Common Ingredients

Here is a list of commonly used ingredients in an Indian kitchen. If you do not cook Indian food everyday, remember to buy small packets of spices, lentils and pulses etc. It may be an idea to share the spice packets with your friends as they tend to lose their flavour with age.

• Asafoetida powder (Heeng/Hing Pisi Hui)
• Bay leaf (Tej-patta)
• Black cardamoms (Badi Illaichi/Kali Illaichi)
• Black mustard seeds (Rai)
• Carom seeds (Ajwain)
• Chapatti Flour (Atta)
• Chilli powder (Lal Mirch Pisi)
• Cinnamon sticks (Dalchini)
• Clarified butter (Ghee)
• Cloves (Laung/Lavang/Long)
• Cooking oil
• Coriander, ground (Dhania Pisa)
• Corainder seeds (Sabut Dhania)
• Cumin, ground (Pisa Jeera)
• Cumin, roasted & ground(Bhuna Pisa Jeera)
• Cumin seeds (Jeera Sabut)
• Curry leaves (Curry/Kari Patta)
• Dried whole chillies (Sookhi Lal Mirchi, Sabut)
• Fennel seeds (Sonf)
• Fenugreek leaves(Methi)
• Fenugreek leaves(Sookhi/Kasoori Methi)
• Garam masala (recipe)
• Gram flour (Besan)
• Green cardamoms (Choti Illaichi)
• Lentils & Pulses
  • Split Bengal Gram, without skin (Chana Dal Dhuli)
  • Split Black Gram, with skin (Urad Dal Chilka)
  • Split Black Gram, without skin (Urad Dal Dhuli)
  • Whole Black Gram (Sabut Urad/Urid
  • Split Green Gram Dal, with skin (Moong Dal Chilka)
  • Split Green Gram Dal, without skin (Moong Dal Dhuli)
  • Whole Green Gram (Sabut Moong)
  • White Chick peas (Chole/Kabuli Chana)
  • Black Chick peas (Kala Chana)
  • Kidney Beans (Rajma)
  • Split Pigeon Peas (Arhar Dal)
• Lemon juice
• Mace (Javitri)
• Mango powder(Amchoor)
• Nigella seeds (Kalaunji)
• Nutmeg (Jaiphal)
• Peppercorns (Kali Mirch Sabut)
• Rice(Chawal)
• Rosewater essence (Gulab Arak/Ras)
• Saffron strands (Kesar)
• Sweet paprika powder (Shimla Mirch/Meethi Mirch/Rang Wali Mirch)
• Tinned tomatoes
• Turmeric powder (Haldi Pisi)
• Vinegar