Ajwain (carom seeds): the Polish name and how to use it

Ajwain are small grey-brown seeds with a sharp, herbal taste close to thyme. In English they are carom seeds; in Polish, "kminek koptyjski" (sometimes "ajowan"), and packs often spell it ajwan. Indian cooks add a little to breads, fried snacks in batter and dal.

What ajwain is

Ajwain are the fruits (seeds) of a plant from the same family as cumin, dill and coriander. The seeds are small and ridged and look a little like caraway. That is where the likeness ends.

The taste is strong. A crushed seed smells like dried thyme, only sharper, with a bitter note and a slight cooling feel on the tongue. So ajwain is used sparingly: a pinch changes the taste of a whole batch of dough, and a spoonful can overpower it.

Ajwain in Polish: names to look for

• ajwain, ajwan, ajowan: the Hindi name and its spellings,
• carom seeds: English,
• kminek koptyjski: Polish.

Take care with the word "kminek". On its own, in a Polish shop, it means caraway, the seed in rye bread. Caraway is a different plant with a different taste. For ajwain you need "kminek koptyjski" or a pack that says ajwain or carom seeds.

How to use ajwain in cooking

• Bread dough: a pinch in the dough for paratha, puri, kachori or mathri. You can see the seeds in the finished bread and taste them in every bite.
• Batter for pakora and bhaji: in the gram flour (besan) batter for vegetable fritters.
• Tadka for dal: a few seeds in hot ghee with cumin and garlic.
• Fish marinade: in Punjabi cooking ajwain goes into the chilli and besan marinade for fried fish (Amritsari fish).
• Snacks: namak pare, crisp strips of wheat dough, and various namkeen mixes.

Two practical tips. Rub the seeds between your palms before adding them to dough, to release the aroma. In hot fat, fry them only for a few seconds, until they sizzle, because burnt ajwain is bitter.

Simple recipe: ajwain paratha

Ingredients for 4 parathas:

• 2 cups wholemeal wheat flour (atta),
• ½ teaspoon ajwain,
• ½ teaspoon salt,
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee for the dough,
• water to knead,
• ghee for frying.

Method:

1. Mix the flour with the salt. Rub the ajwain between your palms over the bowl.
2. Add the oil and pour in water a little at a time. Knead a soft, smooth dough.
3. Cover the dough and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Divide into 4 balls. Roll each into a round, brush with ghee, fold into quarters and roll out again.
5. Cook on a dry, hot pan or tawa. When brown spots appear, turn it over, brush with ghee and cook the other side.

Serve with yoghurt, pickle or dal. More versions, including one stuffed with potato, are in our post on aloo and lachha paratha.

What to use instead of ajwain

Dried thyme ("tymianek" in a Polish shop) is the closest taste; use about the same amount or slightly more. For pakora batter, add a pinch of thyme and a little cumin. Caraway is not a good substitute: it smells quite different.

How to store ajwain

Keep whole seeds in an airtight jar away from light and heat. Whole seeds keep their aroma much longer than ground. Ground ajwain (ajwain powder) is handy for marinades, but buy it in smaller packs.

Where to buy ajwain in Poland

At Little India you can buy Suhana carom seeds (ajwan), 400 g, a smaller pack of MDH ajwain seeds and roasted ajwain powder. Other whole spices are in the whole spices category. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders across Poland.

If you are building a spice shelf from scratch, start with our Indian spices starter kit.