Herbs & foods10 min
Kalonji (nigella seeds): in naan, pickles and panch phoron, and as a hair oil
The small black, onion-flavoured seeds sprinkled on naan and in achaar are kalonji, also called black seed or nigella. Popular in both Ayurvedic and Unani traditions, kalonji is easiest to enjoy in food, and its oil is a favourite scalp treatment.
The Ayurvedic view
Known in Ayurveda as upakunchika or krishna jiraka, kalonji is described as pungent, bitter and heating, stimulating digestion and relieving gas, colic and kapha conditions such as congestion. In Unani and Islamic tradition, black seed is highly revered. Its active compound, thymoquinone, is being studied for anti-inflammatory effects; small studies suggest it may modestly help blood sugar, BP and cholesterol, but it isn't a treatment for them.
Ingredients
- Kalonji seeds
- For panch phoron: equal parts kalonji, jeera, saunf, methi and rai (mustard)
- For hair: 1 teaspoon kalonji oil mixed with 2 tablespoons coconut or sesame oil
How to prepare
- Mix the five seeds for panch phoron and store in a jar.
- Warm the hair oil blend gently.
How to use
- Sprinkle kalonji on naan, parathas, kulchas and savoury biscuits before baking or cooking.
- Add ½ teaspoon panch phoron to hot mustard oil as the tadka for aloo, pumpkin, dal or tomato chutney.
- Use kalonji in mango, lemon and mixed vegetable pickles.
- Massage the diluted oil blend into the scalp an hour before washing, once or twice a week.
Helpful habits
- Kalonji is sometimes wrongly called onion seed or black cumin — shahi jeera is a different spice.
- Lightly toast seeds to bring out their nutty, peppery flavour.
Precautions
- Food amounts are safe for most people. Avoid concentrated kalonji oil or capsules in pregnancy and in children.
- Supplements may lower blood sugar and BP and slow clotting — check with your doctor if you take medicines for diabetes, BP or blood thinning. Continue prescribed treatment.
- Patch test the oil blend; undiluted kalonji oil can irritate the skin.
