Glossary

Asafoetida (Ass-ah-feh-te-dah)- A brown powder ground from the sap of fennel plant, known for its offensive smell. In India, followers of certain religions such as Jainism do not eat any root vegetables including onions and garlic. They use asafoetida to add a savory taste to their dishes.
Biryani (Bir-yani)- A long grain, mixed rice dish that is said to have been brought to India by the Mughal emperors. Packed with spices such as bay leaf, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorn, and the two main herbs, coriander and peppermint.
Cardamom (Car-duh-mum)- A spice native to India, Nepal, and Bhutan, cardamom is an aromatic, resinous fragrance. The green thin layer is usually peeled off to access the small black seeds inside. It is the third most expensive spice.
Chai (Cha-ai)- Usually referred to tea made in roadside shops with aromatic spices and herbs such as cardamom, cloves, ginger, and peppercorns. This is served in a glass with a butter biscuit.
Chakka Varatey (Cha-kha Var-eetey)– A jackfruit preserve-dessert originated from Palakkad, Kerala and is made of just three ingredients; jackfruit, jaggery, and ghee.
Chapatis (Cha-paa-ti)- See Naan.
Chickpea flour/Besan flour (Beh-sin Flah-er)– Flour made out of garbanzo beans used regularly in Indian cooking. Incidentally, it is also used as a facial exfoliator when mixed into a paste with either water or yogurt.
Chitranna (Chi-tran-na)- A common rice preparation where the rice is combined with lemon zest and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and peanuts.
Cloves (Clo-ves)- Aromatic flower buds of a tropical tree native to Indonesia. It is also known for its medicinal properties where the essential oil is used as a pain killer. My paternal grandmother often chewed on cloves to alleviate any tooth pain, resulting in her always smelling of the spice.
Curd (Curh-du)- A dairy product that is obtained by curdling milk. Customarily, this is an accompaniment for rice to end South Indian meals. It is also used as an ingredient to marinate meat.
Curry leaves (Cah-ri Lev-es)- Aromatic leaves from a tropical tree, native to India and Srilanka. It is used in everyday cooking to add flavour.
Dal/ Pappu (Pup-poo)- A simple dish made of from lentils of chickpeas and can be had with either rice or chapatis.
Dosa (Doh-saa)- Thin crepes made from fermented rice and black lentil batter. This is an everyday breakfast dish in South India and is complementary with sambar, chutneys, and curd.
Garam masala (Gha-ram mus-sala)- A powdered mix of dry roasted spices and herbs that is added to Indian dishes to add another layer of smell and flavour. The ingredients and its measurements differ from person to person.
Ghee (Gah-ee)- Clarified butter made from milk of cows or buffalos, widely used in Indian cooking. It is also lactose friendly.
Gulab Jamun (Goo-laab Jaa-moon)- A common Indian dessert made out of milk solids, flavoured with cardamom, saffron, and soaked in simple sugar syrup.
Idli (Id-lee)- A traditional South Indian breakfast dish, it is a savoury rice cake made out of fermented black lentils and rice. It is supposed to be one of the most calming food for the stomach as these cakes are simply steamed. There is no fat or sugar.
Jaggery (Jag-uh-rey)- Unrefined sugar made often from sugarcane or sometimes with date palm. It is the superfood sweetener as it is the healthy replacement to sugar. 70% of the world’s jaggery is produced in India.
Kozhakattai (Koh-zha-cut-tai)- Steamed dumplings usually stuffed with sweet grated coconut and made as an offering to Lord Ganesha on his birthday.
Medhu Vadai (Meh-dhu Va-day)- Crispy fried doughnuts made from split black lentils, flavoured with peppercorns and curry leaves. Usually served for breakfast along with chutney and sambar.
Morekutan (More-koot-tan)– A simple stew made from sour curd, curry leaves, and grated coconut. Known to have originated in Palakkad, where it is also made with pumpkins, gourds, raw bananas, carrots, or yam.
Mysore pak (My-soor-pak)- A crumbly, rich sweet dish made from chickpea flour, sugar, and ghee. It is said to have originated from Mysore in South India.
Naan (Na-aan)- Flatbread made of wheat flour cooked in a tandoor, which is a rounded clay or metal oven. Cooking in this method leaves a charred scent and taste, distinguishing it from chapatis, which are thin flatbreads cooked on a flat griddle.
Pakodas (Puck-oo-da)- Crispy fried onion fritters served usually with tomato ketchup.
Papadam (Pup-ah-damn)– Thin flat disc that are made from black lentils that are fried crispy in the oil. This is a regular accompaniment to rice dishes in India.
Payasam (Paa-ya-sum)– Rice pudding made with either broken rice or vermicelli or wheat or even lentils, favoured with sugar, cashews and raisins. What kind of payasam a person makes usually determines where they from, for example in Kerala, they make payasam with broken red rice while in Tamil Nadu they make payasam with vermicelli.
Prasadam (Pras-adh-um) – Food offerings made to God during puja. Unlike food being cooked on regular basis, prasadam cannot be tasted while being prepared as it is to be offered to God frist and then the devotees.
Puja (Poo-ja)- Worshipping of God thought invocation, prayers, songs, and rituals. Hindu households usually start the day by showering conducting puja, offering food to the Gods before anything else.
Puliyogre (Pull-ee-yog-re)- Another common rice preparation where the rice is combined with a paste made out of tamarind pulp and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and peanuts.
Raitha (Rye-tha)- A common condiment made from yogurt and mostly raw vegetables. It is an accompaniment to many Indian rice dishes as it cools down the spicy flavour.
Rasam (Rus-umm)- A thin, tomato and tamarind based stew that is usually served with rice. A staple in South Indian homes.
Sambar (Sah-am-bar)- A lentil based stew made from a tamarind base, cooked with vegetables such as potatoes, onions, carrots, eggplant, and drumstick. It is an accompaniment to most breakfast dishes including idlis, dosas, and vadais.
Star Anise (Star Anie-ees)– The star shaped outer layer of the fruit of an evergreen tree, with a taste similar to that of anise. The trees are indigenous to Vietnam and Southern China. It is typically used in Biryanis to flavour the dish.
Sundal (Soon-dull)– A cooked bean/lentil salad with raw onions, tomatoes, raw mangoes, and chilis. The beaches in Madras are famous for selling sundal in carts, where visitors pick up a pack for less than fifteen cents, sit by the water and enjoy the snack.
Tamarind (Tam-meh-reend)- Edible pulp from a leguminous tree indigenous to India. It is extremely sour with a touch of sweet and is used as the base for a lot of Indian dishes. A versatile fruit, it is used in both savoury dishes as well as desserts.
Xacutti (Zha-coo-ti)- A spicy curry made specially in Goa, India with roughly ground poppy seeds, grated coconut and lots of red chilis.