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Spices Adrak – ginger Alaichi – cardamon Chini – sugar (“chota chini” means a little sugar) Dhania – corriander Ghee – clarified butter Haldi – turmerick Jaggery – sugar from palm trees Lasoon – garlic Marich – pepper Masala – a blend of spices Methi – fenugreek Mirch – chili Namak – salt Pudina – mint Sarsok – mustard seed Tel – oil Zeera – cumin Drinks Lassi – Yougurt and (purified, hopefully) water Arak – Clear liquor from rice or potatoes Chang – Tibetan fermented barley drink Tongba – The name for chang in Sikkim Fruits and Vegetables Achar – spicy and salty condiment, sometimes called “pickle”. Aloo – potato Anaras – pineapple Baingan – eggplant Bhindi – okra Capsicum – green peppers Chola – channa Dal – lentils Gajar – carrots Gobhi – cauliflower Keera – cucumber Kela – banana Matter – peas Muli – radish Nimbu – lime Palak – spinach Papita – papaya Saag – greens Seb – apple Sunterie – orange/tangerine Breads Naan – or “tandoori naan” – yeast bread, rolled out flat and baked in the tandoori Chappati – unleavened bread, rolled out thin and cooked in a frying pan without oil. Roti – like a chapatti, only thicker Rumali Roti – “Handkerchief”. Very thin roti. Parantha – unleavened bread, folded to create layers and cooked in a pan with a little oil. Lacha Parantha – same as parantha, but thinner layers. Makki Roti – corn meal dough, rolled thin and cooked in a pan with a bit of oil. Puri – Bread rolled thin, but deep-fat fried so that it puffs up. Batura – Like a puri, but with yeast. Papadam – paper thin and fried until crisp. Usually has a little pepper in it. Breakfast Masala Omlette – Omelet with chili, onion, and tomato. (N.B. Indians consider eggs “non-veg”,so don’t order vegetarian on the train if you want an omelet.) Aloo Parantha – Parantha stuffed with potato and served with yogurt. Puri Bhaji – Puri served with a potato and vegetable curry. Aloo Chap – Mashed spiced potatoes, formed into a little roll and deep fried. Kachuri – Dal paste in a pastry skin and deep fried. Lunch and Dinner Thali – a plate of assorted curries with rice and bread. Murg – chicken Gosht – meat, usually means goat. Paneer – Indian cheese, kind of like a solid cottage cheese. Chawal – Rice Chichen Tandoori – Marinated pieces of chicken, then cooked in the tandoori. No gravy. Chicken Tikka – Boneless chicken pieces, cooked in the tandoori. Chicken Tikka Masala – As above, but then put into a curry gravy. Saag Gosht – Goat meat in a spinach sauce. Rogan Josh – Goat meat in curry gravy with a touch of cinnamon. Sheekh Kabab – Chunks of meat, marinated then barbecued. Korma – Curry gravy. Biryani – Meat and rice mixture, kind of casserole style. Momos – Tibetan dumplings, usually steamed but also fried. Pakoras – cheese or vegetables, battered and deep fried. Paneer Tikka – Spiced chunks of cheese, cooked in the tandoori. Paneer Masala – Cheese in gravy. Palak Paneer – Cheese in spinach sauce. Shahi Paneer – chopped up cheese with some other stuff, usually including raisins. Aloo Gobi – Potatoes and cauliflower Aloo Dum – Potatoes boiled then fried with onion, tomato, and turmeric. Beigan Bharta – Spiced mashed eggplant. Bhindi – Okra, usually cooked with green peppers and tomatoes. Navrathan – Chopped mixed vegetables. Vegetables Jaipuri – Spiced mixed vegetables. Matter Panner – peas with cheese. Channa – chickpeas, usually spiced and cooked with a little bit of gravy. Dal – Lentils cooked in gravy. Dal Makhana – Black lentils and a few kidney beans cooked in a creamy gravy. Raajma – Kidney beans in gravy. Dahin or Curd – yogurt Raita – Yogurt, usually mixed with cucumbers and/or tomatoes. Dosa – rice flour pancake, usually about 15 inches in diameter. Masala Dosa – A dosa stuffed with a curry potato mixture. Idli – South Indian Rice cake. Dessert Rasmalai – balls formed from boiled down milk in a creamy custard sauce. Kulfi – Similar to ice cream, usually flavored with pistachio or rosewater. Halwa – Wheat – similar to Cream of Wheat – sweet and very slightly spiced. Kheer – rice pudding San Papri – These delicious treats of boiled down milk and crystallized sugar come from the sweet shops. here |