The spices and herbs are a prominent reason why the Indian food has become so favorite among the people across the globe. Complex flavors are built up in dishes by using spices (or herbs) that complements each other. Some are used for their taste, others for their aroma. Some have souring properties; in others the color in important. The moment at which spices are added to a dish makes a crucial difference. Whether they are used in tempering or they are first dry roasted or not. Spices will impart their flavor to a dish if they are added at the beginning of cooking or if sprinkled on towards the end of cooking. Below is the handy table that may help you. The first column has English name and following columns have names in Indian regional languages. If I have missed any or if you know any regional language names, please let me know in comments below. I will try to add other languages in future. Your help is greatly appreciated. Before we jump on the table, here is the basic spice powders used almost every single day in any Indian kitchen.
References:
www.google.com www.wikipedia.com The Essential Marathi Cookbook by Kumudi Marathe Southern Flavours: The Best of South Indian Cuisine The essential Kerala Cookbook by Vijayan Kannampilly
