Kalonji is the
Hindi term for
Nigella seeds. Kalonji refers to small black seeds grown on Kalonji bushes, which are grown widely through
India. The
plant may have originally been grown in
Turkey and/or
Italy, but according to herbal lore has been grown in India for several millennia. Kalonji is both
flavoring, added to a variety of traditional foods, and an herbal remedy that has been touted as the magic bullet for a variety of ailments.
Kalonji or Nigella seeds are very small seeds which can also be bought in ground form. They are similar to
wild onion seeds, but not related to onions. Kalonji have a light nutty taste, but bitter. They are used in dishes of
fish, baked into Naan, or sprinkled over
vegetables.
Kalonji seeds are about the same size as
sesame seeds, though they have a more triangular instead of oval shape. In
foods, Kalonji seeds are used in various
recipes. They may be added to traditional
Indian flatbread (
Naan), any type of
curry or
stew, and to Dal. Lovers of these little black seeds praise their nutlike, somewhat peppery taste. To make this
taste most evident, Kalonji may be prepared first by
roasting in a pan without necessarily using oil because Kalonji has already a high oil content
Sometimes the seeds are used to make oil. Howeever, it is rare to find such oil outside of India or
Arabic countries, but nowadays, it can be ordered online. It is normally used more though as an herbal remedy than as cooking oil, and may be present in a variety of lotions or ointments to treat skin conditions.
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