5 Aromatic Seeds in Pakistan

“Yum! She’s cooked her world-famous Chicken Biryani, and uh,  Qurma with Nan, maybe. Oh, and is that Sheer?” Perhaps, you’ve already visualized the look of today’s table when you’re only around the corner of the street. But how? Some super-sonic smelling power or your love for food? Well, the truth is, it’s not either of the two. The reason that you, the neighbors, and everyone else in the vicinity can tell about a tempting traditional dish getting cooked in a particular house, is its aroma. Surprisingly, the saporous aroma forms the essence of Pakistani Cuisine. It happens to have its distinct flavors and fragrance, owing to the use of some extraordinary, nutritional, scented seeds.

Aromatic seeds such as those mentioned below, form a fundamental ingredient of every other dish in Pakistani Cuisine. Let’s learn more about the five of these most commonly used aromatic seeds in Pakistan.

1. Coriander Seeds

The Coriander seeds first originated from southern Europe and the Near East gets grown all around the world today. The stalk grows up to 60-centimeters, which is equivalent to 2-feet.  The pink-tinged Coriander plant has delicate and lacy flowers. The Coriander seed itself is a small, slightly oval, and bleached-appearing with a considerably spicy flavor. As an ingredient, the Coriander seeds are very valuable, which get used in various Eastern dishes like curries along with Spanish food. Apart from its usage in roll, cheese, and bread, the Coriander seeds get added to all types of Karahi, Kebab, Curries, and much more. The seeds typically enhance food quality by bringing an ancient taste and flavor.

2. Cumin Seeds

Native to Egypt, the parchment colored Cumin seeds come from pale-pink flowers. Some believe that these tiny boat-shaped seeds offer a flavor resembling that of the caraway. And undeniably, their aromas are indistinguishable.

Possessing a warm and earthy flavor, the taste of cumin seeds is a combination of both sweetness and bitterness. It gets used in rice dishes, baked beans, chili powder, barbeque sauce, rye bread, bakery food, meat dishes, and whatnot. Only a teaspoon or two of mildly hot cumin seeds can bring about the typical Eastern flavor to food.

3. Fennel Seeds

Long-time back, Romans found out about these prized ingredients named Fennel Seeds that were native to the Mediterranean. With two broad divisions, there are two types of Fennel Seeds called Perennial Fennel and Annual Florence Fennel. The Perennial Fennel is long, feathery, with its golden flowers surrounded by hard green leaves in the autumn. Whereas, the Annual Florence Fennel has green leaves. It is a lower-growing type with bulbous and edible stems. Although Funnel Seeds get used by a combination of both, it is better to use more Annual Florence Fennel. In Pakistan, these sweet Fennel Seeds get used in certain dishes like Achari Gosht and traditional Mithai. The flavorful and strong aromatic nature of Fennel Seeds significantly augments the quality of the dish. Sometimes, Fennel Seeds are dried and eaten after meals due to its digestive benefits and other medicinal properties.

4. Mustard Seeds

The Mustard is a native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, though today the plant gets cultivated in many countries. The plant reaches up to 3-feet in height and has bright yellow flowers. The Mustard Seeds may vary in colors ranging from red to yellow. With tender young leaves and cress, the plant is an excellent garnishing herb. However, the Mustard Seeds also adds in an intense flavor to Pakistani dishes. Some people consider Mustard Seeds too hot to eat. However, they are very nutty to bite on. The aromatic seeds release a distinct flavor with a mild tang of mustard.

5. Cardamom Seeds

Perhaps, we all are well-acquainted with the Cardamom Seeds, aren’t we? Well, the Cardamom plant is a perennial plant that originates from Pakistan and India. The plant gets best valued for its small, irregularly shaped seeds that possess a cool, strong, eucalyptus-scented flavor. The Cardamom Seeds get mostly used in Pakistani curry powder blends and sweets. Sometimes, it is added to Kheer to create an exotic taste and an exquisite appearance. Often, people use crushed Cardamom Seeds in pastry mixtures, cakes like coffee cake, bread, and even fruit dishes. You can even add a pinch of crushed Cardamom Seeds in black coffee for an augmented flavor.

Conclusion

The aromatic seeds in Pakistan are used widely to bring out that sensational and intense taste we all crave every day. Now that you know about the five aromatic seeds that get commonly used in Pakistan. Try out enhancing your daily meals with the appropriate usage of the seeds.