How to Heat Black Cumin Seeds to Cook With
Black seeds, also known as Nigella sativa, black cumin and haba al-barakah must be heated prior to use. Black seeds are very tart and harsh on the stomach in their original form. To heat them you simply place a small amount, 1/2 cup to 1 cup in a dry skillet on very low heat. Every few minutes stir the seeds and taste them to see if the tartness is gone. The seeds should have a very bland taste. Once the seeds are bland, remove them from the stove and allow to cool before grinding.
To grind, use a small coffee grinder to get that very fine texture. Blending may leave the seeds in a rougher state. I use a Krups coffee grinder and I have had wonderful results with it for years. A coffee grinder can be used for all of your spice needs such as oregano, mint, flax , pollen and more. Heating Seeds to Not Cause them to Lose Efficacy In a recent study at the UAE University in United Arab Emirates they investigated the use of Nigella sativa, onion and garlic on mice who had gastric ulcers. They used boiled Nigella sativa and their findings showed 100% that boiling the seed changed nothing. So as I have said for years, heat your seeds before grinding them so they do not upset your stomach. http://www.dovepress.com/comparative-effect-of-garlic-allium-sativum-onion-allium-cepa-and-blac-peer-reviewed-article-RRMC |