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Nigella seeds

Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Nigella seeds

Small, matt-black, angular seeds with an onion-and-pepper flavour, used on naan and in tempering.

Also called: kalonji, black onion seeds, kalo jeere, charnushka

A kind of spices

18 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Afifa Afrin, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Nigella seeds (kalonji) are tiny, jet-black, teardrop-angular seeds with a mild onion, oregano and pepper taste. They are often wrongly called onion seeds or black cumin, but they are neither. Unlike black sesame (round, flat, nutty) or mustard seeds (round), they are angular and matt.

Nigella sativa

How it’s used

  • Sprinkled on naan, breads and simit
  • Panch phoron and Bengali tempering
  • Pickles
  • Sprinkled on cheese and salads in the Middle East

Characteristics

Taste
Onion-like, peppery, slightly bitter.
When cooked
Crackles and becomes fragrant in hot oil within seconds.
Sold as
whole
Cooking uses
Used for tempering (tadka), Mainly a seasoning, Suitable for baking, Used as a garnish

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar away from light; keeps well whole.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Black sesame or a pinch of dried oregano — For bread toppings and look; flavour differs.

Related ingredients

Recipes with nigella seeds

See all 18

6 more

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