Ajwain (also known as carom, ajowan, or bishop’s weed), is an uncommon spice except in certain areas of Asia. It is the small seed-like fruit of the Bishop’s Weed plant, egg-shaped and grayish in color. The plant has a similarity to parsley. Because of their seed-like appearance, the fruit pods are sometimes called ajwain seeds, seeds of bishop’s weed, or bishop seeds.
Ajwain is often confused with lovage seed; even some dictionaries mistakenly state that ajwain comes from the lovage plant. Ajwain is also called ‘owa’ in Marathi and ‘vaamu’ in Telugu.
Raw ajwain smells almost exactly like thyme because it also contains thymol, but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as slightly bitter and pungent. It tastes like thyme or caraway, only stronger. Even a small amount of raw ajwain will completely dominate the flavor of a dish.
In Indian cuisine, ajwain is almost never used raw, but either dry-roasted or fried in ghee. This develops a much more subtle and complex aroma, somewhat similar to caraway but “brighter”. It is used for making a type of paratha, called ‘ajwain ka paratha’.
It reduces flatulence caused by beans when it is cooked with beans. It may be used as a substitute for cumin as well. It is also traditionally known as a digestive aid and an antiemetic.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
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