Ajwain

Ajwain seeds come from a plant related to cumin and caraway, and they taste strongly of thyme with a peppery finish. They are called ajwain in Hindi, omam in Tamil and carom seeds in English, and are sometimes labelled bishop's weed. Cooks rub them into dough for ajwain parathas, puris, mathri and namak pare, stir them into besan batters for pakora and bhaji, and sprinkle them into fish and chicken marinades.

Ajwain is strong, so a little is enough: half a teaspoon flavours a batch of dough for a family. It suits heavier foods, which is why it turns up with beans, root vegetables and fried snacks. Look for greyish brown, aromatic seeds, and crush one between your fingers to check that it smells sharp at once. It pairs well with kalonji in breads and with cumin seeds in dals.

Rub ajwain between your palms before adding it to dough or batter to release the oils. In a tempering it needs only a few seconds in hot ghee. Whole seeds keep well sealed, and there is rarely a reason to buy it ground. For fried snacks made with it, browse mathri and papdi, and for other seeds see whole spices.