Using Cumin in Bengali & Indian Cooking Explained

Cumin, widely known as jeera in India, is one of the most commonly used spices in Indian cuisines. This spice is used for its rich aroma and pungent flavour.

Cumin seeds are a powerful seasoning agent whereas ground cumin is used for flavours, especially in North Indian cooking.

Cumin seeds make a wonderful pairing with mustard seeds for preparing vegetarian dishes. Cumin spice is used in masala paste and marinades.

Cumin is basically a native to the Mediterranean basin. There is evidence to suggest that the spice has been used for more than five thousand years in this region.

Uses of Cumin in Bengali & Indian Cuisines

It is impossible to imagine any flavourful main course dish without cumin.

Kadhai paneer or mixed vegetable curry won’t taste the same without this wonderful spice.

Its contribution towards making any veg or non-veg dish yummy is undeniable and so it is a much-loved spice in the Indian households.

Cumin is also used in a variety of snacks and stews.

Should You Cook with Cumin?

Definitely! Cumin adds a strong and spicy flavour to any dish. It disperses throughout cooking and brings an instant depth to whatever you are whipping up.

Cumin takes the taste of any veg or non-veg recipe to just another level.

As it is a very powerful flavouring agent, therefore, you should use it in the right proportion in respect to other spices and ingredients; otherwise, the dish will taste slightly bitter.

If you are using cumin seeds, add it to the mildly hot oil. Usually cumin seeds are used for seasoning along with other whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms etc.

Sauté them for a few seconds. When they emit smells, add vegetables or non-veg items.

What Foods Can You Put Cumin on?

You can sprinkle cumin over chatpata (easy to make) snacks. It is mixed with a few other spices to make flavourful chaat masala.

In addition to using it in cooking, you can put cumin on a number of vegetable and non-veg stews. It works well with carrot soup.

For flavour and taste enhancement, use it on eggplant, peppers, cabbage and tomato soup.

If you are making a mixed-veg soup with cabbage, carrot, beans, lentils, potatoes and tomatoes, cumin will add a magic touch to its taste.

Cumin also goes well with chicken and lamb soups.

Which Cumin is Best for Cooking?

It depends on the kind of dish you are cooking. If you are preparing any curry, use ground cumin along with other spices.

But if you are more for flavours than spiciness, use whole cumin seeds at the start of cooking.

Flavour of cumin will permeate through oil or ghee and thus, will infuse other ingredients.

When Should You Add Cumin While Cooking?

You can directly add cumin to the veg or non-veg items at times of cooking.

But the best way to use this spice is to mix it with other spices and a little bit of water for a fine paste and then add the blend to cooking.

It will prevent the spices from getting burnt.

Does Cumin Make Food Spicy?

Cumin, when used in ground form, makes food probably bit spicy. But when used as a whole spice, it works as a seasoning agent.

This is typically wonderful in nature and makes it perfect. All you need here is the idea to make the dish tasty and at the same time perfect.

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