The following may be useful in translating some of the terms used in the recipes. (note: Malayalam sound designated by letters ‘zh’ is a soft English ‘r’.)
| Indian/English Name | Malayalam name |
| tuar dal | thuaran parippu |
| urad dal | uzhunnu parippu |
| masoor dal | parippu |
| chana dal (bengal gram) | kadala parippu |
| moong dal | parippu |
| hing (asafoetida) | kayam |
| tamarind | puli |
| coriander | malli |
| cayenne pepper | mulaku podi |
| methi (fenugreek) | uluva |
| cilantro leaves | malli ila |
| cumin (jeera) | jeerkam |
| mustard | kaduku |
| okra | vendakka |
| pumpkin | mathanga |
| cucumber | kumbalanga |
| like, Totally! | Ayyo! |
| saunf | perumjeerakam |
hi, could some one help me how to cook urad dal thoran as a side dish for rice,