Glossary

Being of Indian origin, I find that folks often visit Indian restaurants and grocery stores and then are unsure of what to buy because while the item may or may not look familiar, they often don't know what it's called in Hindi, or other Indian languages. Hopefully this glossary will help you some. It's a work in progress so if you see a term you don't know please post a comment below and I'll gladly interpret for you :)

* denotes items that may contain meat or dairy, non-dairy/meat versions may be available on this site.

Indian Term	English Translation	Type
Atta	Flour, typically Whole Wheat	FI
Baigan/Brinjal	Eggplant	V
Besan	Chickpea Flour	FI
Bhindi	Okra	V
Biryani	Savory Rice Dish, flavored with spices and vegetables (and meat!)	CP
Chai*	Tea, brewed with(out) Spices, typically contains Milk	CP
Chappati (or Roti)	Flat bread, made w Unleavened Flour, on a griddle	CP
Chawal	Rice	G
Chutney	Fresh or Preserved Relish, made with a variety of Herbs and Spices	CP
Coriander	Cilantro (Leaves or Seeds)	H/S
Curry	Sauce or Gravy, not a Spice-Mix	CP
Dal	Lentils	B
Dhania	Cilantro (Leaves or Seeds)	H/S
Ghee	Clarified Butter	C
Jeera	Cumin (Seeds)	H/S
Kabab	Marinated Meats or Vegetables, skewered and grilled in a Clay Oven	CP
Kheer*	Rice Pudding, flavored with cardamom or saffron, may contain raisins and nuts	CP
Kulfi*	Home-made Ice Cream, flavored with cardamom/saffron/pistachios, may contain nuts	CP
Lassi*	Yogurt Drink, savory or sweet; may be flavored with mangos/saffron/pistachios (sweet) or roasted cumin (savory)	CP
Masala	Any Spice or Spice Mix	FI
Mutter	Peas	V
Palak	Spinach	V
Papad or Pappadum	Thin, Chip-like wafer; made with lentils, potatoes etc. Served at most Indian restaurants (instead of bread), with Chutney, before a meal.	CP
Paneer*	Fresh Cheese, made by separating curds from whey	FI
Naan	Flat bread, made w Leavened Flour, in a Clay Oven (Tandoor)	CP
Roti (or Chappati)	Flat bread, made w Unleavened Flour, on a griddle	CP
Saag	Any green leafy vegetable	V, CP
Tandoor	A Clay Oven	KI

Abbreviations: B: Beans; C: Condiments; CP: Culinary Preparation; F: Fruit; G; Grain; H/S: Herbs/Spices; KI: Kitchen Implement; V: Vegetable;