The culinary use of black seed throughout history
The black seed is widely known as a delicious culinary ingredient.
Countries that have used black seed for cooking are mainly in the Mediterranean
regions including India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan since that is where the spice
originates. In old Latin black seed was called, ‘panacea’ meaning ‘cure-all’
while in Arabic it is termed as ‘habbat el baraka’ translated as ‘seeds of
blessing’.
In India and Pakistan, it is called ‘kalonji’ while in China it is
referred to as hak jung chou. Nigella seeds have a pungent aroma and its taste
has notes of onion, oregano, and black pepper. In India and Pakistan, it is used
in a variety of curries including achar gosht and naan. Black seed is also drunk
with milk to make it taste better in these regions.
In Turkey, people have used
black seed for cooking for centuries. It is added to various types of bread as
well as other pastries. In ancient Egypt, the physicians of the time were well
known to carry bags of the seed to administer to people with stomach problems
which were prevalent amongst the upper classes who indulged in festivities where
overeating was the norm.
In addition, Egyptians have used black seed in culinary
to preserve lemons in pickles. This seed was also found entombed in Egyptian
pharaoh Tutankhamen’s remains, which date back to 1323 bc.
Egyptians also used
the black seed to make dukkah, a traditional condiment consisting of mixed herbs
and spices. Famous British chef Nigella Lawson has endorsed her namesake spice,
Nigella Sativa in her famous lamb ribs recipe. The British also use it as a
topping on scrambled eggs and in soups.
The Persians used black seed for cooking
on a flatbread known as naan-e-berberi, which is also centuries old. Perhaps
cooks in these regions noticed the properties of the black seed, which is why
they used it so commonly in their dishes. And what can be a better ingredient to
add than one, which has some notable properties and adds a superb flavor to the
dishes it’s added to. It is no wonder that black seed has been mentioned in the
old testament and was also quoted by the holy prophet Mohammed (pbu).
The
followings are some recipes in which you can include black seed into your diet.
Panch Phoron It is a very famous mixture, used in Bangladesh and Northern India.
That consists of five seeds or spices as “Panch” means “five” in Bengali, and
“phoran” means “spice.” The blend, made of equal parts (one tablespoon) of the
following seeds: cumin, fennel, nigella, fenugreek, and mustard seeds. We gather
these seeds and mix them all together. Then, we can store the mixture in an
airtight container or use it in any recipe. In Asia, it is commonly used as a
delicious blend with chicken meats, roasted vegetables, bread before baking.
Qizha (Black Seed) Paste It is a traditional Palestinian black seed paste. It is
made from crushed nigella seeds. The paste has a sharp, bitter taste with slight
tones of sweetness. Ingredients of Qezha: 2 cups of all-purpose flour/ half cup
of sugar Half cup of olive oil / 1 cup of semolina Half cup black seeds (qizha)
paste (made of ground black nigella seeds and ground black sesame seeds in a
50/50 ratio). 1 quarter cup warm water/ quarter cup rosewater (TFD endorses only
Cortas brand) Half teaspoon baking powder/ quarter teaspoon baking soda Skinless
Marcona Almonds, cut into halves/ sugar syrup at room temperature After
preparing the ingredients, you can start making qizha by these instructions: In
a large pan, roast flour over medium heat and stir frequently until it turns
lightly gold (this usually takes about 10 minutes). Leave aside to cool
slightly. In a bowl, mix the sifted-roasted flour with the dry ingredients
(Semolina, baking powder and baking soda) except the sugar. Add olive oil and
Qizha paste and rub with hands until the semolina absorbs all the liquids.
Dissolve sugar and in warm water, add rose water and add it gradually to Qizha
mixture and Rub the dough until it is smooth. Now lay the dough into an
ovenproof pan. Using a knife, cut the dough into small square-shaped treats,
garnish with almonds (add one almond to each piece). Place the pan in the lower
level of the oven at (180-degree C) for about 10-15 minutes until it gets crispy
from the bottom then roast the top for 5 to 10 minutes. Take out of the oven,
add sugar syrup over the cooked pie and let cool before serving. Dukkah It is an
Egyptian spice mixture that consists of toasted hazelnuts, cumin, nigella seeds,
coriander, and sesame seeds. This blend can be ground into a powder or left
chunky and crunchy. Here are the steps to make dukkah: Toast the hazelnuts,
cumin, nigella seeds until they’re starting to smell nice. Add the sesame seeds,
so they get a chance to toast as well. Remove the nuts and seeds from the heat
and transfer them to a food processor. Add the spices and process the mixture
until everything is broken down. That is all, it is very simple and quick that
would only take about 10 minutes to make. 4. Moroccan Chicken Tagine with
Nigella Seeds It is a traditional Moroccan dish, a tagine dressed up with
Nigella seeds (or sanouj in Moroccan Arabic), impart a light oregano-like
essence to this classic Moroccan chicken tagine. Here are the ingredients: 1
whole chicken (with or without skin, cut in half or into pieces) 1/4 to 1/3 cup
olive oil 1 medium onion (sliced into rings) 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 3
or 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, (toasted
lightly and ground) 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (toasted lightly and left whole)
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon turmeric 3/4 teaspoon ginger 3/4 teaspoon white
pepper 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled 1 cinnamon stick (optional) 1/2
preserved lemon (cut into 2 quarters, optional) A handful of red or violet
olives (optional) 1/3 cup water A handful of cilantro sprigs (tied into a
bouquet) Here are the steps to make Moroccan Chicken Tagine with Nigella Seeds:
Pour the olive oil into the base of a tagine or the bottom of a wide pot or
Dutch oven. Distribute the sliced onion over the bottom. In a bowl, toss the
chicken with the chopped onion, garlic, ground nigella, whole nigella, and
spices. Arrange the chicken bone side down in the center of the tagine or pot
and distribute the chopped onions all around. Swirl 1/3 cup of water in the bowl
to clean it of the spices, then add the water to the tagine or pot. Garnish the
tagine with the cilantro bouquet, lemon, and olives. Nigella (black seed) Tea
Ingredients: A Cup of water 2 tablespoons Organic Black Seeds honey(optional)
dash vanilla extract(optional) Black Seed Oil Instructions: Pour A Cup of water.
grind the black sesame seeds and place them in a large mug. put the cup of the
boiled water over the sesame seeds and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Flavor with
honey or vanilla as desired. Enjoy this tasty drink. **Alternatively, you can
mix together 1tablespoon Black Seed Oil with tablespoons 1-2 honey and add to
your preferred tea or beverage to obtain the benefits.
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