Scroll to Recipes with Cumin Seeds / जीरा as ingredient

Cumin seeds are from cumin which is a native of Southeast Asia, also inclusive of the Middle East and belongs to the  Apiaceae family.


Each of its seeds is consisting of a fruit that is dried up. The dried fruit of the herb Cuminum cyminum is used in cuisines. It is available in both-whole and ground form.

Cumin is enhancing the flavor and aroma for cooking. It gives an earthy, warm and also a slightly bitter flavor.

Commonly called as

Commonly, cumin is called jeera.

Language Name Written as
Arabic kamun كمون
Bengali Jirā জিরা
Gujarati Jīruṁ જીરું
Hindi jeera जीरा
Malayalam jīrakaṁ ജീരകം
Marathi Jirē जिरे
Kannada Jīrige ಜೀರಿಗೆ
Tamil Cīrakam சீரகம்
Telugu Jīlakarra జీలకర్ర
Urdu Jira جیرا
Sanskrit jiraka जीरक

Benefits

Helps in Digestion

Cumin is used for digestion purposes just as much it is used for cooking.

Cumin activates the digestive proteins more in our system. And because of that, the digestion process is sped up. Hence, our digestion is improved.

Source: PubmedCentral

Contains Iron in a huge amount

Iron is essential for the making of red blood cells in our body. Cumin is rich in iron naturally. Limited food items are naturally possessing this amount of iron as cumin.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can help in weight loss

A study supported this benefit cumin offers. It helped people lose weight with daily consumption of cumin for weeks.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

May be helpful with Diabetes

According to research, anti-diabetic properties are found in the spices commonly used in everyday cooking. Cumin also possesses that property and helps in the prevention of the disease.

Source: Pubmed Central

May possess Anti-Inflammation properties

Cumin extracts may contain anti-inflammatory effects. Although. it is still not clear if it really helps with inflammation in our body.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

May help in preventing foodborne illnesses

Cumin helps prevent infectious bacteria present in food to grow. Thus, the reduction in the growth of the bacterias helps with the prevention of the illnesses caused because of it.

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Side Effects

Though there is not enough evidence available on it yet Cumin has to lead to miscarriages in the past. So it is not beneficial for pregnant ladies to use it.

Cumin also slows down blood clotting. So it can be harmful to those who suffer from blood disorders.

Cumin can lower your blood sugars. People diagnosed with diabetes needs to keep their blood sugars in check if they use cumin more.

Cumin can also cause diarrhea, gas, bowel spasms.

Source: drugs.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What flavor does cumin bring?

Ground cumin adds an earthy, spicy, nutty warm flavor with a bit of bitterness to it.

Does chili powder contain cumin?

Blends of a chili powder mainly consist of its chili peppers. But some other ingredients are also inclusive in small amounts including cumin.

Does cumin contain capsaicin?

Cumin does not contain capsaicin. Yet the main chemical in cumin is very similar to capsaicin, giving it its peppery taste.

Is cumin anti-inflammatory?

The essential oil extracted from cumin is found to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Source: Pubmed Central

In which dishes cumin is used?

Cumin can be used in both whole and powdered form. It is used in many blends in powder form as well as individually. People use it commonly in a curry as a whole, and in powdered form as well.  Besides, cumin seeds are also used in cooking for tempering the dishes.

Is cumin an anticoagulant?

The medicines that help in preventing blood clotting are anticoagulants, given to people at high risk of clotting. Cumin also causes blood clotting to slow down.

Source: rxlist.com

Is there a difference between black cumin and cumin?

The color difference, with black cumin being darker is prominent. But besides that significant difference, its aroma also differs. Black cumin produces thinner seeds in comparison and its aroma is also less pungent. Moreover, black cumin’s flavor is more reminiscent of fennel and is sweeter.