CUMIN/JEERA BISCUITS AND A POST ON A SPICE-CUMIN

CUMIN/JEERA BISCUITS

A POST ON A SPICE-CUMIN

#Edited- This recipe was featured on Joy's love food on 11th April 2016. Check here

Cumin seeds are very small in size and brown in colour. They are mainly used in Indian, middle eastern, north African, western Chinese and in Mexican cuisine. It is the main spice of curry powder. Cumin seeds are used because of its distinctive flavour and aroma. Once it is added to a dish, even when the dish is cold, you can still smell the aroma of this great spice. These days cumin has been globally recognised as a great spice and I have seen chefs in different cuisines using cumin because of its aromatic values and health benefits.

I remember when I was working as a teacher, sometimes I carried my lunch with me to school. I normally took things which I could eat as it is, at room temperature, because in our small department room there was no facility of heating food in the microwave. Whenever I had cumin in my food, my colleagues admired the flavour from my dish. On many incidences, they were complaining that why was I carrying food for myself only. On many instances they told me, “Your food is smelling so nice, you should bring this type of aromatic lunch for all of us”. I really liked their compliments and complaints. I still miss those days, when I was working as a teacher.

Cumin is extremely good for digestion and its many related problems, it means we should include cumin in our everyday consumption of food items. That is exactly the way, cumin seeds are used in Indian cuisine, it is used in almost all curries, lentil preparations, biryani/pilaf, in many vegetable dishes as well as in many savoury snacks and biscuits.

In Indian cuisine, we use cumin seeds in three forms, the seeds. its powder and roasted seeds powder. We lightly dry roast cumin seeds and then grind them in a dry grinder, this roasted cumin seeds powder has an awesome aroma. It is used in many savoury snacks, in vegetable/fruits salads, in different chutneys and raitas/yoghurt preparations. Cumin seeds can be roasted in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a frying pan.

Cumin seeds are considered to be a good source of iron, magnesium and other vitamins and minerals. There are varieties of health-benefits of this spice. Check this website-

Cumin is used as medicine in Ayurveda (Traditional healing system of India). In Ayurveda, diseases are cured with natural things available in our nature like fruits, flowers, herbs, spices etc. People in Asia are using and applying the principals of Ayurveda in their life from thousands of years.

According to this website some of the Ayurvedic health-benefits of cumin are that it dispels gas, eliminate toxins, is a mild laxative and is anti-inflammatory. Check this website -

This is a very healthy and simple recipe in which I have used whole wheat flour. These biscuits have a lesser amount of sugar and butter compared to other cookies, and I made them bite size, so they can be enjoyed more. They can be enjoyed with evening tea or coffee.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• Whole wheat flour 1 and 1/4 cup/brown bread flour
• Butter 1/4 cup
• castor sugar 1/4 cup
• Milk 1/4 cup
• salt 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 tbs
• baking powder 1/4 tsp

METHOD

• Take whole wheat flour in a big bowl and mix baking powder in it
• Then add sugar, salt, and cumin seeds
• Add butter and mix well, then add milk, mix well and divide the dough into two parts.
• Heat oven to 150 degrees C
• Roll one ball on the flat surface and give any shape using a cookie cutter.
• Spread them on a tray on a parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes, till they turn into light brown colour.

I am sending this recipe as a blog post entry for Healthy Happy and green party and for Tasty Tuesday, and Meatless Monday and what'd you do this weekend.and with Way wow link party and Hearth and soul link party, and with Cook blog share and Welcome home Wednesday party, and with My two fav things on Thursday, and with Full plate Thursday, and with Yum yum linky party, and with Sweet inspiration link party.and with Real food Friday and Fiesta Friday with co-host Julie., with Sunday Food and fitness party, and with Bake of the week,

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