South Asian and Gulf cooking glossary

Plain-English explanations of the words recipes assume you know: tadka, dum, bhunna, masala and the pantry items behind them. Each page links to dishes in our recipe library that use the term, and to a related post. Where a term has names in Urdu, Hindi, Bangla or Arabic, we list only the spellings we are sure of.

• TadkaHot fat and whole spices, poured over the finished pot.
• DumFinishing food in a sealed pot on the lowest heat.
• BhunnaFrying the masala base down until the oil shows at the edges.
• MasalaA spice mix, a cooked spice base, or part of a dish name.
• DaalSplit pulses, and the soupy dish made from them.
• Garam masalaA ground finishing blend, added late and tasted often.
• Chaat masalaA tangy, salty blend sprinkled over chaat, fruit and snacks.
• GheeButter cooked down to clear golden fat with a nutty aroma.
• AttaFinely milled whole wheat flour for roti, paratha and puri.
• Basmati riceLong, aromatic rice for biryani, pulao and kabsa.
• Sella riceParboiled basmati whose grains stay firm and separate.
• KhoyaMilk cooked down to dense, crumbly solids for sweets.
• PaneerFresh, firm cheese that keeps its shape in curry and on the grill.
• Mustard oilA sharp, pungent oil central to Bengali cooking.
• ZeeraCumin seeds: the first spice in many tadkas and blends.
• KarahiA deep wok-like pan, and the fast high-heat curry cooked in it.
• TawaThe flat griddle for roti, paratha and dosa.
• YakhniA mild whole-spice meat stock that the rice is cooked in.
• KalonjiTiny black teardrop seeds for tadkas, batters and bhujias.
• TamarindSticky sour pulp for rasam, chutneys and pani puri water.
• Curry leavesSmall glossy leaves fried in hot oil for a nutty, citrusy note.
• Ginger-garlic pasteCrushed ginger and garlic, the first flavour layer in many curries.
• JaggeryUnrefined block sugar with a caramel, molasses note.
• Methi (fenugreek)Fenugreek in three forms: small seeds, fresh leaves and dried leaves.
• Haldi (turmeric)The yellow base powder of everyday daal, curry and fish dishes.
• Dhania (coriander)Coriander as fresh leaves, ground seed or whole seed.
• Hari mirch (green chilli)Fresh green chilli, used whole, slit, chopped or blended.
• Lal mirch (red chilli)Red chilli as ground powder or whole dried pods.
• Ajwain (carom seeds)Tiny seeds with a sharp, thyme-like smell, used in dough and batter.
• Saunf (fennel seeds)Sweet, anise-scented seeds used whole, ground or roasted.
• Elaichi (cardamom)Fragrant green pods used in chai, pulao and sweets.
• Dalchini (cinnamon)Cinnamon bark, used as a whole stick in savoury and sweet dishes.
• Tej patta (bay leaf)A dried leaf added whole to hot fat or liquid, then removed.
• Laung (cloves)Dried flower buds with a strong, warm smell, used by the pinch.
• Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)Dried fenugreek leaves, crushed and added at the end for aroma.
• Besan (gram flour)Flour ground from split chickpeas, used for batters, kadhi and binding.
• Maida (refined wheat flour)Fine white wheat flour for puri, naan, pastry and snack doughs.
• Sooji (semolina)Coarse wheat semolina, roasted for upma and halwa or kneaded into puri dough.
• Dahi marinadeSpiced yogurt that seasons and softens meat or paneer before grilling.
• Kewra waterA floral essence sprinkled in tiny amounts over biryani and sweets.

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