Indian Spice - Carom seed/Omam/Ajwain - (GLOSSARY) - what is carom seed (ajwain)?, culinary uses of carom seeds (ajwain) in Indian cooking, how to purchase and store carom seed (ajwain)?

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What is Carom Seed?/Ajwain Seeds Uses/Omam Seeds Uses/Ajwain Seeds Uses

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• ABOUT - "CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS"
• APPEARANCE OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN
• FEW INDIAN REGIONAL OR VERNACULAR NAMES OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS
• FLAVOUR OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS
• INDIAN CULINARY USES OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN
• NORTH INDIAN CUISINES
• TANDOORI CUISINE
• SOUTH INDIAN CUISINES
• INDIAN BAKERY FOODS
• TIPS TO BUY AND STORE CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

ABOUT - "CAROM SEED/AJWAIN SEEDS"

Carom seeds are commonly known as Ajwain in Hindi, Omam in Tamil, Bishop’s weed, Caraway, and Carom seed in English. It is an annual herb belonging to the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family of plants. Carom seed (ajwain) is a seed-like fruit used as an edible spice in cooking as well as for traditional ayurvedic medicines. It has been in use since ancient times.

APPEARANCE OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

Carom seeds (ajwain) are tiny, crescent-shaped seeds with ridges, and they are light brown, and uniform in colour. The freshest seeds will have a herbal aroma.

FEW INDIAN REGIONAL OR VERNACULAR NAMES OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

Tamil name – Omam.

Hindi name – Ajwain.

Malayalam name – Ayamodakam.

Marathi name – Ova.

Gujarati name – Yavano/Ajmo.

Telugu name – Vamu.

Punjabi name – Ajwain/Ajowan.

Odia name – Juani.

Urdu name – Ajwain.

Nepali name – Jwano/Javano.

Bengali – Jowan.

FLAVOUR OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

Carom seeds (ajwain) have strong thyme and anise-like flavour – and a little goes a long way. When you chew on raw ajwain seeds, your mouth fills with a hot, bitter flavour that is so intense it momentarily numbs the tongue a bit. The spice always must be cooked to take away the numbing impact of the raw seeds. The longer it cooks, the mellower it gets.

Quick-Cooking Tip

To enhance the flavour of carom seeds (ajwain), first, fry them in a little oil until it deepens in colour or dry-roast them for 1 minute.

INDIAN CULINARY USES OF CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

Carom seeds (ajwain) are a popular spice in India – where it’s prized not only for their ability to add zest to curries and aroma to bread and biscuits but also for their power to cure everyday ills. Many Indians are more likely to drink a little omam water (ajwain seeds steeped in warm distilled water) – than to take medicine for headache, heartburn, cough medicine for a cold, and allergies.

NORTH INDIAN CUISINES

Carom seeds (ajwain) are the staple ingredient in most North Indian cuisine. It is one of the cuisine’s defining spices, in Gujarat.

Bihari, Chhattisgarhi, Punjabi, and Himalayans use ajwain regularly in their cooking.

Ajwain is the pre-eminent spice in North Indian vegetarian snacks. It also has a great affinity for starch.

FOR EXAMPLE

Snack recipes like SAMOSA, MATHRI or MATTHI, BHAJIYA, FAFDA, and other fried food like AMRITSTARI MACHCHI, Indian bread like PARATHA, PURI and many more.

In the picture - Ajwain Paratha Recipe/Carom Seeds Paratha Recipe

For the detailed Ajwain Paratha Recipe/Carom Seeds Paratha Recipe. Kindly, click the below link -
🔗Ajwain Paratha Recipe/Carom Seeds Paratha Recipe

They are also added during the TADKA (TEMPERING). Ajwain-based tadka (tempering) is mostly used in dal-based curries, various root vegetable dishes, seafood, and meat dishes.

Carom seeds (ajwain) are a key ingredient in many spice blends especially CHAAT MASALA and PICKLE MASALA. It adds a unique taste to pickles and also helps in improving the shelf-life of pickles.

In the picture - Ajwain Mathri Recipe/Mathri Recipe/Punjabi Mathri Recipe

For the detailed Ajwain mathri recipe. Kindly, click the below link -

🔗Ajwain Mathri Recipe/Mathri Recipe/Punjabi Mathri Recipe

TANDOORI CUISINE

Tandoori cookery is an Indian method of cooking over a charcoal fire in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven. Meat, Poultry, and vegetables are marinated in various spices and yoghurt for several hours and threaded on long skewers that are placed vertically in the tandoori clay oven and cooked for a few minutes.

Carom seeds (ajwain) are commonly used spice in various tandoori marination. The whole ajwain seed adds a distinctive taste to the tandoori dishes.

SOUTH INDIAN CUISINES

Like the North Indians, the South Indians are also using carom seeds (ajwain) widely in their fried foods.

FOR EXAMPLE

OMAM PODI.

Omam podi is a savoury deep-fried food from Tamilnadu. It is very similar to North Indian SEV. However, sev is simply made with Besan flour (Bengal gram flour), salt, turmeric, hing and oil. On the other hand, Omam podi is mainly flavoured with OMAM (ajwain) in addition to besan flour, rice flour, salt and oil.

In the picture - Omapodi Recipe/Sev Recipe

Carom seeds are a versatile ingredient. It can be used to make both sweet and savoury dishes.

FOR EXAMPLE

Omam flavoured murukku, laddoo, various appalam (papad) and many more.

In the Southern part of India, carom seeds (ajwain) are widely used in medicinal foods like RASAM, MARUNDHU KUZHUMBU (MEDICINAL CURRY), LEGIYAMS (HERBAL JAM), KASHAYAM (HERBAL DRINK) and many more.

Carom seeds (ajwain) are known for healing wounds quickly and are also known for increasing milk secretion in new mothers. And that’s the reason, ajwain is always included in the new mother’s diet.

Quick-Cooking Tip

CAROM SEED (AJWAIN) + SEAFOOD = FLAVOURFUL COMBO.

Ajwain and seafood are a flavourful combination. Adding a little amount of ajwain to any fish curries enhances the overall flavour of the food.

INDIAN BAKERY FOODS

Carom seeds (ajwain) are a popular spice used to flavour various Indian bakery items. It adds a unique taste to baked foods.

Ajwain flavoured COOKIES, PUFFS, and bread are some of the baked foods served during teatime along with Indian chai.

Carom seeds (ajwain) are one of the healthiest spices, which have been used as a folk remedy since ancient times. We also must include carom seed (ajwain) regularly in our diet. The above are some of the recipe ideas using carom seeds (ajwain). You could innovatively use ajwain in your cooking.

TIPS TO BUY AND STORE CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS

Carom seeds (ajwain) are easily available in any Indian store and also in the online market.

When buying carom seeds (ajwain), look for freshness, and moisture-free, and always buy the whole seeds and the recently dated products.

HOW TO STORE CAROM SEEDS/AJWAIN SEEDS/OMAM SEEDS?

You can easily store carom seeds in an air-tight container in a cool and dry place. If stored properly, they stay fresh for 2 years.

Quick Tip

When storing carom seeds (ajwain) ensure that the lid is tightly closed to retain the freshness and aroma.

HAPPY COOKING!
with better ingredients for better food.

Do try the recipe with "Carom seeds/Omam seeds/Ajwain seeds"

🔗Ajwain Mathri Recipe/Mathri Recipe/Punjabi Mathri Recipe
🔗Methi Thepla Recipe/Thepla Recipe/Gujarati Methi Thepla Recipe
🔗Ajwain Paratha Recipe/Carom Seeds Paratha Recipe
🔗Ajwain Aloo Sabzi Recipe/Carom Seeds Potato Masala Recipe