Either ground or whole, this versatile spice adds a world of flavour to the Indian palate .
When it comes to digestive disorders, my mother never looks for an antacid, as other mothers do. She turns to the kitchen cabinet where lies the humble little spice, jeera or cumin seeds, with its magical therapeutic properties.
Just three glasses of jeera water (jeerakavellam) a day, can spell doom for all digestive problems like flatulence, stomach pain, indigestion, diarrhoea and nausea.
Known for its distinctive and appetising aroma, cumin/jeera gives dishes a hint of hot and bitter taste. Being an important spice in garam masala, it adds a powerful and pungent flavour to almost all the Indian delicacies. It can be added whole in our everyday preparations like rice, curries, soups, rotis, parathas and lentil preparations.
Health benefits of cumin
Consuming water, to which a teaspoon of cumin has been added and left to stand overnight is beneficial in relieving acidity and a bloated feeling. Cumin also stimulates enzyme production that breaks down fat, sugar and starch in food. A teaspoon of cumin provides 7 per cent of the daily requirement of iron to the body.
This helps keep anaemia at bay. Cumin's essential oils and dietary fibre make it a natural laxative. Consuming water that has been boiled with a teaspoon of cumin in it gives relief from morning sickness during pregnancy. It is believed this also helps in easing labour pains and child birth. Consuming whole cumin in food improves the quantity of breast milk in new mothers.
Sipping warm jeera water helps rehydrate the body and rejuvenate senses. Ground cumin mixed with a little water is said to heal boils, prevent infection in minor wounds and cure insect bites as well. A dash of cumin powder in your herbal face-pack aids in treating skin issues.
Warm jeera water is safe for children who are colic. The anti-microbial properties of jeera help in getting rid of worms and parasites from the intestine. Gargling with jeera water keeps your mouth fresh smelling and helps in healing mouth ulcers. Jeera stimulates the secretion of bile. It boosts the ability of the liver to detoxify the body.Try out these delectable delights with the flavour of cumin.
Jeera Rice
Ingredients: Basmati rice or Sona Masoori rice — 1 cup, onion — 1 (finely chopped), green chilly — 1 (halved), butter or ghee — 2 tbsp, whole jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tbsp, cloves — 2, cinnamon - a small piece, fried capsicum rings - a few, chopped coriander leaves — 1 teaspoon (for garnish) and salt to taste.
Method: Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 20 minutes before preparation). Heat butter in a non-stick handi, add cloves, cinnamon and the whole cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle, tip in the chopped onion and green chilly.
When the onions are lightly browned, add the drained rice and sauté for two minutes, making sure you don't break the rice grains. Add two cups of water, salt and cook on low fire till rice is soft and fluffy. Garnish with fried capsicum rings and coriander leaves. Serve with any vegetarian or non-vegetarian gravy dish.
Jeera Aloo
Ingredients: Baby potatoes (boiled) - ½ kg, whole cumin — 2 tsp, chopped coriander leaves — 2 tbsp, a green chilly (halved), turmeric and red chilly powder — ½ tsp each, lemon juice — ½ tsp, salt to taste and oil — 2 tbsp.
Method: Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into cubes. Heat oil in a kadai, add the whole jeera. As the jeera splutters, add the green chilly and fry for about half a minute. Tip in the potato and sauté till they are lightly brown. Add turmeric, chilly powder and salt. Coat the potato cubes with the masala. Drizzle some lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas, rotis or any rice-curry dish.
Jeera Chicken
Ingredients: Chicken cut into medium-sized pieces — ½ kilo, garlic -— 7-8 cloves crushed, ginger paste — 1 tsp, green chillies - 2 (cut into halves), cinnamon - a small stick, cloves — 4, whole black pepper — ½ tsp, onions - 2 (finely chopped), whole jeera — 3 tbsp, jeera and coriander powder - 1 ½ tsp, garam masala powder — ½ tsp, tomatoes — 2 (ground to a paste), 2 tablespoons of oil and salt to taste.
Method: Heat oil in a pan, add whole jeera, cinnamon and cloves. Fry chopped onions till light brown. Add the crushed garlic and the ginger paste and sauté for a while. Tip in the chicken pieces, sprinkle some salt and sauté for about two minutes. Add all the masala powders. Mix well to coat all the meat with the masala.
Add the tomato paste and salt as required. Cover and cook till chicken is tender. Remove the lid and allow the moisture to evaporate fast.Garnish with green chillies and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, rotis or as a starter.
Jeera Rasam
Ingredients: Whole jeera — 2 tbsp, whole pepper corns — 1 tbsp, garlic — 6 cloves, red chillies — 2, tamarind paste —2 tsp (diluted in a glass of water), tomato —1 (roughly chopped), mustard, curry leaves and asafoetida for the tadka, salt to taste and oil.Method: Dry roast the cumin, pepper corns and red chillies till they turn light brown. When cool, grind the masala with garlic and tomato.
Heat a little oil in a deep pan, add a pinch each of mustard seeds and asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour in the masala paste and fry it for about two minutes. Now add the tamarind water and another glass of plain water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Garnish with freshly-chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice. Rasam can be served as a drink after a meal.
Sour-spicy Fish Curry
Ingredients: Fish - ½ kilo, whole cumin - 2 tbsp, garlic - 6 cloves, dried red chillies - 5, onion - 2 (chopped into slices), curry leaves - 1 sprig, oil - 2 tsp, salt to taste, tamarind water - 1 cup.
First, add about two pinches of salt to the tamarind water. Marinate the fish pieces in this water for at least half an hour. Drain the fish piece of water and save the tamarind water. Grind cumin, garlic, red chillies and onion to a fine paste. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the masala paste till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Now, add the tamarind water, curry leaves and about half a cup of water. Season with salt. Boil the gravy till it thickens. Slide in the fish pieces one by one and cook for about 7-8 minutes, upturning the fish slices once in a while.
Tip: Cumin powder does not have a long shelf-life, so go for whole cumin. Look for fresh and good quality seeds. Make sure you store cumin in air-tight containers to lock in the aroma.
When it comes to digestive disorders, my mother never looks for an antacid, as other mothers do. She turns to the kitchen cabinet where lies the humble little spice, jeera or cumin seeds, with its magical therapeutic properties.
Just three glasses of jeera water (jeerakavellam) a day, can spell doom for all digestive problems like flatulence, stomach pain, indigestion, diarrhoea and nausea.
Known for its distinctive and appetising aroma, cumin/jeera gives dishes a hint of hot and bitter taste. Being an important spice in garam masala, it adds a powerful and pungent flavour to almost all the Indian delicacies. It can be added whole in our everyday preparations like rice, curries, soups, rotis, parathas and lentil preparations.
Health benefits of cumin
Consuming water, to which a teaspoon of cumin has been added and left to stand overnight is beneficial in relieving acidity and a bloated feeling. Cumin also stimulates enzyme production that breaks down fat, sugar and starch in food. A teaspoon of cumin provides 7 per cent of the daily requirement of iron to the body.
This helps keep anaemia at bay. Cumin's essential oils and dietary fibre make it a natural laxative. Consuming water that has been boiled with a teaspoon of cumin in it gives relief from morning sickness during pregnancy. It is believed this also helps in easing labour pains and child birth. Consuming whole cumin in food improves the quantity of breast milk in new mothers.
Sipping warm jeera water helps rehydrate the body and rejuvenate senses. Ground cumin mixed with a little water is said to heal boils, prevent infection in minor wounds and cure insect bites as well. A dash of cumin powder in your herbal face-pack aids in treating skin issues.
Warm jeera water is safe for children who are colic. The anti-microbial properties of jeera help in getting rid of worms and parasites from the intestine. Gargling with jeera water keeps your mouth fresh smelling and helps in healing mouth ulcers. Jeera stimulates the secretion of bile. It boosts the ability of the liver to detoxify the body.Try out these delectable delights with the flavour of cumin.
Jeera Rice
Ingredients: Basmati rice or Sona Masoori rice — 1 cup, onion — 1 (finely chopped), green chilly — 1 (halved), butter or ghee — 2 tbsp, whole jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tbsp, cloves — 2, cinnamon - a small piece, fried capsicum rings - a few, chopped coriander leaves — 1 teaspoon (for garnish) and salt to taste.
Method: Wash and soak the rice in water for at least 20 minutes before preparation). Heat butter in a non-stick handi, add cloves, cinnamon and the whole cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crackle, tip in the chopped onion and green chilly.
When the onions are lightly browned, add the drained rice and sauté for two minutes, making sure you don't break the rice grains. Add two cups of water, salt and cook on low fire till rice is soft and fluffy. Garnish with fried capsicum rings and coriander leaves. Serve with any vegetarian or non-vegetarian gravy dish.
Jeera Aloo
Ingredients: Baby potatoes (boiled) - ½ kg, whole cumin — 2 tsp, chopped coriander leaves — 2 tbsp, a green chilly (halved), turmeric and red chilly powder — ½ tsp each, lemon juice — ½ tsp, salt to taste and oil — 2 tbsp.
Method: Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into cubes. Heat oil in a kadai, add the whole jeera. As the jeera splutters, add the green chilly and fry for about half a minute. Tip in the potato and sauté till they are lightly brown. Add turmeric, chilly powder and salt. Coat the potato cubes with the masala. Drizzle some lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with parathas, rotis or any rice-curry dish.
Jeera Chicken
Ingredients: Chicken cut into medium-sized pieces — ½ kilo, garlic -— 7-8 cloves crushed, ginger paste — 1 tsp, green chillies - 2 (cut into halves), cinnamon - a small stick, cloves — 4, whole black pepper — ½ tsp, onions - 2 (finely chopped), whole jeera — 3 tbsp, jeera and coriander powder - 1 ½ tsp, garam masala powder — ½ tsp, tomatoes — 2 (ground to a paste), 2 tablespoons of oil and salt to taste.
Method: Heat oil in a pan, add whole jeera, cinnamon and cloves. Fry chopped onions till light brown. Add the crushed garlic and the ginger paste and sauté for a while. Tip in the chicken pieces, sprinkle some salt and sauté for about two minutes. Add all the masala powders. Mix well to coat all the meat with the masala.
Add the tomato paste and salt as required. Cover and cook till chicken is tender. Remove the lid and allow the moisture to evaporate fast.Garnish with green chillies and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice, rotis or as a starter.
Jeera Rasam
Ingredients: Whole jeera — 2 tbsp, whole pepper corns — 1 tbsp, garlic — 6 cloves, red chillies — 2, tamarind paste —2 tsp (diluted in a glass of water), tomato —1 (roughly chopped), mustard, curry leaves and asafoetida for the tadka, salt to taste and oil.Method: Dry roast the cumin, pepper corns and red chillies till they turn light brown. When cool, grind the masala with garlic and tomato.
Heat a little oil in a deep pan, add a pinch each of mustard seeds and asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour in the masala paste and fry it for about two minutes. Now add the tamarind water and another glass of plain water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Garnish with freshly-chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice. Rasam can be served as a drink after a meal.
Sour-spicy Fish Curry
Ingredients: Fish - ½ kilo, whole cumin - 2 tbsp, garlic - 6 cloves, dried red chillies - 5, onion - 2 (chopped into slices), curry leaves - 1 sprig, oil - 2 tsp, salt to taste, tamarind water - 1 cup.
First, add about two pinches of salt to the tamarind water. Marinate the fish pieces in this water for at least half an hour. Drain the fish piece of water and save the tamarind water. Grind cumin, garlic, red chillies and onion to a fine paste. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the masala paste till it leaves the sides of the pan.
Now, add the tamarind water, curry leaves and about half a cup of water. Season with salt. Boil the gravy till it thickens. Slide in the fish pieces one by one and cook for about 7-8 minutes, upturning the fish slices once in a while.
Tip: Cumin powder does not have a long shelf-life, so go for whole cumin. Look for fresh and good quality seeds. Make sure you store cumin in air-tight containers to lock in the aroma.