Indian spice charts: spice names in English and Hindi, masala dabba, garam masala

Indian spice charts for home cooks in India and across its diaspora, and for anyone learning Indian cooking. The pictures name sixteen spices in English and Hindi, from turmeric (haldi) and cumin (jeera) to nigella (kalonji). A masala dabba, the spice tin, is drawn from above with its seven bowls labelled, and a garam masala ring shows its whole spices. Type a different subject, such as whole spices, and the same styles carry it.

• a kitchen wall near the stove
• a set of spice drawer labels
• a cooking class for beginners
• a gift for someone learning Indian cooking

Frequently asked questions

Which spices are named in both languages?

Sixteen spices, including turmeric (haldi), cumin (jeera), coriander (dhania), mustard seed (rai), fenugreek (methi) and cardamom (elaichi).

What goes in a masala dabba?

The picture shows seven labelled bowls: turmeric, cumin, mustard seed, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fenugreek and garam masala.

What is in garam masala?

The ring draws cinnamon (dalchini), cardamom, clove, black pepper, cumin and bay leaf around a bowl of the ground blend.

Is the chart only for people from India?

No. It is for anyone learning Indian cooking, as well as home cooks in India and abroad.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.