I throw out a lot of terms in my blog entries, so I've put together a little desi-style "dictionary." I'll try to keep updating this list as I go along.
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- aloo bujia - potato-based curry dish (food)
- buda or budi - large/big See: Respecting elders big and small
- bund kabob - style can vary, but traditionally it's a kabob dipped in egg and then cooked and put on a bun (food)
- chaana - chickpea-based curry dish (food)
- cha chi - aunt (more specifically, father's brother's wife)
- chand raat (literally: moon night) - usually a night of celebrations after completion of a whole month of fasting during Ramadan
- chappals - sandals sold in south Asia, the colors of which typically closely match to clothes
- chota (masc.) or choti (fem.) - small See: Respecting elders big and small
- daal - dried lentils/pulses
- daal chawal - daal with rice
See: Being sick sucks - dahie pulki - pakoras in spiced yogurt which is normally served for iftaar during Ramadan but can also be served at other times of the year (food)
- daiwar - husband's brother (brother-in-law)
- daiwar-ani - husband's brother's wife (sister-in-law)
- duputta - long, wide scarf that is worn by either males or females (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do
- Eid-al-Fitr - holiday that marks the end of Ramadan
- fruit chart - fruit salad with some spices in it which is normally served for iftaar during Ramadan but can also be served at other times of the year (food)
- gharara - blouse with wide-legged pants and a duputta (clothes)
See: What to wear...what to wear...? - gola gunda - like a south Asian style snow cone (food)
- iftaar - food served after a day of fasting during Ramadan (food)
- kaam (literally "work") - generally refers to beads and other designs when taken in the context of clothes (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do - kaamwalla (literally "person who does kaam") - person who applies beads and other designs to south Asian clothes (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do - kameez - shirt which mainly refers to the style of shirt worn in a shalwar kameez outfit that's worn by either males or females (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do
- lengha - shirt with a long skirt and a duputta (clothes) See: What to wear...what to wear...?
- mami/mamu - uncle (literally mother's brother or mother's brother's wife) See: Respecting elders big and small
- mehndi (also known as henna) - design typically applied to hands or feet
See: I heart mehndi - mithai - traditional south Asian sweet dish (food)
- nand - sister-in-law (more specifically, husband's sister)
- nand-dui - sister-in-law's husband (more specifically, the husband of husband's sister)
- pakoras - deep fried vegetables (like potatoes, green peppers, and onions) which is normally served for iftaar during Ramadan but can also be served at other times of the year (food)
- pardesi - foreigner
- Pho Pho - father's sister
- pishwaaz - long shirt, pants, and a duputta (clothes)
See: What to wear...what to wear...? - puris - like a south Asian style deep fried tortilla (food)
- saas - mother-in-law (more specifically, husband's mother)
- sari - blouse and long cloth that's wrapped around a woman's body (clothes)
See: What to wear...what to wear...? - sehri - food that's eaten in the morning before a day of fasting in Ramadan (food)
- shaadi - wedding reception hosted by the bride's side
- shalwar - pants which mainly refers to the style of pans worn in a shalwar kameez outfit that's worn by either males or females (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do - shalwar kameez - type of clothing (pants and shirt) worn in south Asia by either males or females (clothes)
See: When in Rome, do as the Romans do - shauhar - husband
See: Eid mubarak! - sharara - shirt with a long skirt and a duputta (clothes)
- valima - wedding reception hosted by groom's side
