has more heat. The red chili is the most commonly used chili powder. It provides a strong, biting heat. Add it in small quantities. You can always add a little more later. The yellow chili is primarily used in Northern/Mughlai cuisine. It is used for its yellow color to give a rich golden look to dishes and strong heat.

coconut Coconut is a widely used ingredient in Southern Indian cooking. It is used in a multitude of forms such as: shredded, oil, milk, cream, and paste. It has a sweet flavor and is a good binding agent for some dishes. Freshly grated coconut is the white pulp of a coconut. It is available at Indian grocery stores frozen in packets. Most other forms are readily available in supermarkets.

curry leaves Curry leaves are an important aromatic ingredient in Southern Indian dishes. They can be used fresh or dried, though the fresh leaves are more flavorful. They do not keep well under refrigeration and have a short shelf life. They are usually added to hot oil to release their flavor. They are used for garnishes and tempering.

dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) Known as kasuri methi in Hindi, these are the dried leaves of the fenugreek plant. They have a bitter taste and are used in small quantities. They are readily available at Indian grocery stores.

dried kashmiri red chilies see chili powder, kashimiri, red & yellow

drumstick The muringa kai (in Tamil) is the long, slender green seed pod of the drumstick tree. It is used widely in Southern Indian dishes. It is very fibrous and has a hard outer skin. It needs to be chopped into segments about 2–3¼ inches (5–8 cm) because the inside of the pod is what we need to cook. The outer shell is not eaten, but is chewed to get to the soft seed and flesh inside. It must be well cooked in sauces. It is readily available at Indian grocery stores fresh, cut, frozen, and canned.

garam masala The word garam, meaning “heat,” relates to the intensity of spice, and masala means a combination of different spices. So garam masala refers to a blend of spices, and can be either whole or powdered. All Indian households would use a garam masala, but the ingredients differ according to recipe requirements and personal choice. A typical Indian garam masala contains black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom.

ghee This is clarified butter, readily available in Indian stores. Ghee features prominently in Punjabi cuisine, where it is used to give richness to food. Most Indian sweets are made with ghee. It has a long shelf life and does not need refrigeration.

gingili (unscented sesame oil) This is a vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Unlike sesame seed oil used in southeastern cuisines, this one has no scent. It is called nalla ennai (in Tamil), meaning “good oil.”

iddiappam flour Iddiappam is a traditional culinary specialty of South India consisting of rice flour pressed into noodle form, shaped into round cakes, and then steamed. Hand-pounded rice flour is used to make iddiappam. Both white and brown rice flour are used. These are available in South Indian or Sri Lankan grocery stores.

kewra water (pandanus water) This is an extract distilled from pandanus flowers. It is a clear liquid, similar to rosewater, and can be used in meat dishes, rice biriyanis, and sweets. It is a strong flavoring, so care must be taken when adding it to preparations. It stores well for up to a year at room temperature and longer if refrigerated. Care must be taken that the cap is sealed well, as the strong scent can be hard to eradicate from other things.

kithul jaggery This is the natural palm sugar of Sri Lanka. It’s a dark brown jaggery. It is used as a natural alternative to processed sugar as it is all natural, and free of preservatives and chemicals. It is made from the sap of the young kithul palm. Available in Sri Lankan grocery stores.

kokam A member of the mangosteen family, the kokam bears a purple colored fruit that is used as a souring agent in western coastal cooking. The outer cover of the fruit is sun-dried, and that is used in cooking. It gives a sour taste and a darkish purple color to the dish. The flavor profile is similar to tamarind, which is used more in South India.

moong dal (green gram) These are whole green mung beans. These need to be soaked in water before they can be cooked into a dal. This bean is also skinned and split in half to reveal a pale yellow color, and it is used for making pancake batter and yellow-hued dals.

mustard oil This is a fatty vegetable oil used predominantly in Northern Indian cooking. It has a strong, pungent odor and is therefore heated almost to smoking point before cooking in order to reduce the smell and taste. It can be produced from both black mustard and white mustard seeds. Ayurvedics consider it to assist hair regeneration, and improve skin texture and vision.

nigella seeds (onion seeds/kalonji) These are small black seeds used in Indian cooking as a mild substitute for pepper. These seeds have very little smell but release their flavor when heated. Nigella seeds are also one of the five ingredients in panch phoran masala (see below). These are not related to onions at all, but the name seems to have stuck from a perception of its onion-like smell.

palm vinegar This is a white, cloudy vinegar made from the fermented sap of the palm flower. It can be used as a substitute for toddy vinegar.

panch phoran masala Literally translated to “five spices,” it is a mix of whole spices used in Eastern Indian cooking. The five spices are: fennel, mustard, nigella, fenugreek, and cumin seeds in equal proportions. Fenugreek seeds may be reduced to avoid a bitter taste. Panch phoran masala is usually used whole, not powdered.

paneer This is a fresh cottage cheese made from curdling heated milk by adding lemon juice or vinegar. The curdled milk is then hung in muslin (cheesecloth) and the excess water content (the whey) is drained out of the cheese. The curds can then be pressed into blocks or left in their scrambled form. It’s available in the refrigerated section of Indian grocery stores.

paratha This is a generic term for an Indian flatbread made from wholemeal atta or plain flour. There are many types of parathas with different textures or fillings.

roti A staple unleavened Indian bread made from wholemeal atta, usually cooked on a hotplate or griddle.

tamarind, pulp, concentrate & water Tamarind is the pod-like fruit of the tamarind tree. The pulp of the ripened brown pod is extracted for cooking. It is used extensively across India to add a sour and piquant taste to dishes. The pulp is available in Indian stores as a block. This needs to be loosened in hot water to make a thick mixture that is then strained and the resulting “tamarind water” is used in cooking. Indian grocery stores also sell tamarind concentrate, which is basically a ready-made, more concentrated version of the pulp prepared as above.

tempering This is the process by which spices are added to heated oil in order to release their individual flavors. It can be done either at the beginning of a dish or added onto a cooked preparation at the end.

toddy vinegar The toddy vinegar of Goa dates back to the influx of the Portuguese settlers, who introduced fermented palm wine, called toddy. The Christians in Goa use this toddy to make vinegar, which is used in meat and fish dishes as a souring agent. It should be added in the final stages of cooking, as it will turn bitter if cooked for long. It is not readily available outside of Goa, so it may be substituted with either palm or malt vinegar.

toor dal (yellow lentils) These are yellow split peas and are used in the preparation of the popular South Indian dish sambar. These are high-protein pulses, which are used heavily across India, predominantly in a vegetarian diet. These cook easily and do not require extended soaking.

urad dal (black lentils, black gram) Whole urad dal is a black-skinned pulse that is used to make the popular dal makhni. The whole urad needs to be soaked overnight and then slow-cooked extensively to achieve a rich creamy flavor. In South India, the urad dal is dehulled and split to be used in batters for dosas and idlis. It is also used in the tempering of dishes, as it gives a nutty and crunchy texture.

white poppy seeds Also known as khuskhus, these are used primarily as a thickening agent in Mughlai dishes. The seeds are soaked in water and then ground to a smooth paste.