Ajwain / Carom Seeds

Ajwain/Carom is used in small quantities and is almost always cooked. In Indian cooking, the spice is often part of the tadka in a dish.

In Indian recipes, Ajwain is used in curries and as a tadka in pakoras and dals, as well as a flavoring in bread. Middle Eastern recipes incorporate carom to boost the flavor of meat and rice dishes and as a preservative in chutneys, pickles, and jams.

Ajwain (pronounced uj-wine) is a seed-like fruit often used in Indian cooking as part of a spice mixture. It looks similar to fennel and cumin seeds and is highly fragrant, smelling like thyme. Its taste, however, is more like oregano and anise due to the bitter notes and strong flavor. Because of its pungency, a little goes a long way. Grown in India and Iran, ajwain, also known as carom seeds or bishops weed, is rarely eaten raw and instead is cooked before adding to a recipe. It is sold in both seed and powder form, although cooking with seeds is more common.