Indian Spices List

When you talk about our traditional food, the first thing that comes in mind is the variety of Indian spices.

There are so many types of spices available in India that it’s difficult to remember them all at once.

We use them in pretty much everything.

And that’s not the end!

We’ve also started using Indian spices in global cuisines.

For eg.,

Most of the Chinese food served in India today is nothing but the Indianized versions of Chinese delicacies.

Similarly, the chefs have transformed many continental dishes through different cooking techniques and traditional spices.

But I am not complaining here.

You probably won’t get so many choices of food in other countries or cultures.

And that’s the beauty of India!

However, if you are new to cooking or just starting your journey in the professional world, you might get confused with the spices and their uses in different cuisines.

Hence, I’m going to share a comprehensive list of Indian spices names and their uses in the following table.

So, let’s get started!

Indian Spices List

English Names	Hindi Names	Uses
Asafoetida	Hing	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Bay Leaf	Tej Patta	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Black Cardamom	Badi Elaichi	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Black Pepper	Kali Mirch	Mostly used in Masalas and Rice preparations
Caraway Seeds	Shahi Jeera	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Carom Seeds	Ajwain	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks
Cassia	Cassia/Dalchini	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Charoli Nuts	Chironji/Charoli	Used in Masalas and Sweets
Cinnamon	Dalchini	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Coriander Seeds	Dhaniya	Used in mix Masalas and Curries
Cloves	Laung	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Cubeb	Kabab Chini	Used in Masalas, Curries, and Medicines
Cumin	Jeera	Used in Spicy Indian Curries and Rice preparations
Curry Leaves	Kadipatta	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Dried Fenugreek Leaves	Kasuri Methi	Used in Curries
Dried Ginger	Soonth	Used in Medicines and Masalas
Dry Coconut	Sukha Kopra	Used in Masalas/Pastes
Dry Mango Powder	Amchoor	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Fennel Seeds	Saunf	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Flax Seeds	Alsi	Used in Juices and Salads
Ginger	Adrak	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Green Cardamom	Elaichi	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations, and Sweets
Ground Nuts	Singdana	Used in Curries, Chutneys and Sweets
Holy Basil	Tulsi	Used in Herbal Medicines, Ayurveda Medicines, and Masalas
Fenugreek Seeds	Methi Dana	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks
Four Seeds (Watermelon, Pumpkin, Almond and Cantaloupe)	Charmagaz	Used in Curries and Sweets
Garcinia Indica	Kokum	Used in Indian coastal curries and juices
Garlic	Lehsun	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Green Chilies	Hari Mirch	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Indian Gooseberry	Amla/Awla	Used in Curries, Medicines
Liquorice Sticks	Jethimadh	Used in Masalas and Medicines
Mace	Javitri	Used in Masalas, Rice preparations
Mesua Ferrea	Nagkesar	Used in Masalas
Mint	Pudina	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Mustard Seeds	Rai/Sarson	Used in Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Nigella Seeds	Kalonji	Used in Indian flatbreads, Curries, Snacks
Nutmeg	Jaiphal	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations, and Sweets
Pine Nuts	Chilgoze	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks
Pomegranate Seeds	Anaardana	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Poppy Seeds	Khas-khas	Used in Masalas
Raisins	Kishmish	Used in Curries, Rice preparations, and Sweets
Red Chilies	Lal Mirch	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Rock Salt	Kala Namak/Saindha Namak	Mostly used in Juices and Salads
Saffron	Kesar	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations, and Sweets
Sesame Seeds	Til	Used in Curries, Snacks, Indian flatbreads, Sweets
Sichuan Pepper	Teppal/Triphal	Used in Curries
Star Anise	Chakri Phool	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations
Stone Flower	Dagad Phool/Patthar Phool	Mostly used in Masalas
Tamarind	Imli	Used in Curries, Chutneys, Rice preparations
Turmeric	Haldi	Used in Masalas, Curries, Snacks, Rice preparations, and Sweets
Tea Leaf	Chai Patti	Used in Indian teas
White Pepper	Safed Mirch	Used in Masalas
White Vinegar	Sirka	Used in Curries and Indo-Chinese dishes

So, what’s your favorite spice? Do let me know in the comments section below.

Most Used Indian Masalas

Indian masalas (a blend of different whole spices) are quite popular in instant cooking as well as traditional cooking.

For those who don’t know, here are some of the most used Masalas in Indian kitchens –

1. Garam Masala
2. Sabzi Masala
3. Pav Bhaji Masala
4. Chole Masala
5. Chicken Masala (sometimes referred to as Sunday Masala)
6. Mutton Masala
7. Fish Curry Masala
8. Biryani Masala
9. Tandoori Masala
10. Chai Spices (Chai Masala)
    

Tips To Use Spices In Indian Cooking

There are certain spices that need to be used carefully.

If you use them excessively, you will have to run and find something sweet to eat.

And if you use them sparingly, you won’t get the taste and flavor in your dishes.

So, here are some of the tips that you can use to utilize the spices in your daily cooking –

1. Always follow the right recipe. Do not add spices by instinct or someone’s advice if you’ve just started experimenting in the kitchen.
2. Use fresh spices so that you can get the maximum flavor out of them.
3. Store the spices in an air-tight container. It will help them prevent from moisture as well as bugs.
4. Roast the spices before using them. If you’ve some extra time to prepare the recipe, you can dry-roast the spices on medium heat. It helps in releasing the spice flavors. Note: Do not roast them for long, as the spices may turn black and will taste bitter in your recipes.
5. Use Desi Ghee to balance the taste of overly spiced Biryanis and Curries.

Do you have any other tips for beginners? Share them in the comments section.