List of Indian spices

Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent (a sub-region of South Asia). With different climates in different parts of the country, India produces a variety of spices, many of which are native to the subcontinent. Others were imported from similar climates and have since been cultivated locally for centuries. Pepper, turmeric, cardamom, and cumin are some example of Indian spices.

Spices at a Goa market

Spices are used in different forms: whole, chopped, ground, roasted, sautéed, fried, and as a 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 — those 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.[1]

Image	Standard English	Notes
	Alkanet Root
	Amchoor	Dried green and unripe mango powder
	Asafoetida	Intensely aromatic - flavor profile sometimes compared to that of truffles and garlic
	Black cardamom	Very earthy and darkly aromatic. Often used in North Indian curries.
	Black pepper	Pepper may be used whole or ground in Indian cuisines. The largest producer is the southern Indian state of Kerala.
	Black cumin	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
	Capsicum
	Celery / Radhuni seed
	Charoli	a type of nut particularly used in making desserts
	Chili pepper powder
	Bay leaf, Indian bay leaf	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
	Cinnamon	Grown commercially in Kerala in southern India. Two types, cassia (common) and royal.
	Citric acid
	Cloves	Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are largest producers in India.
	Coriander Powder
	Coriander Seed
	Cubeb	Tastes of clove with added bitterness with a persistent mild numbing sensation
	Cumin seed	See Kali Jeera.
	Cumin seed ground into balls
	Curry tree or sweet neem leaf	Cannot retain flavour when dried. Only used fresh.
	Fennel seed
	Fenugreek leaf
	Fenugreek seed
	Four seeds	Seeds of watermelon, musk melon, cucumber and pumpkin
	Garcinia gummi-gutta		Used in fish preparations of Kerala
	Garam masala	Blend of 8+ spices. Each family has their own secret recipe.
	Garcinia indica
	Garlic
	Ginger
	Dried ginger	mostly powdered
	Green cardamom	Malabar variety is native to Kerala.
	Green chili pepper
	Indian bedellium tree	Very earthy aromatic mostly used in religious
	Indian gooseberry
	Inknut
	Jakhya	Tasteless and odorless when uncooked; Earthly and crunchy when crackled in oil.
	Kalpasi	Also known as black stone flower
	Licorice powder
	Long pepper
	Mango Extract
	Mustard seed
	Brown mustard Seed
	Nigella seed
	Nutmeg	Whole nuts last forever. Powder, only a month.
	Mace	Mace is outer covering to nutmeg nut. Similar aroma.
	Panch phoron	This is a Bengali spice mix that combines fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds.
	Pomegranate seed	Dried and ground in the Middle East.
	Poppy seed	Very popular in West Bengal known posto, with no of Bengali cuisine, most popular Allu Posto
	Saffron pulp	Actually, safflower concentrate
	Saffron	World's most expensive spice. Used for rice flavouring.
	Sesame seed
	Star aniseh	Exotic, Chinese-influenced flavours
	Tamarind	Provides tartness in South Indian curries
	Thymol/carom seed
	Turmeric	Source of yellow color in many curries.
	Gum Tragacanth	A thickener and coating for desserts
	White pepper