Cumin seed

Used in 7 recipes on RecipeWiki.

Cumin seeds are the small, ridged, khaki-coloured seeds of a plant in the parsley family, with a warm, earthy, slightly bitter flavour that turns nuttier and rounder when heated. Indian cooking often begins by sizzling them in hot oil or ghee, a tempering that flavours the fat for everything that follows, as in Weeknight Red Lentil Dal. They are dry-toasted and ground for Garam Masala, and left whole through Plov. Fry them only until they darken a shade and smell toasty, which takes seconds; once black, they taste acrid and the oil should be started again. Whole seeds keep their aroma far longer than ground cumin.

What else can I make with it?

Most often cooked with

Recipes with cumin seed

Chickpea and Spinach Stew — shot from directly overhead: dried chickpeas cooked from scratch and thickened with fried bread pounded to a paste

Chickpea and Spinach Stew

Dried chickpeas cooked from scratch and thickened with fried bread pounded to a paste, which is how Seville gets body without cream.

14 hr 15 minServes 4

Leafy greensMain coursesSpanish

Chilli con Carne shot from directly overhead, a true flat lay

Chilli con Carne

Beef mince simmered for two hours in a paste of toasted, soaked dried chillies, with beans added late and finished with dark chocolate and lime.

3 hr 15 minServes 6

AmericanBeefDinner

Egg Curry — shot from directly overhead: hard-boiled eggs

Egg Curry

Hard-boiled eggs, scored and browned in spice, simmered in an onion and tomato masala.

30 minutesCurriesIndian

Garam Masala — shot from directly overhead: whole spices toasted one kind at a time

Garam Masala

Whole spices toasted one kind at a time, cooled and ground, which is what separates a fresh blend from the grey dust in a jar.

20 minServes 20

30 minutesBasicsIndian

Plov — shot from directly overhead: rice steamed over lamb

Plov

Rice steamed over lamb, carrot and cumin in a heavy pot, left unstirred so the grains stay separate.

2 hr 55 minServes 6

Main coursesUzbekRussian

Pork Vindaloo — shot from directly overhead: pork marinated in vinegar

Pork Vindaloo

Pork marinated in vinegar, garlic and dried chillies, then cooked slowly until sharp, dark and much more sour than hot.

9 hr 55 minServes 6

CurriesIndianPork

Weeknight Red Lentil Dal — shot from directly overhead: red lentils simmered down to a loose puree with turmeric

Weeknight Red Lentil Dal

Red lentils simmered down to a loose puree with turmeric, then finished with cumin, mustard seed and garlic bloomed in hot ghee.

DinnerIndianMain courses

by zestykestrel