Ultimate Indian Spices List with Picture, Hindi Names & Flavors

With so many different spices its hard to keep track of them especially when trying to learn Indian cuisine. To make things easier I have created this Indian spices list with picture and their names in Hindi and English along with their flavor profile.

When I started cooking it was hard to identify black sesame seed from nigella or cumin and caraway. Once I even used nigella seeds instead of tea leaves when making tea. After boiling water for 15 mins and no tea color in sight, realized what I had done. Hopefully some of you can relate and if not just be nice and say that you do.. 😀

Hope you find this Indian spices list with picture useful. Let me know if you would want a printable list as well for your easy reference.

Here is Indian spices list with pictures, names in English and Hindi along with Flavor profile

No.	English Spices	Indian/ Hindi Names	Flavor Profile	Picture
1.	Ajowan	Ajwain	Bitter / Herbaceous / Peppery
2.	Allspice	Kabab Chinni	Warm / Peppery / Sweet
3.	Aniseed	Saunf	Camphorous / Sweet / Warming
4	Asafoetida	Heeng	Sulphurous / Oniony / Garlic-like
5	Camboge	Goraka	Sour
6	Caper	Kabra	Lemony / Salty
7	Caraway	Shahi Jeera	Menthol / Warming / Earthy
8	Cardamom (Small)	Choti Elaichi	Eucalyptus / Citrusy / Floral
9	Cardamom (Large)	Badi Elaichi	Smoky / Camphorous / Resinous
10	Cassia	Jangli Dalchini	Sweet / Peppery / Astringent
11	Celery Seed	Ajmud	Bitter / Savory / Lemony
12	Chili	Mirch	Hot / Pungent / Fruity
13	Cinnamon	Dalchini	Sweet / Aromatic / Warm
14	Clove	Laung	Sweet / Astringent / Camphorous
15	Coriander	Sabut Dhania	Citrus / Floral / Warming
16	Cumin	Jeera	Earthy / Herby / Woody
17	Dill	Savaa	Bitter / Citrus / Woody
18	Dried Mango	Amchoor	Citrus / Herbaceous / Bittersweet
19	Fennel	Saunf	Aniseedy / Warming / Bittersweet
20	Fenugreek	Methi	Bittersweet / Warm / Musty
21	Garlic	Lasan	Pungent / Sulphurous / Sweet
22	Ginger	Adrak	Hot / Citrusy / Woody
23	Greater Galangal	Kulinjan	Pine like/ Citrusy
24	Horseradish	Mulli	Bitter with undercurrent of sweet
25	Juniper Berry	Juniper ka phal	Resinous / Sharp / Floral
26	Kokum	Kokum	Sour
27	Liquorice	Mulethi	Sweet / Aniseedy / Warm
28	Mace	Javitri	Sweet / Warm / Aromatic
29	Mustard	Sarson	Pungent / Earthy / Sharp
30	Nutmeg	Jaayaphal	Bittersweet / Woody / Warm
31	Nigella	Kalonji	Mild / Peppery / Herbaceous
32	Pepper	Kali Mirch	Hot / Spicy / Citrusy
33	Pepper Long	Pipli	Warm / Earthy
34	Pomegranate Sees	Anardana	Sweet / Sour / Fruity
35	Poppy Seed	Khuskhus	Nutty / Mild
36	Saffron	Kesar	Grassy/ Bitter / Honeyed
37	Seasme	Til	Nutty / Bittersweet / Rich
38	Star Anise	Chakra Phool	Liquorice / Sweet / Warm
39	Sweet Flag	Vacha	Sweet / Warm
40	Tamarind	Imli	Sour / Fruity / Sweet
41	Bay Leaf	Tejpat	Resinous / Herbal / Floral
42	Turmeric	Haldi	Woody / Floral / Bitter
43	Vanilla	Vaneela	Sweet / Musky / Woody
44	Dried Lime	Sookha Neembu	Tart / Pungent
45	Dried Ginger	Sauth	Pungent / Aromatic
46	Cilantro Leaves	Dhania	Refreshing/Aromatic
47	Fenugreek Leaves	Methi	Subtle Bitterness
48	Mint	Pudina	Sweet / Lingering Cooling Effect
49	Curry Leaves	Kadi Patta	Aromatic / Citrusy
50	Dill Leaves	Soa	Fresh / Citrus Like
51	Holy Basil	Tulsi	Spicy / Bitter

Are all these Indian spices?

Yes, all the spices listed above are used in Indian cooking. However, not all originated or are native to India. The ‘Indian Spices’ terminology has been used with reference to their presence in Indian cuisine.

Is the list exhaustive? Are there any more spices ?

No, the list is no exhaustive. As per the Spices Board India page there are 109 spices that have been listed in ISO so there are many more. However, we have covered the ones that are used the most.

Do I need all the spices listed to cook Indian food?

No, Indian cooking has few key spices that form the main Indian food palette like coriander, chilli, cumin.

You don’t need all 51 spices listed in the chart for Indian cooking and if you are looking for the essential ones then you can find them here.

Having the key ingredients and few important spice blends like Garam Masala is enough to be able to cook Indian food.

Are herbs used in Indian cooking?

Yes, many herbs are used when cooking Indian food like Coriander/Cilantro, Mint, Fenugreek leaves and many more. We have included some of the herbs here but not all. If you are looking for a similar list for herbs let us know in the comments.

Hopefully the long Indian spices list with picture and other details didn’t scare you off and you are still reading, if yes then let me know which one of these spices is your favorite and which one you had never heard of before.

My favorite spice is black pepper, love the flavor that it brings to any dish and I haven’t used Sweet flag / Vacha in my cooking yet but plan to one day. How about you?

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