When ever I read a recipe from a magazine, newspaper or online it get difficult to understand the recipe because I am used to the hindi words that my mom speaks in kitchen. Same thing happened today when i was looking for the recipe of Garlic Bread so, I decided to make a list of the translated words used in Indian kitchen.
It’s funny to accept that I don’t know English words (yes, i am ) for all Indian kitchen terms and hope it helps idiots like me out there 🙂
| Hindi | English Meaning |
| andaa | Egg |
| angoor | Grapes |
| anjaleekaa | Candied Peels |
| anjeer | fig |
| aadoo | Peach |
| aalobokhaaraa | Plum (Red) |
| aaloo | Potato |
| aam | Mango |
| aam adarak | Mango ginger |
| aamlaa | Indian gooseberry |
| aataa | Whole wheat flour |
| achaar | Pickle |
| adarak | Ginger |
| ajmodaa | Parsley |
| ajvaain | Carom seeds |
| akhroth | Walnuts |
| amarood | Guava |
| ambadaa | Roselle leaves |
| ambadee | Sorrel leaves |
| amchoor | Dried mango powder |
| amjoodaa kaa pattaa | Parsley |
| anaanaas | Pineapple |
| anaar | Pomegranate |
| anaaradaanaa | Pomegranate seeds |
| arahar kee daala | Red gram split |
| Aravee kaa pattaa | Colocassia leaves |
| banda gobhee | Cabbage |
| baadaama | Almonds |
| baajaraa | Millet |
| baajare kaa aaTaa | Millet Flour |
| baasmatee | Long Grain Rice |
| baDee ilaaichee | Black cardamom |
| baDee ilaaichee | Black Cardamoms |
| baDee sau.nf | Fennel seeds |
| baghaara | To temper oil with certain condiments |
| bai.ngana | Brinjal, eggplant, aubergine |
| belan | Rolling pin |
| bera | Green Berry |
| besana | Gram flour |
| besana boondee | Small fried savoury drops made from gramflour |
| bhe.n | Lotus stem |
| bhejaa | Sheep brain |
| bhinDee | Lady finger, okra |
| bhunaa chanaa | Roasted gram dal |
| biristaa | Onion sliced fine and fried crisp |
| buTTaa | Corn Cobs |
| Chaachi.ndaa | Snake gourd |
| Chaawala | Rice |
| Chaawala kaa aaTTaa | Rice flour |
| Chakalaa | Dough kneading plate (accompanies the belan) |
| Chakkee | Quern for grinding wheat into flour |
| Chaku.ndara | Beetroot |
| Chanaa | Bengal gram, whole |
| Chanaa daala | Bengal gram, split |
| Chaulee | White beans |
| Chaulee | String beans |
| Cheenee | Sugar |
| chha.ndee kaa varakh | Silver foil |
| chhaachh | Whey |
| Chhainaa | Curdled milk |
| Chhilkaa | Rind |
| Chhole | Black eyed beans |
| ChhoTee elaaichee | Green cardamom |
| chi.ngaree | Prawns |
| Chilgozaa | Pine Nuts |
| Chirau.njee | Charoli |
| ChiwaDaa | Pressed rice, Beaten rice |
| Chujora | Tender leaves & flowers of tamarind. |
| copra | Dry Coconut |
| daala | Lentil |
| daalacheenee | Cinnamon |
| dabala rotee | Bread |
| dahee | Curd/yogurt |
| daleeyaa | Bengal gram roasted, puffed,split |
| dama | Steaming |
| dekchee | Vessel with a wide mouth |
| dhaneeyaa | coriander/cilantro |
| dhaniaa | Coriander |
| dhulee moo.nga daala | Split Green Gram |
| doodha | Milk |
| fiTkaree | Alum |
| fool gobhee | Cauliflower |
| foole chane | Roasted gram |
| foolee haree chaawalee | Sprouted beans |
| ful makhaana | Lotus seeds,puff up while roasting |
| gaajara | Carrots |
| Garam masaalaa | A powdered mixture of Nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, cumin & cloves |
| gehoo.n | Wheat |
| ghaee | Clarified butter |
| ghaee | Marrow |
| gheeaa | White pumpkin/bottlegourd |
| gobaro | Rock cod |
| gosht | Mutton |
| gulaab | Rose |
| gulaaba jal | Rose water |
| gura | Jaggery |
| guvar | Cluster beans |
| haldee | Turmeric |
| haraa dhaneeyaa | Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves |
| haraa pyaaza | Spring onions |
| haree Methee | Fenugreek Leaves |
| haree mirch | Green pepper/chilli |
| hatteechak | Artichoke |
| heeng | Asafoetida |
| heenaa | Lawsonia inermis (also called mignonette tree) |
| ilaaichee | Cardamoms |
| imlee | Tamarind |
| jaitoon | Olives |
| jardaaloo | Apricots |
| jaun | Barley |
| javintaree | Mace |
| jayaphala | Nutmeg |
| jeeraa | Cumin seeds |
| jhingaa | Prawns |
| juvaar | Milo/millet |
| juvaar kaa aaTTaa | Barley Flour |
| kand | Yam |
| kandaa | Onion |
| kaabulee chanaa | Chick peas |
| kaajoo | Cashewnuts |
| kaalaa chanaa | Black gram |
| kaalaa namak | Black pepper |
| kaalaa namak | Rock Salt |
| kaalee ilaaichee | Black Cardamoms |
| kaalee mirchee | Black peppercorns |
| kachchaa aam | Green mango/raw mango |
| Kachchaa kelaa | Green banana/plantation or raw banana |
| kaDaahee | Wide concave utensil used for frying |
| kaddoo | pumpkin |
| kadeeaa | A deep frying pan |
| kalau.njee | Onion seeds |
| kalwaa | Oysters |
| kamal kakDee | Lotus stem |
| Karee pattaa | Curry leaves |
| karelaa | Bitter gourd |
| KaTahal | Jackfruit |
| kaToree | A small bowl |
| kaun | Raw mango |
| keemaa | Minced meat |
| kekaDaa | Crabs |
| kelaa | Banana |
| keree | Raw Mango |
| kesar | Saffron |
| KewaDaa | essence/flavor added to desserts for fragrance |
| khajoor | Dates |
| khameer | Yeast |
| kharaboojaa | Cantalopue/musk melon |
| khas khas | Poppy seeds |
| khattee | Sour |
| kheeraa | Cucumber |
| khopara | Dry coconut |
| khoyaa | Dried residue of boiled milk |
| khumba | Mushroom |
| khurmaanee | Apricot |
| kismish | Raisins |
| Kofta | Meat or veg balls |
| Koondru / Tendli | Gherkins |
| kothameer | Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves |
| kuaar gandhal | Aloe |
| kukuramuttaa | Mushroom |
| kultee | Horse Gram |
| Kurmura | Rice puffed |
| Kushka | Cooked rice |
| laal mirachee | Red chillies |
| lahasun | Garlic |
| lassee | Buttermilk |
| laung | Cloves |
| laukee | White pumpkin/bottlegourd |
| lavaa.ng | Cloves |
| linmboo | Sour lime |
| lobiaa | Black eyed beans |
| mankyo | Squids |
| maavaa | Dried residue of boiled milk |
| machchee | Fish |
| machchlee | Fish |
| maDuaa | Ragi |
| maidaa | Flour |
| makhaana | Lotus seeds (puff up while roasting) |
| makhkhan | Butter |
| makkaee | Corn/Maize |
| makkaee Kaa aatta | Corn flour |
| makkee | Corn/Maize |
| malaaee | Clotted cream |
| masoor dal | Lentil |
| math | Brown color lentil |
| maththaa | Buttermilk |
| matkee | Brown color lentil, a pot |
| mattar | Peas |
| meethaa | Sweet |
| nimboo | Lemon |
| mehndee | Lawsonia inermis (also called mignonette tree) |
| methee | Fenugreek |
| methee daanaa | Fenugreek seeds |
| mevaa | mixture of dry fruits |
| mirachee | Hot pepper/Chilies |
| moong | Green color lentil |
| moong daal | Green color lentil |
| moong falee | Groundnuts/peanuts |
| moolee | Radish |
| moolee kaa saag | Radish leaves |
| moree | Shark |
| moTee ilaaichee | Black Cardamoms |
| mumurae | Puffed Rice |
| murg | Chicken |
| musa.mbee | Sweet lime |
| naara.ngee | Orange |
| naareeyal | Coconut |
| naashpatee | Pear |
| naaspatee | Pear |
| namak | Salt |
| nee.mboo | Lemon |
| neem | Margosa |
| ni.mboo | Lemon |
| ni.mbooDaa | Lemon |
| pa.mpleT | Pomfret |
| paalak | Spinach |
| paapadhar | Sodium benzoate |
| paapidi | Broad beans |
| paneer | Indian cheese |
| paneera | Curdled milk |
| papeetaa | Papaya |
| paraat | Wide shallow plate upturned sloping edges |
| pateelaa | Cooking pots for boiling water or milk |
| pattaa bhaajee | Leafy Vegetables |
| pattaa gobhee | Cabbage |
| peThaa | Ashgourd |
| phanas | Jackfruit |
| phraa.ns beena | French beans |
| pissi Shakkar | Castor Sugar |
| pistaa | Pistachios |
| pohaa | Rice pressed |
| pudeenaa | Mint |
| pyaaz | Onion |
| raaee | Mustard seeds |
| raajamaah | Kidney bean |
| rane | Red snapper |
| rataaloo | Yam |
| ravaa | Semolina |
| rawas | Indian salmon(fish) |
| sa.nchal | Black pepper |
| sa.ngtam | Catfish |
| sa.ntaraa | Orange |
| saaboodaanaa | Sago |
| saabut masaalaa | Whole condiments |
| Saagodaanaa | Sago |
| sabut moo.ng daal | Whole Green Gram |
| safed jeeraa | White Cumin Seeds |
| sahijaa.n | Drumstick |
| salaad bhaajee | Lettuce |
| saraso.n | Green mustard |
| sares | Gelatin |
| sarso.n kaa tel | Mustard oil |
| sau.nfa | Aniseed |
| saugee | Raisins |
| seb | Apple |
| seekh | skewer |
| seetaafal | Custard apple |
| sem | Beans |
| sem | Runner beans |
| sem falee | Beans |
| sevaee | Vermicelli |
| shaah jeeroo | Caraway seed |
| shaahee | Royal |
| shahad | Honey |
| shakkar | Sugar |
| shakkarka.nd | Sweet potato |
| shakkarka.ndee | Sweet potato |
| shakkartetee | Sugar melon |
| shalgam | Turnip |
| sheeraa | Sugar syrup |
| shevto | Mullet |
| shi.mlaa mirch | Capsicum/bell pepper |
| shi.ngaaDaa | Water chestnut |
| shimlaa aaloo | Tapioca |
| shorbaa | Stock/soup |
| sin.daa namak | Rock Salt |
| sirkaa | Vinegar |
| so.nTh | ginger, dry |
| soDaa | Baking powder |
| soojee | Semolina |
| sookhaa dhaneeaa | Dry coriander/cilantro seeds |
| sooran | Yam |
| surmaee | Kingfish |
| suwaa | Anise, golden brown aromatic seed |
| suwaa bhaajee | Dill |
| Ta.ndoor | Traditional clay oven |
| taDakaa | Tempering |
| TamaaTar | Tomato |
| tarabooja | Watermelon |
| tarbooz | Watermelon |
| tavaa | Griddle plate used for indirect grilling |
| te.nDlee | A vegetable of the size of gerkins |
| tejapattaa | Bay leaves |
| tel | Oil |
| thaalee | Wide plate used for eating serving |
| ti.nDolaa | A vegetable of the size of gerkins |
| til | Sesame seeds |
| til kaa tel | Sesame oil |
| tisario | Clams |
| to.nDlee | A vegetable of the size of gerkins |
| toor | Pigeon peas |
| toor daal | Red gram split |
| toree | zucchini/Ridge gourd |
| trinbadaree | Strawberry |
| tulsee | Basil |
| turaee | zucchini/Ridge gourd |
| urad | Black gram |
| urad daal | Black gram, split |
| val | Field beans |
| vanaspatee | Vegetable Oil |
| varakh | Silver foil |
| zameen khanD | Yam elephant |
| zetoon | Olive |
| Zetoon Ka Tel | Olive Oil |
