Cooking @ TheZeal.com - About the Indian Recipe Names

About the Indian Recipe Names

Poriyals	Mild tasting vegetable dishes (not much of spice) and do not require lot of oil and frying
Varuvals/Fries	Generally spicy-tasting vegetable dishes (of course, you can alter the spice to your preference) and requires a little bit more frying than Poriyals
Khurmas/Kormas	Soups/stew-like vegetable dishes with ground coconut paste/coconut milk and/or yoghurt/sour cream and most generally use green chillis (Usually milder spices than Kozhambus)
Curries/Masalas	Used interchangeably to denote recipes that result in an almost thick gravy consistency (spice level may vary with the dishes)
Kozhambus	Dishes that are almost like lighter soups/stews (not very thick) and generally use chilli powder
Fries vs. Kozhambus	Most of the "Kozhambus" listed here can be made as "Fries" by allowing the water used to cook drain out completely
Kootus	Vegetable dishes made with lentils (generally, Moong Dal, Gram Dal or Toor Dal) in an almost gravy-like consistency and have a mild taste
Sambhar/Dals	Made with Lentils and/or vegetables - almost like a soup/stew
Rasam	A light and tangy tasting dish made like a very thin soup (great for a light meal)
Masiyal	Akin to masalas/kootus, but used to denote a dish which is mashed well so as the contents are not in their original form
Aviyal	A dish that has its origins in Kerala (another Southern State in India) - almost mildly tasting with mixed vegetables and coconut
Vadais	Dough-nut-like, generally used as starters, made with lentils and/or vegetables (require deep frying)
Puttu	Used to denote a dish whose contents do not retain their original form (same as masiyal except that these dishes are generally dry)

Upma	A dish made from semolina/semiya and/or vegetables - generally serving a light meal/breakfast
Idli	A dish made out of a batter of rice and lentils. Poured into moulds (like muffin or cup cake moulds) and steamed - usually served for a light meal/breakfast. A very popular South Indian recipe
Dosa	A dish made out of a batter of rice and lentil - poured out like pancakes - A very popular South Indian breakfast recipe
Adai	A dish made out of typically lentil/flour batter/dough (more thicker consistency than idli/dosa batter)
Pongal	A dish made from rice and lentils - usually as a light meal/breakfast
Note: I have tried to cover most of the generic recipe names that I have listed in the website here, still you may find some names that you might not understand - I have indicated any special notes for these recipes in the "tips" section of the recipe itself.