Degchi
Kalonji
Also written: nigella seeds, black seed, kalo jira
- Urduکلونجی
- Hindiकलौंजी
- Banglaকালোজিরা
Kalonji is nigella seed: tiny, matte black and teardrop shaped. Bangla recipes call it kalo jira. It is a different spice from zeera, which is cumin.
It is almost always used whole, and usually in fat. In Aloo ki Bhujia it goes into hot oil with whole red chillies, cumin, fennel and fenugreek and sizzles for 30 seconds before the curry leaves and potato follow. Aloo Posto starts with kalonji in hot mustard oil for about 30 seconds as well. In Beguni, the seeds are whisked straight into the gram flour batter with turmeric and red chilli, so you meet them in the crisp coating.
Keep the timing short. Kalonji is done as soon as it crackles and smells toasty; once it darkens further it turns bitter, and burnt seeds cannot be rescued.
Buy small amounts in a sealed jar. Add it with the other whole spices at the start, not at the end of cooking.
Recipes that use it
3 of our 247 recipes call for kalonji. Here are a few to start with.
- Aloo ki Bhujia (Dry Spiced Potatoes)
- Aloo Posto
- Beguni (Fried Eggplant Fritters)
- Achar Gosht (Pickle-Spiced Mutton Curry)
- Nimki (Savoury Crackers)
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