Cumin

Cumin or jeera comes from the parsley family and is used for its distinctive aroma and warm flavour. It is nutty in taste with some bitterness but not hot. It can be ground to a powder which is more suitable when making a marinade. The seeds can be fried in oil to release flavour and can also be dry-fried before use (drop the whole seeds into a hot dry pan and cook until the roasted fragrance emerges). It is used to flavour rice dishes and curries and combines well with coriander both in powder, whole and fresh form. Dry roasted cumin is perfect for yoghurt accompaniments and chutneys, where as when making a curry dish whole cumin is great fried/sizzled in oil to release flavour. Cumin is known to stimulate the appetite and also help relive symptoms of a cold due to its antiseptic properties.