Courtesy of Newscom
I know many people have trouble finding the right ingredient(s), since if you are English then you will have trouble finding the right ingredients in a Indian grocery store and if you are an Indian then you will have trouble finding the correct ingredient in an English grocery store! Since, the names of the ingredients and their usage are different in many ways.
Like you, I am no different so I have come with a solution to our problem and found out both the English and Indian names for several common ingredients:
| ENGLISH NAME | INDIAN NAME | WHAT IS IT? |
| Aniseed | Ajowan or Carum | Looks similar to celery seeds |
| Asafoetida | Hing | Has a strong flavour |
| Bay Leaf | Tej Patta | Comes from Cassia tree |
| Chickpea Flour | Besan | Made from skinned and ground chickpeas |
| Black Peppercorns | Kali Mirchi | Comes from fresh green berries |
| Cardamom | Elaichi | There are 2 different types which are green cardamom and black cardamom. |
| Chapatti Flour | Maki Atta | Fine whole wheat flour |
| Chillies | Mirchi | Careful which ones you use, my experience is the small ones are hotter! The larger the chilli then the more bland it is. |
| Dried Red Chillies | Lal Mirchi | Hot and spicy |
| Cinnamon | Dalchini | Has a warm flavour |
| Cloves | Lanvang | Has a distinctive flavour |
| Coconut | Nariyal | Used in sweet dishes |
| Coriander | Dhaniya | Used for flavouring |
| Curry Leaves | Kari Patta | Comes from Southern India, use for flavouring vegetables |
| Cumin | Jeera | Strong in flavour |
| Fennel Seeds | Saunf | Sometimes chewed as a breath freshener |
| Fenugreek | Kasoori Methi | Strong and aromatic herb |
| Fenugreek Seeds | Methi Dana | Cream coloured seeds |
| Garlic | Lasun | Beneficial in reducing the level of cholesterol in blood |
| Clarified Butter | Ghee | There are two different types Butter Ghee and Vegetable Ghee |
| Ginger | Adrak | Is said to be good for improving blood circulation |
| Mint | Pudina | Easy to grow |
| Mustard Seed | Sarsoon | There are 3 types black, brown and green |
| Nutmeg | Jaiphal | Has a dark brown shell |
| Onion | Pyaz | Used in just about everything in Indian cooking. It has a strong taste. |
| Cottage Cheese | Paneer | Cheese which withstands high temperature to keep its shape |
| Poppy Seeds | Khus Khus | Grown mainly in tropics |
| Sesame Seeds | Til | Have a rich and nutty flavour which is a nice snack food. |
| Tamarind | Imli | Used in most chutneys (sweet/ sour Indian sauces) |
| Turmeric | Haldi | Yellow in colour |
| Yoghurt | Dahi | Ingredient which can be made at home using milk. It has various flavourings! |
Let me know if you know any more ingredients with both their English and Indian name!
