Imagine a main course dish or appetiser without jeera (cumin)? Can you? Aloo ki sabzi or kadhai paneer wouldn't be the same without this amazing ingredient. The immense contribution of this wonder ingredient in an Indian household is undeniable with it being an integral part of curries, snacks or stews. Cumin is a flavourful spice that is considered to be one of the oldest ones in culinary world. According to the book, "Flavour of Spice", Marryam H. Reshii, cumin is native to the Mediterranean basin and has been around for centuries. "There is evidence that cumin was in use in parts of the world over 5,000 years ago. They were excavated at a site in Syria and have been dated to 2000 BCE. In fact, even the Bible has a mention of cumin, mustard seeds and coriander."
Besides being one of the most versatile spices that is used across several dishes and cuisines, cumin also has multiple health benefits. Apart from having anti-inflammatory antioxidants, cumin also boasts of having antibacterial and antiseptic properties. According to the book 'Healing Foods' by DK publishing, "cumin can help relieving a host of tummy issues, nausea, bloating, constipation and fortify digestive tract."
(Also Read: 15 Incredible Benefits of Jeera Water for Your Skin, Hair and Health)
Let's look at some incredible health benefits of including cumin in our daily diet:
1. Strengthen Immunity System: Cumin is rich in vitamin C, which helps boost the immunity system. The antibacterial and antiseptic properties keep the infections at bay. The most popular way to consume jeera (zeera or cumin) that keeps the diseases away is to prepare zeera water at home. It helps to maintain the normal functionality of the immune system, fights diseases and reduces the chances of falling sick.
2. Good For Detox: The presence of aldehyde, thymol and phosphorus as primary components of cumin make the spice a good detoxifying agent.
3. Boosts Digestion: One of the most significant benefits, cumin is known to aid digestion-related issues. As per experts, thymol, a compound in cumin, stimulates the enzymes and enables better secretion of digestive juices.
4. Good For Skin: Vitamin E is known to be one of the most skin-friendly antioxidants and with a considerate amount of Vitamin E in cumin, it helps keeping the skin tight, moist and supple.
With these and many more benefits of cumin, no wonder it is one of the most used ingredients in Indian households. Just in case you are wondering what else you can cook in the kitchen besides the very beneficial zeera water, we've got you covered with some of the most delicious ways to add the wonder spice to your diet.
5 Best Jeera (Cumin) Recipes To Cook At Home:
1. Cumin Chicken (Jeera Chicken)
A perfect appetiser to prepare for your next party at home, jeera chicken is a pan-fried chicken snack packed with flavourful spices such as pepper, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger-garlic and, of course, cumin. Serve with mint chutney and onion rings for a mouth-watering feast.
2. Jeera Vegetables
A delectable melange of veggies and spices that is sure to take your taste buds on a ride! With the goodness of baby corn, carrots and spinach puree and a host of spices, including red chilli, ginger-garlic and cumin along with the tang of lime, this is an easy and quick recipe to prepare for your next meal.
(Also Read: Top 13 Veg Recipes Under 30 Minutes | Quick Veg Recipes)
3. Aloo Jeera
The quintessential lunch dish, aloo jeera is something we all must've cooked or relished homemade every other day with piping hot parathas. A simple yet delicious dish, aloo jeera comes with flavourful spices sautéed with potatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric and cumin seeds tossed together.
4. Jeera Rice
Comfort food at its best, jeera rice is a simple, easy and quick recipe to prepare at home. Made with just a few ingredients such as onion, cumin seeds, salt, lime and oil, tossed with long grained rice, jeera rice is a great lunch recipe to prepare easily at home.
5. Jeera Aloo Palak With Lasan Chutney
An extraordinary tea-time snack, here is a recipe packed with the goodness of spinach and potato along with a pungent garlic chutney atop whole wheat biscuits! A mix of jeera aloo palak on a sweet and crunchy biscuit is something you wouldn't have had before.
Reap in the benefits of cumin with these innovative yet amazing recipes that you can try at home. Let us know your favourite one in the comments section below.