Cumin

Properties: carminative, stimulant, antispasmodic, galactagogue

History comes alive as we trace the movement of cumin. Native to the Nile Valley, it naturally spread to neighboring countries of northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and east to Asia where warm weather and direct sunlight provide ideal growing conditions. In the 8th century A.D., the Moors (Muslims of northwest Africa) conquered southern Spain, introducing cumin there too. Spanish explorers later carried it to Mexico in the New World where it remains tremendously popular in dishes, such as tamales. Not surprisingly, it found its way across the US-Mexico border and is a key ingredient in “Tex-Mex” dishes. And so as we browse through recipes of the Middle East, North Africa, India, Europe, Mexico, and the American Southwest, we can more fully understand the well-established place of this worldwide spice.

The Middle East

FALAFEL

2 cups chickpeas
4 onions
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Soak chick peas overnight. Remove skins and put chick peas through a meat grinder with onions and garlic. Grind twice using a fine screen (Alternatives are mashing by hand or using a food processor). Combine with parsley, spices, and soda. Knead well and leave to rest about 30 minutes. Drop by teaspoonful into deep, hot fat and fry until browned on both sides. Drain. Serve hot.

North Africa

COUSCOUS

2 cups couscous
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups water or chicken broth
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup dark seedless raisins
1 large onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or mint
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring water or chicken broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a rolling boil. Add couscous. Cover and take off heat. Let stand about 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Melt butter in the couscous and then fluff with a fork. Saute onions and carrots in remaining olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Add spices and stir for one minute. Combine the vegetables and spices with the couscous and serve.

India

In India, cumin powder is roasted and sprinkled on top of salads or yogurt as a garnish. Cumin seeds are also roasted with other spices and included in dishes. Here is a recipe for a cucumber and tomato yogurt salad from Monisha Bharadwaj’s book The Indian Spice Kitchen (p. 23).

KHIRA TAMATER KA RAITA
(Cucumber and Tomato in Yogurt)

1 medium cucumber, finely chopped
2 teaspoons corn oil
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 1/3 cups yogurts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons coriander leaves, chopped
salt

Combine the yogurt with the cucumber, tomato, salt, and sugar. Heat the oil and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When crackling has stopped, pour the seeds and the oil over the yogurt. Serve cold, garnished with coriander.

USA

CINCINNATI CHILI

1 quart water
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
2 large onions, chopped
1 six-ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
3 whole bay leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder

Crumble raw ground beef into water. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer three hours. Remove garlic and bay leaves. Serve with grated cheese and onion as a garnish.

CUMIN TEA

To make a cup of cumin tea, use one teaspoon of crushed seeds per cup of boiling water.