Spices are an essential part of Indian cuisine. One of the toughest challenges I had when I started cooking was shopping for spices. I would write my mom and grandma’s recipes down in excitement but once I got to the store I had to play the guessing game. You see, the issue was that I had the names of the spices memorized in Hindi/Urdu and I knew exactly what they looked like but I had no idea what some of their English names were. What was dal cheeni, hing, or saunf in English? More often than not, I would find myself calling my mom to see if she knew the translation or “googling” the spices Hindi name to get the English translation.

I created this page for a quick spice reference/glossary of English to Hindi/Urdu translation. I’ve tried to add the most common spices that I can think of but please let me know if you have any additions that may be helpful.

Indian Spice Glossary

English Name	Hindi/Urdu Name
Aniseed/Fennel Seeds	Saunf
Asafoetida	Hing
Bay Leaf	Tej Patta
Black Cardamom	Badi Elaichi
Black Cumin Seeds	Kala Jeera, Shahi Jeera
Black Mustard Seeds	Rai
Black Pepper	Kali Mirch
Black Salt	Kala Namak
Caraway Seeds	Shahi Jeera
Cardamom	Elaichi, Choti Elaichi
Carom Seeds, Oregano Seeds	Ajwain
Cinnamon	Dal-cheeni
Clove	Laung
Coriander Powder	Dhaniya Powder
Coriander Seeds	Sabut Dhaniya
Coriander, Cilantro (fresh)	Hara Dhaniya
Cumin Seeds	Jeera, Zeera
Curry Leaves	Kari Patta, Kadipatha
Fenugreek leaves (dried)	Kasoori Methi
Fenugreek Seeds	Methi Dana
Garcinia Indica	Kokum (dried)
Garlic	Lasan, Lahsun
Ginger	Adhrak
Holy Basil	Tulsi
Mace	Javitri
Mint	Pudina
Mustard Seeds	Sarson
Nigella	Kalonji
Nutmeg	Jaiphal
Pomegranate Seeds	Anar Dana
Poppy Seeds	Khus Khus
Red Chili Powder	Lal Mirch Powder, Mirchi Powder
Rock Salt, Himalayan Rock Salt	Sendha Namak
Saffron	Kesar
Salt	Namak
Sesame Seeds	Til
Star Anise	Anasphal
Sugar	Shakkar, Cheeni
Tamarind	Imli
Turmeric	Haldi
Unrefined Brown Sugar	Gur, Jaggery