List of Indian spices

Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent (a sub-region of South Asia). With different climates in different parts of the country, India produces a variety of spices, many of which are native to the subcontinent, while others were imported from similar climates and have since been cultivated locally for centuries.

Indian spices

Spices are used in different forms: whole, chopped, ground, roasted, sautéed, fried, and as topping. They blend food to extract the nutrients and bind them in a palatable form. Some spices are added at the end as a flavouring and are typically heated in a pan with ghee or cooking oil before being added to a dish. Lighter spices are added last, and spices with strong flavour should be added first. "Curry" refers to any dish in Indian cuisine that contains several spices blended together, whether dry or with a gravy base. However, it also refers to Curry leaves, commonly used in South India.

Below is a list of spices and other flavouring substances commonly used in India.[1]

Image	Standard English	Hindi	Notes
	Alkanet Root	रातीं जोट rātīṃ (rātīn) joṭ
	Amchoor	आमचूर / अमचुर āmachūr/amachur	Dried green and unripe mango powder
	Asafoetida	हींग hiṃg (hing)	Intensely aromatic - flavor profile sometimes compared to that of truffles and garlic
	Black cardamom	काली इलायची kāli ilāyachī	Very earthy and darkly aromatic. Often used in North Indian curries.
	Black pepper	काली मिर्च kālī mirch	Largest producer is the southern Indian state of Kerala.
	Peppercorns	काली मिर्च kālī mirch
	Black cumin	शाही जीरा śāhī jīrā	Sweet, floral and smokey cumin and anise-like flavour. Smaller in size than regular cumin. Often mistaken as Caraway seed. Though English translation is black cumin, the term black cumin is also used as English translation of Nigella sativa, kalonji
	Capers	कचरा/कब्र/करेर kacharā/kabr/karer
	Capsicum	शिमला मिर्च śimalā mirch
	Celery / Radhuni seed	अज्मुद/अज्मोदा ajmud/ajmodā
	Charoli	चिरोंजी chiroṃjī (chironjī)	a type of nut particularly used in making desserts
	Chili pepper powder	लाल मिर्च lāl mirch
	Bay leaf, Indian bay leaf	तेज पत्ता tej pattā	Both Indian bay leaf and bay leaf are similar and called as Tej Patta in Hindi. However, they are from two different species and have differences in taste
	Cinnamon buds	नाग केशर nāg keśar
	Cinnamon	दालचीनी dālachīnī	Grown commercially in Kerala in southern India. Two types, cassia (common) and royal.
	Citric acid	निंबू फूल niṃbū phūl
	Cloves	लवंग/लौंग lavaṃg (lavang) / lauṃg (laung)	Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are largest producers in India.
	Coriander Powder	धनिया पाउडर / पिसा धनिया dhaniyā pāuḍar / pisā dhaniyā
	Coriander Seed	धनिया dhaniyā
	Cubeb	कबाब चीनी kabāb chīnī	Tastes of clove with added bitterness with a persistent mild numbing sensation
	Cumin seed	ज़ीरा zīrā (jīrā)	See Kali Jeera.
	Cumin seed ground into balls	ज़ीरा गोली zīrā (jīrā) golī
	Curry tree or sweet neem leaf	करीपत्ता / कढ़ीपत्ता karīpattā/kaḍhīpattā	Cannot retain flavour when dried. Only used fresh.
	Fennel seed	सौंफ / संचल sauṃph (saunph)/saṃchal (sanchal)
	Fenugreek leaf	कसूरी मेथी kasūrī methī or मेथी पत्ता methī pattā
	Fenugreek seed	मेथी दाना methī dānā
	Four seeds	तरबूज खरबूज ककडी पैंठे के बीज tarabūj kharabūj kakaḍī pauṃṭhe ke bīj	Seeds of watermelon, musk melon, cucumber and pumpkin
	Garcinia gummi-gutta		Used in fish preparations of Kerala
	Garam masala	गरम मसाला garam masālā	Blend of 8+ spices. Each family has their own secret recipe.
	Garcinia indica	कोकम kokam
	Garlic	लहसुन lahasun
	Ginger	अदरक adarak
	Dried ginger	सोंठ soṃṭh (sonṭh)	mostly powdered
	Green cardamom	छोटी इलाइची chhoṭī ilāichī	Malabar variety is native to Kerala.
	Green chili pepper	हरी मिर्च harī mirch
	Indian bedellium tree	गुगल/गु्ग्गल gugal/guggal	Very earthy aromatic mostly used in religious
	Indian gooseberry	आँवला āṃvalā
	Inknut	हरद harad
	Jakhya	जख्या	Tasteless and odorless when uncooked; Earthly and crunchy when crackled in oil.
	Kalpasi	पत्थर के फूल patthar ke phūl	Also known as black stone flower
	Licorice powder	जेठीमध jeṭhīmadh
	Long pepper	पिप्पलि pippali
	Mango Extract	कामिकी kāmikī
	Mustard seed	सरसों sarasoṃ
	Brown mustard Seed	राई rāī
	Nigella seed	कलोंजी kaloṃjī (kalomjī)
	Nutmeg	जैफल / जायफल jaiphal/jāyaphal	Whole nuts last forever. Powder, only a month.
	Mace	जावित्री jāvitrī	Mace is outer covering to nutmeg nut. Similar aroma.
	Panch phoron	पञ्च फोरन pañch phoran	This is a Bengali spice mix that combines fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds.
	Pomegranate seed	अनारदाना anārdānā	Dried and ground in the Middle East.
	Poppy seed	खस-खस khas-khas	Very popular in West Bengal known posto, with no of Bengali cuisine, most popular Allu Posto
	Saffron pulp	केसर मिरी मिरी kesar mirī mirī	Actually, safflower concentrate
	Saffron	केसर / जाफरान kesar/jāpharān	World's most expensive spice. Used for rice flavouring.
	Sesame seed	तिल til
	Star anise	चक्र फूल / बदल फुल chakra phūl/badal phul	Exotic, Chinese-influenced flavours
	Tamarind	इमली imalī	Provides tartness in South Indian curries
	Thymol/carom seed	अज़वाइन azvāin
	Turmeric	हल्दी haldī	Source of yellow color in many curries.
	Gum Tragacanth	कटीरा गोंद kaṭīrā goṃd (gond)	A thickener and coating for desserts
	White pepper	सफ़ेद मिर्च saphed mirch