Indian Spice & Herb Dictionary - P - T

Text by: Tanya Munshi

N
Nutmeg – Hindi – Jaiphal. Nutmeg has a presence almost everywhere. From sweet meats, baked goods, meat, sauces, confectionaries and seasoning veggies, etc.

P
Pepper – Hindi – Kaali Mirch. Indian cooking is incomplete without a dash of black pepper in it. Added to flavour stews, meat or chicken curries, black pepper is an essential spice. Like the world prefers sprinkling black pepper powder on egg and toast, black pepper in Indian cuisines is mostly used for seasoning a curry. Pepper is known for its medicinal properties – it is anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and an analgesic.

Pomegranate – Hindi – Anardana. The dried seed pulp of pomegranate is mainly used to spice some dishes and make a refreshing drink. Its medicinal properties are known to soothe stomach ailments.

Poppy – Hindi – Khus khus. Poppy seeds in India are primarily used for seasoning and flavouring meat dishes. Soaked poppy seeds, ground to a fine paste tastes delicious with mustard oil, chopped green chilies, a dash of salt mixed with steamed rice in West Bengal.

S
Saffron – Hindi – Zaffran. One of the most expensive spices in the world is added in minimal quantities to flavour milk, meat, biryani, sweet meats etc. Saffron is used in medicines to cure enlarged spleen and liver.

Star Anise – Hindi – Anasphal. This spice resembles a flower or a star and is known for its beautiful aromatic woody flavour. Add it to a stew, biryani and also in baked products, jams and preserves. Star Anise is an anti-bacterial and is known to cure stomach ailments.

T
Tamarind – Hindi – Imli. Tamarind pulp is quite popular in the southern and the Konkan belt of India. But its tangy flavour has many takers all over the country. It is used to make sambar, rasam, chutneys and pickles. Tamarind has medicinal properties that are known to cure fluorosis, used as a laxative as well as for healing.

Turmeric – Hindi – Haldi. A predominant yellow spice used in Indian cooking, turmeric is used for both flavouring and giving colour to the dishes. Turmeric is omnipresent in most Indian cooking, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian cuisines. Turmeric has medicinal properties known to be a blood purifier and an antiseptic.