List of Indian spices
Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent. 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.Pepper,turmeric,cardamom,cumin are some example of 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.
| Image | Standard English | Hindi | Notes |
| Alkanet Root | रातीं जोट rātīṃ joṭ | ||
| Amchoor | आमचूर / अमचुर āmachūr/amachur | Dried green and unripe mango powder | |
| Asafoetida | हींग hiṃg | 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 | 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 and royal. | |
| Citric acid | निंबू फूल niṃbū phūl | ||
| Cloves | लवंग/लौंग lavaṃg / lauṃg | 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 | See Kali Jeera. | |
| Cumin seed ground into balls | ज़ीरा गोली zīrā golī | ||
| Curry tree or sweet neem leaf | करीपत्ता / कढ़ीपत्ता karīpattā/kaḍhīpattā | Cannot retain flavour when dried. Only used fresh. | |
| Fennel seed | सौंफ / संचल sauṃph /saṃchal | ||
| 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 | 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 | ||
| 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 | A thickener and coating for desserts | |
| White pepper | सफ़ेद मिर्च saphed mirch |