Tarquin Hall - The Case of the Missing Servant

BHAI brother.

BHANG a drink popular in many parts of India made by mixing cannabis with a concoction of almonds, spices, milk and sugar.

BHAVAN home or building.

BHINDI okra.

BIDI Indian cigarette made of strong tobacco hand-rolled in a leaf from the ebony tree.

BINDI from the Sanskrit bindu , "a drop, small particle, dot." Traditionally a dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows worn by married Hindu women, or by any girl or woman as a decoration, often colored to match the clothes they are wearing.

BUCKS as in America, but used to mean rupees instead of dollars.

BURFI OR BARFI a sweet made from condensed milk and cooked with sugar until it solidifies. Burfi is often flavored with cashews, mango, pistachio and spices and is sometimes served coated with a thin layer of edible silver leaf.

"BUSS" Hindi for "stop" or "enough."

CAR-SAAF-WALLAH Wallah is a generic term in Hindi meaning "the one" or "he who does." Car-saaf-wallah is typical Hinglish, a mixture of Hindi and English, in this case meaning "he who washes the car."

"CHALLO" Hindi for "let's go."

CHAI tea.

CHANNA spicy masala chickpeas, also known as chhole .

CHANNA BHATURA Indian fried bread, very oily, chewy (and delicious!), served with curried chickpeas.

CHAPPATIS see roti.

CHARAS handmade hashish, very potent.

CHARPAI literally "four feet." A charpai is a woven string cot used throughout northern India and Pakistan.

CHAPPALS Indian sandals usually made of leather or rubber.

CHAT a savory, spicy, tangy street food common to northern and western India. Chat comprises crispy fried papris or savory biscuits, topped with yogurt, spices, sliced onions, mango powder, and tamarind and green chili chutneys.

CHAVAL rice.

CHHATRIS literally "umbrella" or "canopy," a domeshaped pavilion commonly used as an element of Indian architecture.

CHHOLE see channa.

CHIKAN KURTA Kurta is a long shirt worn by men and women in Pakistan and northern India. Chikan refers to a unique embroidery style from Lucknow, believed to have been introduced by the emperor Jehangir's wife, Nur Jehan. Traditionally, it uses white thread on white muslin cloth.

CHOWKIDAR watchman.

CHOWTI BABY in Hindi, chowti means "little."

CHUDDIES Punjabi for underpants.

CHUNNI long scarf worn with drawstring trousers and a knee-length kameez or kurta.

CHURIDAAR PAJAMA a style of leg-hugging drawstring pajamas with folds that fall around the ankles like a stack of churis, or bracelets.

CRORE a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to 10 million.

CROREPATI an extremely rich person, a multimillionaire.

COUSIN-SISTER a colloquialism emphasizing that in India a first cousin is like a sibling.

DAAL spiced lentils.

DABBA a lunchbox, usually round and made of stainless steel with several compartments.

DACOIT a member of an Indian or Burmese armed robber band.

DALITS untouchables, low caste; means "suppressed" or "crushed."

DANDASANA POSITION in yoga the simplest form of the sitting position.

DHABA roadside eatery, popular with truck drivers in northern India, which serves spicy Punjabi food.

DHARMA a Sanskrit term that refers to a person's righteous duty or any virtuous path.

DHOBI person who washes clothes.

DISHDASHA an ankle-length garment similar to a robe worn in the Arab world, most commonly in the Gulf states.

DIYAS a lamp usually made of clay with a cotton wick dipped in vegetable oil.

DOSA a South Indian crepe made from rice and lentils.

DOUBLE-ROLE one actor often playing two opposing roles (good brother/bad brother) in Indian films.

DOUBLE ROTI sliced white bread.

DUPATTA in women's dress, a scarf usually worn over the head and shoulders, made of cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon, etc.

GHEE clarified butter.

GOBI cauliflower.

GOONDAS thugs or miscreants.

GORA/GORI a light-skinned person; the term is often used in reference to Westerners.

"HAAN-JI" Hindi for "yes, sir/madam."

"HAI!" an exclamation indicating surprise or shock.

HAKIM a Muslim physician.

HALDI turmeric, deep orange-yellow spice made from the rhizomes of the turmeric plant.

HALVA a dessert made from wheat flour, semolina, lentils or grated carrots mixed with sugar and ghee and topped with almonds. Often served in Hindu and Sikh temples as blessed food for worshippers to eat following prayers.

HIJRA a member of "the third sex," neither man nor woman. Most are physically male or intersex (formerly known as hermaphrodites). Some are female. Hijras usually refer to themselves as female and dress as women. Although they are usually referred to in English as "eunuchs," relatively few have any genital modifications. A third gender has existed in the subcontinent from the earliest records, and was clearly acknow ledged in Vedic culture, throughout the history of Hinduism, as well as in the royal courts of Islamic rulers.

HINDUSTAN AMBASSADOR until recently India's national car. The design, which has changed little since production started in 1957, is similar to the British Morris Oxford.

INCHARGE noun meaning "boss."

JAINS a small but influential and generally wealthy religious minority with at least 10 million followers.

"JALDI KARO" Hindi for "hurry up."

JALEBI pretzel-shaped, bright orange sweet made of fried batter soaked in sugar syrup.

JAO! "Go!"

JEERA cumin seeds.

-JI honorific attached to the end of nouns.

"JI" "yes."

KACHORIS a snack eaten in north India and Pakistan. The Rajasthani variety is a round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with a baked stuffing of yellow daal, beans, gram flour, red chili powder and other spices.

KADI CHAWAL Kadi is made from gram flour fried in butter and mixed with buttermilk or yogurt to produce a spicy, sour curry. Served with chawal, rice.

KATHI ROLL a type of street food similar to a sand-wichlike wrap, usually stuffed with chicken tikka or lamb, onion and green chutney.

KHANA Hindi for food.

KHICHRI a cupful of rice cooked with yellow lentils and spiced with cumin, salt and coriander. Generally eaten when one is sick or in need of comfort food.

KHUKURI a carved Nepalese knife used as a tool and weapon.

KIRPAN a ceremonial sword or dagger that all baptized Sikhs are supposed to wear.

KITTY PARTY women in India organize kitty parties to socialize, but also as an interest-free way of loaning one another money. The kitty is a collective fund. The carefully chosen guests bring their next installment of cash to each party. One name is drawn from a hat, with that woman receiving twelve installments all at once to use as she pleases.