Alternative:Nigella

Nigella

| Ingredients  | Spices and herbs

Nigella, also kalonji (कलौंजी or कलोंजी - Hindi), kezah (קצח - Hebrew), charnushka (Russian), çörek otu (Turkish), habbah Albarakah (حبه البركه - Arabic), siyah daneh (سیاه‌دانه - Persian).

Nigella is a small, black seed of the plant Nigella sativa. Is is used as a spice across the Middle East and South Asia, providing a bitter taste and a faint smell of strawberries. It is one of the spices that make up the Bengali Five-Spice Mix, Panch Puran.

Nigella is often used in vegetable dishes. The seeds are roasted with other whole-seed spices such as cumin and coriander before being added to the main meal to simmer for a while. Nigella is also traditionally sprinkled on top of some types of naan.