Degchi
Dalchini (cinnamon)
Also written: cinnamon, darchini, daruchini
- Urduدار چینی
- Hindiदालचीनी
- Banglaদারুচিনি
Dalchini is cinnamon, usually sold as a curled stick of bark. In South Asian cooking it is a savoury spice as often as a sweet one: it goes into pulao, meat curries and chai, not just desserts.
It almost always goes in whole, early, and in hot fat. Beef Bhuna and Hasher Mangsho fry sliced onion with a bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom until deep golden, so the spices flavour the oil that the whole dish is built on. Morog Polao fries whole garam masala, with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and a bay leaf, for 30 seconds until fragrant. Masala Chai simmers a piece with ginger, cardamom and cloves for 4 minutes before the tea.
A small piece is enough. The flavour is strong and slightly sweet, and a big stick can take over a pot of rice. In Freekeh Chicken it simmers in the broth with an onion, salt and spices.
Most people pick the stick out before eating, or leave it on the side of the plate. Store sticks in a closed jar; they last far longer than ground cinnamon, which fades fast.
Recipes that use it
20 of our 247 recipes call for dalchini (cinnamon). Here are a few to start with.