Dry Fruit Names in Urdu and English: A Shopping Guide

Knowing dry fruit names in both Urdu and English makes shopping easier when a recipe says akhrot but an online listing says walnuts. This guide matches familiar Pakistani names to the English terms you will see on packets and product pages. It also explains the extra words that matter: shelled, dried, roasted, salted and pitted.

In everyday Pakistani shopping, “dry fruits” is a broad label covering nuts, dried fruit and sometimes seeds. These are not all the same kind of ingredient. Use the name to identify the food, then check its form and ingredients before adding it to your basket.

Common dry fruit names in three forms

English	Roman Urdu	Urdu
Almond	Badam	بادام
Cashew	Kaju	کاجو
Walnut	Akhrot	اخروٹ
Pistachio	Pista	پستہ
Pine nut	Chilgoza	چلغوزہ
Raisin	Kishmish	کشمش
Dried fig	Khushk anjeer	خشک انجیر
Dried apricot	Khushk khubani	خشک خوبانی
Date	Khajoor	کھجور
Peanut	Moongphali	مونگ پھلی
Pumpkin seeds	Kaddu ke beej	کدو کے بیج
Sunflower seeds	Suraj mukhi ke beej	سورج مکھی کے بیج

Roman Urdu spellings vary: badam and badaam, khajoor and khajur can refer to the same food. For a language reference, the English–Urdu grocery glossary also groups common shopping terms. The table above is a practical buying list, not a list of every regional name.

Words that change what arrives in the packet

Shelled means the hard outer shell has been removed. “In-shell pista” still needs shelling, while pistachio kernels are ready to chop. A packet weighing 250g with shells is not equivalent to 250g of edible kernels. For walnuts, check whether the listing means whole nuts in shells, kernel halves or smaller pieces.

Blanched almonds have their brown skins removed; they are not simply a different almond variety. Sliced almonds are thin flakes, while slivered almonds are narrow sticks. Neither word tells you whether the nuts have been roasted. Read both the form and processing description.

Pitted dates have had their stones removed. A recipe asking for 100g of pitted dates normally means the usable fruit, so weigh after removing stones if you bought whole dates. Ajwa is a date variety, not a synonym for all khajoor. Check the variety separately from the pack size and whether stones remain.

Three common name mix-ups

Anjeer versus khushk anjeer: anjeer means fig, but a dry-fruit shop usually sells the dried form. A recipe that needs fresh figs will behave differently with dried ones because the texture and moisture differ.

Khubani versus dried khubani: apricots may be fresh or dried. Confirm the dried form for a trail mix. Do not assume an orange-coloured product is sweetened, or a darker one is automatically better; check the ingredient list and description.

Seeds versus kernels: pumpkin and sunflower seeds may be sold with hulls or as edible kernels. When buying for baking or a topping, ask specifically for kernels if you do not want to remove hulls. A photograph helps, but the written description should confirm the form.

Turn a recipe into a clear shopping list

1. Write the English name alongside the Urdu name: “akhrot — walnut kernels”.
2. Add the form: whole, halves, pieces, sliced or ground.
3. Add processing preferences: plain, roasted, salted or unsalted.
4. Record the usable weight required by the recipe.
5. Check ingredients and pack information before comparing prices.

For example, “badam for garnish” is vague. “Unsalted sliced almonds, 100g” gives the seller a much clearer request. Likewise, “pista for dessert” is better written as “unsalted pistachio kernels” if the recipe expects nuts without shells.

Browse the Dryzen Royal dry-fruit selection using both names, and check individual listings such as raisins (kishmish). For quality checks beyond the name, see our dry-fruit buying guide.