Origin:
The Almond (Prunus dulcis) is a species of Prunus and is classified with the Peach in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. An almond is also the seed of this tree.  It is native to Iran, from northwestern Saudi Arabia, north through western Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, western Syria, to southern Turkey.
Description:
It is a small deciduous tree, growing to 4–10 m tall, with a trunk up to 30 cm diameter. The fruit is a drupe 3.5–6 cm long, with a downy outer coat. The outer covering or exocarp, fleshy in other members of Prunus such as the plum and cherry, is reduced to a leathery grey-green coat called the hull, which contains inside a hard shell the edible kernel, commonly called a nut in culinary terms.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In Indian cuisine, almonds are the base ingredient for pasanda-style curries. Pasanda refers to a mild curry sauce made with cream, coconut milk, and almonds.  Ground almonds can also be used to thicken curry sauce.

Hindi: baadaam

Raw almonds

Origin:
Asafoetida (Ferula asafoetida, family Apiaceae) - also known as devil's dung, stinking gum, hing, and giant fennel - is a species of Ferula native to Iran. Asafoetida’s English and scientific name is derived from the Persian word for resin asa and Latin foetida, which refers to its strong sulfurous odor. It is mainly grown in Iran, Afghanistan and Kashmir.
Description:
It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 2 m tall, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems 5-8 cm diameter at the base of the plant.  Its pungent odor has resulted in its being called by many unpleasant names. The resin-like gum which comes from the dried sap extracted from the stem and roots is used as a spice. The resin is grayish-white when fresh, but dries to a dark amber color. The asafoetida resin is difficult to grate, and is traditionally crushed between stones or with a hammer. Today, the most commonly available form is compounded asafoetida, a fine powder containing 30% asafoetida resin, along with rice flour and gum arabic.  Its odor is so strong that it must be stored in airtight containers.  However, its smell becomes much milder in cooking and presents an onion-like taste. 
Use in Indian Cuisine:
A pinch is all you need in many recipes.  This additive is mainly used as a flavor enhancer.
Hindi: hing

Jars of asafoetida powder

Origin:
Bay leaf is the aromatic leaf of several species of the family Lauraceae. Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance.  "Indian bay leaf" is called tej pat, tejpat, or tejpata. 
Description:
The leaf of the Cinnamomum tejpata tree is similar in fragrance and taste to cinnamon bark, but milder. In appearance, it is similar to the other bay leaves but is culinarily quite different, having an aroma and flavor more similar to that of Cassia. It is inaccurately called a bay leaf as it is of a different genus (though the same family) as the bay laurel.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In Indian cuisine, bay leaves are often used in biryani and in garam masala.  Bay leaves can also be crushed (or ground) before cooking. Crushed bay leaves impart more of their desired fragrance than whole leaves, and there is less chance of biting into a leaf directly.
Hindi: tejpat

Bay leaves

Origin:
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The word "pepper" is derived from the Sanskrit pippali.  Black pepper is native to South India and is extensively cultivated there and elsewhere in tropical regions. Black pepper, along with other spices from India and lands farther east, changed the course of world history. It was in some part the preciousness of these spices that led to the European efforts to find a sea route to India and consequently to the European colonial occupation of that country, as well as the European discovery and colonization of the Americas.
Description:
The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe five millimeters in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single seed.  The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Dry roasted and ground peppercorns are an ingredient in many spice blends including garam masala.
Hindi: gol mirch

Black peppercorns

Origin:
The name cardamom is used for herbs within two genera of the ginger family Zingiberaceae, namely Elettaria and Amomum. Elettaria pods are light green in color, while Amomum pods are larger and dark brown.
Description:
Both varieties take the form of a small seedpod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds. One of the most expensive spices by weight, little is needed to impart the flavor. Cardamom is best stored in pod form, because once the seeds are exposed or ground, they quickly lose their flavor.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. In South Asia, green cardamom is often used in traditional Indian sweets and in tea, or chai.  The roasted seeds of the green and black varieties are ground and used in garam masala.
Hindi: elaichi.

Origin:
The cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is a tree in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The plant is native to northeastern Brazil, where it is called by its Portuguese name Caju (the fruit) or Cajueiro (the tree). It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew "nuts" and cashew apples.  India ranks first in area utilized for cashew production, though its yields are relatively low. Collectively, Vietnam, India and Brazil account for more than 90% of all cashew kernel exports.
Description:
What appears to be the fruit of the cashew tree is an oval or pear-shaped accessory fruit or false fruit that develops from the receptacle of the cashew flower. Called the cashew apple, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5–11 cm long.  The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the pseudo fruit.  Actually, the drupe develops first on the tree, and then the peduncle expands into the pseudo fruit. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the fruit of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing a caustic phenolic resin, urushiol, a potent skin irritant toxin also found in the related poison ivy.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Ground cashew is commonly used as a thickening agent.  Whole nuts can be found in many curry and savory rice dishes.
Hindi: kaju

Cashew nuts

Origin:
The chili pepper, or more simply just "chili", is the fruit of the plants from the Genus Capsicum and the nightshade family, Solanaceae.  Currently India is the largest producer of chilies with around one million tons per year, where the Guntur-Market (largest in Asia) alone processes one million bags (100 lbs. each). 
Description:
The fruits are generally dried and ground and then sifted to make the powder.  The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked for its fiery hot flavor which is concentrated along the top of the pod. The stem end of the pod has glands which produce the capsaicin, which then flows down through the pod.  The white pith, that surrounds the seeds, contains the highest concentrations of capsaicin.  Removing the seeds and inner membranes is thus effective at reducing the heat of a pod.  The "heat" of chili peppers is measured in Scoville units (SHU).  For example, bell peppers rank at 0 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000-6,000 SHU, cayenne at 40,000-90,000 SHU and habaneros at 300,000 SHU.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Chili is used in cooking spicy hot dishes, as a powder or in its whole form.  Indian cooking has multiple uses for chilies, from snacks like bhaji where the chilies are dipped in batter and fried to the hot curry varieties. Chilies are also dried and roasted and salted for later use as a side dish for rice.
Hindi: lal mirch

Dried Chilies

Origin:
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a small evergreen tree 10-15 meters (32.8-49.2 feet) tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka and South India. The bark is widely used as a spice due to its distinct odor. Its flavor is due to an aromatic essential oil which makes up 0.5 to 1% of its composition. 
Description:
Cinnamon is harvested by growing the tree for two years and then coppicing it (young tree stems are cut down to near ground level). The next year a dozen or so shoots will form from the roots. These shoots are then stripped of their bark which is left to dry. Only the thin (0.5 mm) inner bark is used; the outer woody portion is removed, leaving meter long cinnamon strips that curl into rolls ("quills") on drying; each dried quill comprises strips from numerous shoots packed together. These quills are then cut to 5-10 cm long pieces.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Cinnamon is used in whole form for curries and savory rice dishes or to spice tea. In ground form, it is a traditional ingredient in garam masala and curry powder.
Hindi: daalchini

Quills of true cinnamon bark

Origin:
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisine all over the world. Cloves are harvested primarily in Zanzibar, Indonesia and Madagascar; they are also grown in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
Description:
The name derives from French clou, a nail, as the buds vaguely resemble small irregular nails in shape. Cloves can be used in cooking either whole or in a ground form, but as they are extremely strong, they are used sparingly.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Cloves have historically been used in Indian cuisine in almost every sauce or side dish made, mostly ground up along with other spices. They are also a key ingredient in tea. Cloves find extensive use in the biryani dish and, like the previous two aromatics, they are added whole to enhance the presentation and flavor of the rice.
Hindi: laung

Dried cloves

Origin:
The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6 m long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the fruit of the coconut palm, though a nut and not a fruit. The coconut palm is grown throughout the tropical world, for decoration as well as for its many culinary and non-culinary uses; virtually all parts of the coconut palm are useful, and the palms have a comparatively high yield, up to 75 fruits per year; it, therefore, has significant economic value. The name for the coconut palm in Sanskrit is kalpa vriksha, which translates as "the tree which provides all the necessities of life".  The origins of this plant are the subject of controversy, with some authorities claiming it is native to South Asia, while others claim its origin is in northwestern South America.
Description:
A coconut is a simple dry nut known as a fibrous drupe. The husk, or mesocarp, is composed of fibers called coir and there is an inner stone, or endocarp. This hard endocarp has three germination pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface once the husk is removed. Adhering to the inside wall of the endocarp is the testa, with a thick albuminous endosperm (the coconut "meat"), the white and fleshy edible part of the seed. This is used fresh or dried in cooking.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Coconut, grated or ground, is quite prominent in South Indian cooking.  Coconut pulp can be used as a thickening agent for curries.  Coconut chutney and coconut burfi (an Indian dessert) are also very popular.
Hindi: nariyal

Coconut

Origin:
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also commonly called cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia.
Description:
It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm [20 in.] tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems.  The fresh leaves are used in many cuisines.  The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds.  In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavor when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavored. They are usually dried but can be eaten green. 
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Fresh cilantro leaves are used in raitas (yogurt chutneys), curries, and are frequently added as a garnish.  Coriander seed is a key spice in garam masala and Indian curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts.
Hindi: dhania

Coriander Seeds

Cumin
Origin:
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India.
Description:
Cumin is an herbaceous annual plant, with a slender branched stem 20-30 cm tall. The leaves are 5-10 cm long. The fruit is 4-5 mm long, containing a single seed. Cumin seeds are similar to fennel seeds, but are smaller and darker in color.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Cumin is used whole or ground. It is one of the key ingredients in curry powders and is dry roasted and ground for use in garam masala.
Hindi: jeera  orjira

Cumin Seeds

Origin:
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species in the genus by most botanists), native to the Mediterranean region and southwestern Asia.
Description:
Fennel is a highly aromatic perennial herb, erect, green, and grows to 2.5 m tall, with hollow stems. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long. The fruit is a dry seed from 4–10 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.  Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice; the aroma is strongly reminiscent of licorice.  They are brown or green in color when fresh. 
Use in Indian Cuisine:
The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in cooking around the world.  Indian cooking incorporates fennel seed into many dishes.  Fennel is quite important in several regional cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Bengal, where it is part of the typical five-spice-mix panch phoron. Fennel usage is, however, not restricted to Bengal; toasted fennel fruits are one of the typical ingredients responsible for the subtle and complex aroma of many curries. The toasting procedure not only increases the flavor, but also changes the character of fennel to a more-spicy and less sweet impression.
Hindi: saunf or mauti saunf

Fennel seeds

Fenugreek
Origin:
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) belongs to the family Fabaceae. It is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. The name fenugreek or foenum-graecum is from Latin for "Greek hay".
Description:
Fenugreek is used both as an herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed).  Fenugreek seeds are yellow to amber colored.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Fenugreek is frequently used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders and pastes. The young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens, and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves (called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell.
Hindi: methi

fenugreek seeds

Origin:
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Description:
Garlic has a characteristic pungent, 'hot' flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking.  A bulb of garlic, the most commonly used plant part, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves.  The cloves are used as seed, for consumption (raw or cooked) and medicinal purposes.  The leaves, stems (scape) and flowers (bulbils) on the head are also edible and most often consumed while immature and still tender.  The parchment-like skin is much like the skin of an onion, and is typically removed before using in raw or cooked form.  The papery, protective layers of 'skin' over various parts of the plant and the roots attached to the bulb are the only parts not considered palatable.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Garlic is used in most Indian cuisine from curries to savory rice dishes. It is most often paired with ginger. Sometimes whole garlic cloves are used and sometimes a recipe will call for chopped or minced garlic or for garlic paste.  Garlic is also used in its whole or paste form for hot pickle.
Hindi: lasun

Garlic bulbs and individual cloves

Origin:
Ginger is the common name for the perennial plant zingiber officinale. The term is also used to describe the edible part of the plant which is commonly used as a spice in cooking throughout the world.  The ginger plant has a long history of cultivation known to originate in China and then spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean.
Description:
Often referred to as "ginger root", the edible section is actually the horizontal stem of the plant.  In the fresh state, it has a characteristic knobby appearance.  It has a refreshing, lemon-like smell and a pungent, warm taste.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In India, fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for making pulse and lentil curries and other vegetable preparations. It is used fresh to spice tea especially in winter.  In south India, ginger is used in the production of a candy called Inji-murappa ("ginger candy").
Hindi: Adrak

Ginger “root?

Origin:
Mentha (mint) is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae.  Species within Mentha have a distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America.
Description:
The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In Indian cuisine, mint is used for chutneys and for rice and lamb dishes.
Hindi: podina

Mint

Origin:
Mustard seeds are the proverbially small seeds of the various mustard plants. The seeds can come from three different plants: black mustard (B. nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), and white or yellow mustard (B. hirta / Sinapis alba).
Description:
The seeds are about 1 mm in diameter, and may be colored from yellowish white to black.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In the Indian subcontinent, they are often used whole and are quickly fried in oil until they pop.  This process imparts flavor to the oil.
Hindi: rai, lal sarsu

Black Mustard seeds

Origin:
The nutmegs (Myristica) are a genus of evergreen trees indigenous to tropical Southeast Asia and Australia. They are important for two spices derived from the fruit, nutmeg and mace.
Description:
Nutmeg is the actual seed of the tree, roughly egg-shaped and about 20–30 mm long and 15–18 mm wide, while mace is the dried "lacy" reddish covering or arillus of the seed.  Nutmeg and mace have similar taste qualities, nutmeg having a slightly sweeter and mace a more delicate flavor. Mace is often preferred in light-colored dishes for the bright orange, saffron-like color it imparts. Nutmeg is a flavorsome and best grated fresh.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
The subtle flavor of these aromatics can be found in tandoori rubs.  Grated nutmeg is also often times included in many garam masala blends.
Hindi: jaiphal (nutmeg)
Hindi: javentri (mace)

Mace within nutmeg fruit

Origin:
Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) is a spice made from the grinding of varying degrees of dried  peppers. In many European countries the name paprika also refers to bell peppers themselves.  South American origin is established for all species of genus Capsicum.
Description:
Paprika is sweet and aromatic. Some qualities show no pungency at all, while others are fairly hot. The seasoning is used in many cuisines to add color and flavor to dishes.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
In India, paprika comes from a fruit which is grown widely and takes on a slightly different flavor depending on local soil and climatic conditions. The hottest paprikas are not the bright red ones, but rather the palest red and light brown colored ones.
Hindi: deghi mirch


Dried capsicum fruit used to make paprika

Poppy

Origin:
A poppy is any of a number of showy flowers, typically with one per stem, belonging to the poppy family Papaveraceae. The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is grown for opium, opiates or seeds to be used in cooking and baking.  Poppy is generally believed to stem from West Asia.  Poppies are native to Mediterranean regions, India, China, Turkey, and Iran.
Description:

The poppy family includes a number of attractive wildflower species with showy flowers found growing singularly or in large groups; many species are also grown in gardens.  The used plant part is the ripe seeds. Their flavor is nutty and pleasant.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Poppy seeds are protein rich and used in Indian cooking. They have a wonderful taste and are used to thicken some regional curries in India. These are almost always used in a curry after being ground to a paste with a little water. Poppy Seeds have a slightly nutty aroma and taste.

Hindi: post, khas-khas

Indian white Poppy seeds

Origin:
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. The flower has three stigmas (the central part of a flower). These components are dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent. Saffron is native to Southwest Asia.  It is estimated that it takes some 14,000 stigmas to produce only one ounce of saffron threads. The labor-intensive process makes these bright red threads the world's most expensive spice by weight. The name saffron comes from Arabic, where the spice is known as za'fran.
Description:
Saffron is characterized by a bitter taste and an iodoform - or hay-like fragrance.  It also contains a carotenoid dye called crocin, which gives food a rich golden-yellow hue. These traits make saffron a much-sought ingredient in many foods worldwide.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
By soaking saffron in warm water or milk, one gets a bright yellow-orange solution that can be added to various recipes, especially savory rice dishes.
Hindi: kesar, zafraan

Saffron stigmata or saffron threads

Origin:
The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is in the family Fabaceae.  It is a tropical tree, native to tropical Africa.  The tree grows wild throughout the Sudan and was so long ago introduced into and adopted in India that it has often been reported as indigenous there also.  It was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and the Arabs who called it "tamar hindi" (Indian date: from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common and generic names. Unfortunately, the specific name, "indica", also perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin. Tamarind trees are very common in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They are used as ornamental trees and to provide shade on the country roads and highways. Tamarind is extensively used in the cuisine of both these states.
Description:
The tree can grow up to 20 m in height, and stays evergreen in regions without a dry season. The fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds. The fruit pulp is edible and popular.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very tart and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes.
Hindi: imli

Tamarind Fruit

Origin:
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family Zingiberaceae which is native to tropical South Asia. It needs temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. It is also often misspelled (or pronounced) as tumeric. In many languages, the names of turmeric just mean “yellow root?. The genus name Curcuma likens turmeric to saffron, the most relevant yellow plant dye in the Ancient World.
Description:
Its rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder. Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has an earthy, bitter, and peppery flavor and has a mustard-like smell.
Use in Indian Cuisine:
Turmeric is commonly used as a spice in curries and acts as a dyeing agent, imparting the yellow hue to curries and rice dishes. It can be a cost effective replacement for saffron, but with the loss of some flavor.
Hindi: haldi

Fresh turmeric rhizome