Common Indian Foods and Their English Names

Common Indian Foods and Their English Names: Who would have thought our loved Pakoda is called Fritters in English……

Also, did you know Lobiya is “Black Eyed Peas” in English? I bet will.i.am never thought he will someday be part of a group which is called Lobiya in Hindi. We all find ourselves in awkward translation situations sometimes. The biggest struggle is understanding those fancy ingredients while trying new recipes. There are many food items which are so desi, we can’t even imagine they can have English names. Even Google translate doesn’t help much-translating names of our common Indian foods accurately.  And don’t even get me started on those weird named ingredients of Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson’s recipes.

So, we decided to help you get through these situations. Here is a list of common Indian foods and their lesser-known English names. 

Common Indian Foods and Their Less Known English Names

1. Poha – Flattened Rice

2. Amla- Gooseberry

3. Heeng- Asafoetida

4. Cheeku- Sapodilla

5. Tori/Turai – Ridged Gourd

6. Pakoda- Fritters

7. Murabba- Marmalade

8. Chole- Chickpeas

9. Zeera- Cumin Seeds

10. Sabudana- Tapioca Sago

11. Daliya- Bulgur

12. Arbi- Taro root

13. Papad- Poppadum

14. Rajma- Red Kidney Bean

15. Parwal- Pointed Gourd

16. Ajwain- Carom Seeds/Bishop’s Weed

 

17. Makhane- Fox nut

18. Sooji- Semolina

 

19. Murmure/Churmure- Puffed Rics

20. Kathal- Jackfruit

21. Khus-Khus- Poppy seeds

22. Saunf- Fennel Seeds

23. Lauki- Bottle Gourd

 

From now on I’ll call Heeng ‘Asaa……’. NEVERMIND.

But you can definitely flaunt this knowledge when cooking with your friends., or family. Your choice. And maybe you even got the Heeng one right the first time. 

Comment down below which one of these crazy translated names surprised you the most.