Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Shahi jeera (black cumin)

Thin, dark, curved seeds with a sweet, smoky cumin scent, used in biryani, kormas and Kashmiri cooking.

Also called: shah jeera, shahjeera, kala jeera, black cumin, royal cumin, kashmiri jeera, zireh siah

Around the world: शाही जीरा, काला जीरा (hi) · زیره سیاه (fa)

A kind of spices

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

What it is

Shahi jeera is the seed of Bunium persicum, a wild and cultivated plant of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Himalaya, including Kashmir. It looks like a darker, thinner, more curved cumin seed. It tastes sweeter, gentler and slightly smoky. Some shops sell caraway under the same name; caraway is lighter brown and a little larger.

Bunium persicum

How it’s used

Bloomed in ghee for biryani and pulao rice
Mughlai and Kashmiri meat dishes
Shahi garam masala and biryani masala

Characteristics

Taste: Sweetish, earthy and less bitter than cumin.
Aroma: Warm and faintly smoky, with a hint of caraway.
When cooked: Burns faster than cumin in hot fat; add it to ghee over medium heat.
Sold as: whole
Cooking uses: Used for tempering (tadka), Mainly a seasoning
Common in: Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Iranian