If you’re not a desi (pronounced: they-see, native to South Asia), some of the terms and words I use in my posts may be entirely new to you. I’m making notes here to help newcomers navigate South Asian cooking and make sense of my posts; but if you have a specific question, you can always write to me. My aim is to keep updating this post all the time. The words are from Urdu, Bangla and Hindi mainly. Also, my Urdu is informed by a specific Dhaka dialect and vocabulary, that’s not always in keeping with the grammatical sensibilities of purists.
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Abbu/Abba |
Father/dad, in South Asian languages including Urdu, Hindi, Bangla |
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Ammi/Amma |
Mother/mom/mum in South Asian languages including Urdu, Hindi, Bangla |
| Anda | One or more eggs in Dhaka (see Deem below); egg singular in Urdu & Hindi – plural: Anday |
| Andaaz | Your intuitive estimate, extra flair or sense of discernment usually in creative pursuit; Urdu word; for more see Curry 101: The Basics |
| Bangla | Earlier Bengali, a colonial British rendering; language of Bangladesh; and West Bengal, in India |
| Bhai | Older brother; term of respect for unrelated older person |
| Bhaaji/Bhujia | Dry vegetable dish; usually stir-cooked; not a saalan (see below) |
| Bhaat-Daal | Rice, plain boiled, mixed with Daal, lentils; Chawal-Daal in Urdu & Hindi. Used also to denote everyday fare |
| Bharta/Bhorta | Mashed or crushed, cooked and seasoned ingredients, usually vegetables but also proteins; popular main or side dish in Bangladesh and South Asia |
| Bhoo-no or Bhoon-na | Verb, to brown, fry, braise, sauté; act of currying; bhoona: noun & adjective; |
| Chappati | Flat bread; I’m in awe of those who can make it at home so mine are all store bought! |
| Cheemi | Green peas in Bangla |
| Daal | Diverse group of lentils, peas and beans, from family of Pulses. Daal is the name of the raw produce and finished dish. Pronounced: soft d, like that or there. |
| Deem | One or more eggs in Bangla |
| Desi | To do with des or desh, country or place; anything or anyone native to South Asia |
| Dhaka | The capital of Bangladesh; population 20 million; Bangladesh: 168 million |
| Hindi | Language of India; similar to Urdu but written in a different script |
| Jalebi | Spiral shaped sweet made with mix of gram flour, flour, sugar, deep fried in ghee |
| Jhol | Soup; also a dish with a light, soupy sauce and lots of it; Bangla word |
| Karahi | South Asian wok, usually cast iron but also in stainless steel; hence name of dish |
| Mutter | Green peas in Urdu & Hindi |
| Murghi | Chicken (hen); Murgh for the male |
| Panch Phoron | Bangladeshi Five Spice Mix: cumin, fennel, mustard, fenugreek and nigella seeds |
| Saalan | A dish with gravy; Urdu/Hindi word closest to curry in meaning |
| Sheeth | The cool of winter in Bangla: Sheeth Kal is the word for the season, winter |
| Sheeth-er-tarkari | Curry or dish with gravy cooked in the winter months in Bangladesh |
| Shurwa | Soup; also a dish with a light, soupy sauce and lots of it; Urdu purist version: Shorba |
| Tarkari | Curry / dish with gravy; also vegetables in Bangla |
| Tawa | Flat griddle, usually round, cast iron or heavy material |
| Urdu | Language of old Dhaka (until a few decades ago); now mainly in Pakistan and India |
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