Spices are the backbone of Indian cuisine. Indian food relies on the addition of a few spices or many spices. These are added sparingly to the food while cooking. Below you will find a list or glossary of spices with their English names and in some more Indian languages.
Not only the spices, add a ton of flavor to the dish, but some of the spices like cumin, carom seeds, fennel seeds help in digestion.
A few spices like green chillies or red chili powder add some pungency and heat to the dish.
Depending on the recipe, the spices are added whole or in their powdered/ground form to the food.
List of Spices Names
| English | Hindi | Tamil | Kannada | Marathi | Konkani | Gujarati |
| Aniseeds, fennel seeds | Saunf | Sombu | Badishop | Variyali | ||
| Asafoetida | Hing | Perumkayam, perungaya | Hingu | Hing | Hingu | Hing |
| Basil seeds, sweet basil | Sabja seeds, subja, falooda seeds, tukmaria | Sabja seeds | Tukmariya | |||
| Bay Leaf | Indian tej patta, tamalpatra | Brinji elai | Tamal patra | |||
| Big mustard seeds | Sarson | Sarsav | ||||
| Black cardamom | Badi elaichi | Periya elakkai | Elcho | |||
| Black cumin seeds | Kala jeera | Karung seeragam | ||||
| Black mustard seeds | Rai | Kadughu | Rai | |||
| Black pepper | Kali mirch | Milagu | Menasinkalu | Kali miri | Mari | |
| Black salt | Kala namak | Sanchal | ||||
| Caraway seeds | Shahjeera | Perum seeragam | Shahjeera | |||
| Carom seeds, Thymol seeds, Bishops weed | Ajwain | Omam | Owa | Owa | Wonwo | Ajmo |
| Chilli powder | Lal mirch powder | Milagai tool | Marchu powder | |||
| Cinnamon | Dalchini | Lavanga pattai, pattai | Dalchini | Dalchini | Dalchini | Taja |
| Clarified butter | Ghee | Nei | Ghee | |||
| Cloves | Laung, lavang | Krambu | Laving | |||
| Coconut desiccated | Sukha nariyal ka choora/boora | Thuruvina thengai | Topranu khaman | |||
| Coconut dry | Sukha nariyal | Ularndha thengai | Copra | Copra, khopru | ||
| Coconut fresh | Nariyal | Thengai | Chobra | Khopru, topru | ||
| Coriander powder | Dhania powder | Dhaniya podi | Dhane pood | |||
| Coriander seeds | Sabut dhania | Kottumalli Vidai, dhaniya | Dhane | Kothmir na dana | ||
| Coriander, cilantro | Dhaniya, dhania | Kothamalli ilai | Kothmari/kothmir | |||
| Cumin seeds | Jeera | Jeerakam | Jeeru | |||
| Curry leaves | Kari patta, kadipatha | Karuveppilai | Limda, mitho limbdo | |||
| Dry fenugreek leaves | Kasoori methi | Kaaindha vendhaya ilaigal | ||||
| Dry ginger | Saunth, sounth, soonth | Sukku | Sunthi | Sunth | Sunthi | Sunth |
| Dry mango powder | Amchur | Mangai podi | Mavinkai Churu | Ambyacha Chur | Amchur | Amchur |
| Fenugreek seeds | Methi ke dane | Menthiyam, Vendhayam | Methya dane | Methi dana | ||
| Fenugreek Leaves | Methi | Vendhaya Keerai | ||||
| Garlic | Lasan, lahsun, lahsan | Poondu | Lasun | Lasan | ||
| Fresh ginger | Adrak, adhrak | Inji | Ala | Adu | ||
| Dry ginger | Saunth, sonth | Sukku | Sunth | Sunth | ||
| Green cardamom | Hari elaichi, choti elaichi | Elakkai | Veldoda. Velchi | Elchi | ||
| Green chilli | Hari mirch | Pachai milagai | Hirvi mirchi | Chidiya marcha/lilu marchu | ||
| Ground nut, peanuts | Moongphalli, mungphali | Nila kadalei | Sheng dane | Shing | ||
| Holy basil | Tulsi | Tulasi | Tulas | Tulsi | ||
| Jaggery | Gur | Vellam | Bella | Gul | God | Gol |
| Palm jaggery | Tara gura, sharkara tada | Pana vellam | ||||
| Lime | Nimboo, nimbu | Elumichai | Limbu | Limbu | ||
| Cocum, kokum | Bhirinda, bhirnda | Kokam, aamsul | ||||
| Lime peel | Nimbu ka chilka | Elumichai thol | ||||
| Mace | Jayitri, javitri, javntry | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Jaipatri | Javintri |
| Mint | Pudina, podina | Pudina, pudhina | Pudina | Phudino | ||
| Nutmeg | Jaiphal | Jhadhikkai | Jaiphal | Jaiphal | ||
| Onion seeds, Nigella | Kalonji, kalaungi | Kalonji | Kalonji | |||
| Pine nuts | Chilgoze, nioze | |||||
| Dry pomegranate seeds | Anardana | Kaaindha maadhulai vidhaigal | Dadum na dana | |||
| Poppy seeds | Khus khus | Khasa khasa | Khas | Khas khas | ||
| Raisins | Kismish | Kaindha dratchai / ularndha dratchai | Bedane | Suki draksh | ||
| Red chilli | Lal mirch | Milakai Vatral | Lal mirchi | |||
| Rock salt | Sendha namak | Kal uppu | Sendhe laun | Sindhalu Mithu | ||
| Rock flower, Stone flower | Pathar phool | Kalpaasi | Dagad phool | |||
| Salt | Namak | Uppu | Meeth | Mithu | ||
| Sesame seeds | Til | Ellu | Til | Tul | ||
| Saffron | Kunkuma, kesar, zafran | Kumkumappu | Keshar | Kesar | ||
| Screwpine, pandanus | Kewra | Rambai ilaigal | ||||
| Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper | Timur, tirphal, tephal, teppal | |||||
| Star anise | Chakriphool | Lavanga poo | ||||
| Sultanas | Munakka | |||||
| Tamarind | Imli | Puli | Chincha | |||
| Turmeric | Haldi | Manjal | Halad | |||
| Vetiver | Khus | |||||
| Vinegar | Sirka | |||||
| water melon seeds | Tarbuj ke beej | Tharboosani vidhaigal |
Note – if you know the name of any spices in any regional Indian language and want to update it in this post… Then do leave it in the comment section and we will update the post. If we have missed any spices, then also you can let us know. Thanks in advance.
Many thanks to all readers who shared the name of spices in regional languages with us through emails and the comments below.
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how do you know this many
its awesome
That is because we use all these spices in Indian cuisine.
What is oregano in hindi?
There is no hindi name for oregano.
What is the English name of a masala ” Sund”
Dry ginger in root form and in powdered form it is dry ginger powder or ground ginger.
U dont remind sonf
It is listed and is the first spice in the table – named as saunf.