Mustard Seeds

These small round seeds come from the mustard plant, a common annual field crop in Nepal. They range from reddish-brown to a dark brown color, but when crushed they are yellow on the inside. They have a pungent, sharp flavor, but when fried in oil, they impart a mellow nutty flavor. Nepalese use ground or coarsely ground mustard seeds to make pickles because of their wonderful preservative properties that discourage mold and bacteria. They are also used to perk up vegetable dishes. Yellow mustard seeds (sarsyun) are used to cook fish and are believed to eliminate fishy odors. The tender leaves of the mustard plant, called mustard greens (raayo ko saag), are also cooked into a delicious vegetable dish. The seeds are pressed to extract fragrant mustard oil. Mustard is used as a home remedy to cure flatulence and to promote digestion. Mustard seeds are available whole, split, or powdered at Indian grocery stores, Asian markets, and regular grocery stores.