Jeera, Jira, Zeera, Safaid jira, jeeru, zyur and many more- Cumin has got different names and even more variety of uses. This widely used spice is a staple in almost every Indian dish and is available in five types, but the most commonly known are white cumin, black cumin and brown cumin.
Here's everything you need to know about this versatile spice and how you can use it daily in your meals.
What is Cumin?
Cumin is a spice belonging to the parsley family and is believed to have originated in Western Asia. Presently, India and Iran are the main producers of this spice worldwide. One can also find references to the cultivation of cumin in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and New Testament. Cumin seeds are earthy-looking with a strong aroma because of the presence of 2.5-4% essential oils.
Uses and Benefits
Just like any other spice, cumin finds it major use in cooking throughout Asia, especially in Indian cooking. It is also a part of Arabic, North African and Mexican cuisines. Available both as whole spice and ground powder, cumin not only adds flavour to the dish, it also has a lot of medicinal properties and makes any dish visually appealing.
- Promotes digestion The most traditional use of cumin is to promote digestion. It increases the activity of digestive enzymes and releases bile from the liver, thus helping in better digestion.
- Good source of iron One teaspoon of cumin powder contains about 1.4mg of iron, making it ideal for consumption incase of any iron deficiency in the body.
- Controls blood cholesterol Cumin is considered to have hypolipidemic properties, which means it may help the body in controlling high levels of blood cholesterol that might harm the heart.
- Promotes weight loss Several researches have been conducted about cumin promoting weight loss. A lot of research is yet to be done, but the conducted ones have shown promising results especially on women.
- Prevents food-borne diseases The oil released from cumin seeds helps in fighting bacteria and fungi. This is the sole reason why it has been used as a preservative in food for centuries.
You can buy Tassyam 100% natural roasted cumin powder and cumin seeds from here.
How to include cumin in your diet?
Start your day by drinking the cumin water (jeera paani) on an empty stomach. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds in one glass of water and let it boil until it is reduced to half. Strain the water and let it cool a bit. You can drink it warm with some honey and lemon juice added. Having jeera paani on an empty stomach boosts your metabolism thus promoting weight loss in the body.
For your meals (lunch and dinner), you can use cumin in endless ways. It can be used as a whole spice while sautéing your curries, rice and vegetables; in ground form on raitas, fruit chaats, marinating chicken and fish, or in making masalas like garam masala. Jeera powder is also a main ingredient in making everyone's favourite street food gol gappe.
Try these recipes that have cumin as the hero ingredient!