Tarquin Hall - The Case of the Missing Servant

KOH-I-NOOR the "Mountain of Light," a 105-karat (21.6 g) diamond that belonged to various Mughal and Persian rulers and is now part of the British crown jewels.

KOHL a mixture of soot and other ingredients used predominantly by Middle Eastern, north African, sub-Saharan African and South Asian women (and to a lesser extent men) to darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes.

KOORAY WALLAH one who collects the rubbish. See car-saaf-wallah.

KUNDAN a style of jewelry dating back to Mughal times in which precious and semi-precious stones are set in pure gold, often with colored enamel at the back, so that each piece of jewelry has two equally beautiful surfaces.

KURTA PAJAMA long shirt and drawstring trousers.

KSHATRIYA the military and ruling order of the traditional Vedic-Hindu social system as outlined by the Vedas; the warrior caste.

LADOOS a sweet that is often prepared to celebrate festivals or household events such as weddings. Essentially, ladoos are flour balls cooked in sugar syrup.

LAKH a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to 100,000.

LAL MIRCH ground red cayenne pepper.

"LAO" Hindi for "bring."

LASSI drink made from buttermilk; can be plain, sweet or salty, or made with fruit such as banana or mango.

LATHI length of bamboo or cane carried by police or schoolmasters.

LOAD SHEDDING a phrase referring to the period when Indian power companies cut off the electricity to different neighborhoods when they cannot meet demand.

LUNGI a garment that covers the lower half of the body and is tied around the waist.

"MAADERCHOD" literally "motherfucker" in Punjabi.

MAALISH oil massage.

MALI gardener.

MANDE THUNIS a turban worn by the Coorg men of southern Karnataka.

MANGAL SUTRA a symbol of Hindu marriage, consisting of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain. It is comparable to a Western wedding ring and is worn by a married woman until her husband's death.

MANGLIK astrological term referring to a person born under the negative influence of Mars. It is believed that a non-Manglik marrying a Manglik will die. Two Mangliks marrying each other cancel out the negative effects. Mangliks can also perform a ceremony in which they "marry" a tree or a golden idol to transfer their bad luck.

MASALA CHAI spiced tea.

MATTHIS fried savory biscuits, often served with tea.

MEMSAHIB formerly a term of respect for white European women in colonial India, but now used for well-to-do Indian women.

MESWAK a natural toothbrush made from the twigs of the Salvadora persica tree, also known as the Arak or Peelu tree.

MOONG DAAL a split bean that has a green husk and is yellow inside.

NAAMAALUM like a John or Jane Doe, a corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown.

NAMASHKAR/NAMASTE traditional Hindu greeting said with hands pressed together.

NIMBOO PAANI lemonade, usually with salt.

"OOLU KE PATHAY" Punjabi curse literally translates as "son of an owl."

PAAN betel leaf, stuffed with betel nut, lime and other condiments and used as a stimulant.

PAAGAL Hindi for crazy.

PAKORA a deep-fried snack. They can be made from pretty much anything dipped in a gram flour batter.

PALLU the loose end of a sari.

PANEER unaged cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice.

PARANTHA a flatbread made with whole-wheat flour, pan fried in oil or clarified butter and ususally stuffed with vegetables like potatoes and cauliflower.

PEG a unit of measurement for alcoholic spirits. Peg measures can hold anywhere from 1 to 2 fluid ounces (30-60 ml).

PRESS-WALLAH a journalist.

PUJA prayer.

"PUKKA" Hindi word meaning "solid, well made." Also means "definitely."

PURANAS a group of Hindu, Jain or Buddhist religious texts.

RAJMA red kidney beans cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and spices. A much-loved Punjabi dish eaten with chawal, rice.

RAKHI-BROTHER the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters. The sister ties a rakhi, or holy thread, on her brother's wrist in exchange for a vow of protection. Any male can be adopted as a brother by tying the thread.

RAS MALAI dumplings from cottage or ricotta cheese soaked in sweetened, thickened milk delicately flavored with cardamom.

RAVAN the demon king of the Hindu epic the Ramayana, who kidnaps the wife of Lord Ram.

ROTI OR CHAPATTI Indian wheat flatbread cooked on a hot griddle.

"SAALA MAADERCHOD" "bastard mother fucker."

"SAALE" "bastard."

"SAB CHANGA" Punjabi for "all well."

SADHU a holy man who has renounced the material world to devote himself to spiritual practice.

SAHIB an Urdu honorific now used across South Asia as a term of respect, equivalent to the English "sir."

SALWAR baggy trousers worn by men and women common to Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.

SAMOSA a triangular fried savory snack stuffed with potatoes, peas and spices.

SANYASI a Hindu who has renounced the material world.

SARDAAR a male follower of the Sikh religion.

SARDAAR-JI JOKES Sikhs are traditionally the butt of jokes in northern India.

SARI India's national dress for women. Usually six yards of material wrapped and pleated over a blouse and petticoat.

SHRI a Sanskrit title of veneration. An honorific, whose equivalent is "Mr." in English.

SINDOOR a red powder used by married Hindu women and some Sikh women. During the marriage ceremony, the groom applies some to the parting of the bride's hair to show that she is now a married woman. Subsequently, sindoor is applied by the wife as part of her dressing routine.

SONF plain or sugared fennel seeds eaten to aid digestion and to freshen the mouth after a meal.

SUBZI a vegetable.

SUBZI-WALLAH vegetable seller.

TACHEE Indian English for suitcase, derived from "attache case."

TAVA a large, flat or slightly concave disc-shaped griddle made from cast iron, steel or aluminum used to prepare several kinds of flat breads.

TEEN PATTA an Indian card game, also known as Flush. Usually played at Diwali, the Indian new year, it is a betting game in which the player with the best hand (three aces or three consecutive cards of the same suit) wins the pot.

TIFFIN steel lunchbox usually with three round, stackable compartments.

TIMEPASS Hindi/English word meaning any pointless activity to pass the time.

TULLI Punjabi slang for "drunk."

TONGA a horse-pulled cart.

"YAAR" equivalent to "pal," "mate" or "dude."

ZARI a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire woven into silk to create intricate patterns; Mughal in origin.