Glossary


Aachar Achaar, also known as South Asian pickles or Indian subcontinent pickles, are made from certain individual varieties of vegetables and fruits that are chopped into small pieces and cooked in edible oils like sesame oil or brine with many different Indian spices like asafoetida, red chili powder, turmeric, fenugreek, and plenty of salt. Some regions also specialize in pickling meats and fish. Vegetables can also be combined in pickles to make mixed vegetable pickle.
Appam Appam is a type of South Indian pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. It is a popular food in South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is also very popular in Sri Lanka where it is commonly referred to by its anglicized name as Hoppers. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner. It is called Chitau Pitha in Oriya, Paddu or Gulle Eriyappa in Kodava.
Avial Vegetable curry from the south of India. Vegetables commonly used in avial are elephant yam, plantain, pumpkin, carrots, beans, Brinjal,cucumber, drum sticks, snake gourd and avarai. Carrots, beans etc. are recent introduction, while the north Keralan Avial includes bitter gourd also. Some people prefer to skip curd or substitute it with raw mango or tamarind pulp. This dish can be made into a gravy or be made into a semi-solid side dish. It is generally eaten with rice.
Baghar or Tadka or Chounk This is a cooking technique and garnish used in the cuisines of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, in which whole spices (and sometimes also other ingredients such as minced ginger root or sugar) are fried briefly in oil or ghee to liberate essential oils from cells and thus enhance their flavours, before being poured, together with the oil, into a dish.
Barfi A dessert made from milk that has been cooked slowly and reduced to a fudge-like consistency. This sweet is flavored with either saffron, vanilla essence, cocoa, rose water, etc. Sometimes nuts and fresh coconut is added. Eaten and served in bite sized portions.
Basmati rice Basmati rice is authentic Indian long grained white rice, which has unique nutty flavor. Basmati rice is very popular in India and all over the world. A wide variety of rice dishes are made with Basmati rice.
Bharta A spicy vegetable dish, with a pulp like consistency. Originally a muslim dish which is served with a Khichadi or Pulao. A commonly made bharta is a baingan (eggplant) bharta.
Bhel Puri One of Bombay’s favorite snack’s. It is a mixture of puffed rice, sev, puri, lentils, finely chopped onions, chopped coriander topped with two kinds of chutneys; one is the sweet tamarind date chutney and the other is the spicy onion chili chutney.
Biryani Elaborate dish made from spiced saffron rice cooked with pieces of lamb, chicken or vegetables. It is usually made on special occasions since it takes a long time to make a biryani, but it is surely worth the effort. It always tastes better the next day so keep some by.
Bondas or Vadas Round deep fried savory snack made in different varieties usually from lentils, potatoes etc. eaten with a chutney.
Boti Kabab Marinated boneless cubes of meat cooked in a tandoor.
Chaat Salty snacks served with an array of sweet and spicy chutneys.
Chai Indian tea.
Chappati Unleavened Indian flat-bread made with wheat flour, water, oil and salt. Usually cooked on a tava or thick griddle and brushed with ghee.
Chaval Rice.
Chutney Fresh relishes made with fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Daal Daal is an Indian word, which includes dried peas, beans, and lentils which are red, yellow orange, or pink, plus split peas and other legumes. Daal can also be used to describe a soup like dish prepared with lentils. Daals are the primary source of protein in many parts of the world.
Dosa A popular delicacy from southern India made from rice and urad daal. They are usually made very thin and pancake-like and sometimes filled with a spiced potato mixture. Served with chutney and sambar.
Dum A way to steam foods in a pot with a tightly covered lid or a sealed pot. A popular spiced vegetable dish is Dum Aloo. In the olden days, the utensil was sealed with atta (dough) to capture the moisture within the food as it cooked slowly over a charcoal
Ekuri Indian version of scrambled eggs, which obviously means the addition of onions and spices. Delicious with a hot Paratha.
Feni The Goan drink made from cashews or coconut is the perfect beach drink. It was originally a very basic and local drink, much like toddy; recently it has been commercialized.
Gulab Jamun Deep-fried cake balls served with aromatic syrups.
Halva Indian sweet made from a variety of …….believe it or not… finely grated vegetables, milk, sugar and flavored with cardamom. The consistency is that of a thick pudding. Among the popular halvas are the Gajar Halva and Doodhi Halva.
Idli Steamed rice cakes. A very popular snack from the south of India. Generally eaten with sambar and chutney.
Jalebi These orange sweet crisp round whirls, made from plain flour and water deep fried and then dipped in sugar syrup make a favorite Indian dessert.
Kababs Marinated and spiced small pieces of any meat, poultry, fish, ground meat, vegetables, skewered and grilled in a tandoor/oven or over a grill. Kebabs can also be shallow fried over a pan.
Kachumber Indian salad usually made with cucumber, tomatoes, and onions flavored with salt, sugar and lemon juice. As it goes with any Indian dish the varieties can be endless.Top
Kalvan Curry in Marathi ( an Indian language from the state of Maharashtra)
Karanji Pastries made out of whole-wheat flour and filled with a cooked mixture of freshly grated coconut and sugar. It is a Maharashtrian delicacy.
Kheema Ground meat, raw or cooked.
Kheer Essentially a rice pudding, made with rice, milk and sugar flavored with cardamom. Sometimes nuts are added. Served either hot or cold.
Khichadi Mildly spiced rice and daal preparation. Popularly made when you want to eat a light meal, when suffering from a stomach disorder since it is not only nutritive but can be easily digested. Top
Khoya Also known as mawa is made by bringing milk to a boil in a pot and stirring continuously thereafter on a low flame. It is then reduced and thickened to the consistency of soft cream cheese. Used widely in the making of many Indian desserts and sweet meats
Koftas Spiced meat or vegetable balls.
Kulcha Flatbread often stuffed with onion or potatoes and seasoned with cilantro.
Kulfi Sweet, aromatic ice cream made from cream, milk, and sugar flavored with mango, pistachios, saffron etc. Among the most popular are the Mango Kulfi, Pista kulfi and the Malai Kulfi.
Lassi A tall cool drink made from yogurt and water and made either sweet or salty. To be enjoyed with a fresh dollop of yogurt on top on a hot summer day.
Masala Spices, herbs and other seasonings ground or pounded together. When wet ingredients like water, vinegar, yogurt etc. are added to the spice mixture it is appropriately called a wet masala. Dry spice mixtures are also called Garam masala.
Masala Dani ( Masala Dabba)
Modak Cone shaped dumplings made from rice flour filled with a cooked mixture of freshly grated coconut and sugar. Made exclusively during the festival of Ganapati.
Moghlai The Moghul dynasty ruled much of the Asian sub-continent for 3 centuries and left behind a fabulous legacy not just in art and architecture but also in sumptuous cuisine.
Murgh Chicken
Murgh Masalam Curried chicken…world famous!Top
Mutter Peas
Mutter Paneer Curried peas with cubes of fried homemade cheese.
Naan Indian flat bread made from wheat and baked in a tandoor. Top
Paan Betel leaf stuffed with supari (betel nut), quick lime paste, kathechu paste, gulukand (rose petal preserve), fennel seeds and dried grated coconut. Paan is eaten usually after a meal and has known to aid in digestion.
Pakoras Popular Indian crispy and spicy snack served usually hot out of the frying pot along with coriander chutney. A popular tea time snack served with Indian tea.
Papad Thin wafer like discs about 4 to 8 nches in diameter made from a variety of lentils, potato, shrimp, rice etc. The discs are deep fried or dry roasted on an open flame and served as a crispy savory appetizer.
Paratha Whole-wheat unleavened flatbread. It is sometimes filled with cooked ground meat or a vegetable mixture. Slightly larger than a Chappati and shallow fried to perfection.
Pulao Delicately flavored rice, sautéed in ghee and flavored with whole spices like cumin, cloves etc. Just like the Indian cuisine there are many varieties of Pulao.
Puris Deep-fried whole-wheat flatbreads. They are usually around 4 inches in diameter and puff up when deep-fried. Delicious when hot!
Raan Leg of lamb marinated in yogurt-based masala.
Raita Vegetable and yogurt salad.
Rassgulla One of the most famous Indian sweets that originated from east India. The balls made from milk are cooked in a light sugar syrup, flavored with cardamom. Served chilled.
Roti is Bread in Hindi. Tandoori roti is bread that is baked in a tandoor, Rumali Roti or literally meaning handkerchief bread is a kind of a thin and flaky partha made up of many layers.
Saag Curry Aromatic curried dish made from greens (saag).
Sambhar Lentil curry form the south of India. Served as an accompaniment with idliand dosa.
Samosas Deep-fried pastry appetizers filled with vegetable or meat mixtures.
Seekh Kabab The word Seekh in Hindi means skewer. Seekh kabab simply means kababs on a skewer. Kababs are usually made out of ground lamb mixed with various spices, cooked in a tandoor.
Shahi means Royal in Hindi
Tandoori Murgh This is the bright red world famous Tandoori Chicken. Chicken marinated with spices, red color and yogurt, cooked in a tandoor. Try making it as described in the cook book or at your favorite Indian restaurant.
Upma Spiced semolina cooked with or without tiny cubed potatoes, peas, and sometime shrimp and garnished with freshly grated coconut and cilantro.
Varak Fine thin edible silver foil used to decorate or garnish Indian desserts and paan. It has been known to aid in digestion.