Deep fry until golden brown and drain on a kitchen towel.Mix the flour, eggs, milk, butter and salt with a little water to make a thin batter. Serve hot with some spicy sauce or mayonnaise. A healthy choiceRoasted cumin seed powder is added to buttermilk to aid digestion and enhance flavour. Stir it until mixed properly. Amongst the foremost is jeera or cumin, known to man since the Biblical times. Chef Qiguo Su specialises in Sichuan cuisine, one of China’s eight regional culinary traditions and the most popular world over. I was surprised to learn that cumin plays an important role in this regional cuisine as well. Add spring onion, oyster sauce and stir-fry for a minute. Cumin may also be pounded with other spices in mixtures such as curry powder, crushed cumin seeds may be used as a seasoning for buttermilk, salads, raita, soups, etc.

Now stir in the mango pulp. In this mélange of flavours there are some spices (just a handful) that are used China toggle bolts Suppliers in regional cookery across the length and breadth of the country. Add lamb and keep aside to marinate for one hour.Surprisingly, I learnt that cumin is not merely restricted to Indian cooking.Then return lamb to wok, add soya sauce and stir-fry for another one to two minutes.Heat oil in the wok and add lamb, let it sear a moment, then deep fry until lamb is cooked and remove from wok. From the rice meat curries of Kashmir to the coconut-based ones of the South as well as traditional Gujarati vegetarian dishes and river fish recipes from Bengal, this gentle spice is an integral ingredient. Together with black peppercorns and coriander seeds, cumin is used to prepare the popular south Indian rasam,” shares Sous Chef Lakhbir Singh, Ssaffron Restaurant, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru. The presence of thymol and other essential oils in cumin seeds stimulate the salivary glands thereby helping in the digestion of food. Cumin is commonly used to temper many other legume and tandoori preparations, to enhance the flavour and aroma.

A multifarious spice that is an essential ingredient in every kind of regional cuisine, cumin or jeera is a staple in kitchens across Asia, says Fareeda Kanga. As I was all set to research this story in the great Indian kitchens across the country, I was introduced to Chef Qiguo Su, Executive Chinese Chef, Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru. Churan AamrakhandMango-flavoured yoghurtseasoned with cumin powderIngredients:30 gm mango pulp80 gm sugar 5 gm cashew nuts (4)4 gm roasted jeera powder150 gm fresh yogurt MethodFor curdTie fresh curd tightly in muslin or cheesecloth for draining water, hang it for two hours Take the hang curd and whisk it, beat it well to a smooth pasteFor MangoTake mango pulp and strain it.”Indian food is different not just from region to region but home to home. Check the seasonings and serve. Sichuan cuisine is recognised for its hot and spicy delicacies resulting from the liberal use of bold and spicy ingredients including garlic and chilli peppers.Add roasted jeera powder. Do check the date of packaging before the purchase. Dip each roll in beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs.

Pour this mixture into serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator for two hours and serve cold.Cumin fried lambWok fried with garlic, oyster sauce and spring onionIngredients:120 gm lamb, boneless slice20 ml vegetable oil25 gm cumin seeds3 gm garlic chopped5 gm red chilli dry1 gm white pepper powder3 gm soya sauce2 gm chilli powder5 gm spring onions25 gm oyster sauce30 gm cornstarch1 egg20 gm salt1 big onionseedMethod:In a bowl combine egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper.Process Add sugar to the curd little by little while whisking continuously.Lamb pantras — crispy pancake filled with lamb minceIngredientsFor 4 portions400 gm flour3 eggs200 ml milk50 gm butterSalt to taste500 gm mutton, minced1 onion, chopped10 gm ginger, chopped10 gm garlic, chopped100 gm potatoes, peeled and cubedChilli powder10 gm garam masala powder5 gm cumin powder10 gm coriander powderOil for deep frying500 gm bread crumbsFoodMethodOn low heat, cook the mince along with the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, potatoes, chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt with half cup of water till the potatoes are soft and the mince is cooked.

Dal is tempered with cumin seeds to give it a warm and comforting flavour.“Dishes using lamb and chicken often have a smattering of cumin much like Indian cooking,” says Chef Su as he prepares a delectable cumin fried lamb, wok fried with garlic, oyster sauce and spring onion in the majestic settings of his restaurant.Again heat oil the wok, add cumin seeds and dry red chilli and stir-fry a few seconds until cumin seeds start to pop.A versatile spice“The seeds should be lightly roasted before being used whole or ground to bring out the aroma.Heat oil in a deep pan.. Cool and keep aside. Make thin crepes on a flat pan, cooking them on one side only.Place each crepe on a plate; add a tablespoon of mince mix on one end and roll up tucking in the sides as you would a spring roll. Cumin seeds and cumin seed powder should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place.When purchasing ensure that the seeds are not broken and have a fresh and crisp texture.Ask any Indian to define ‘Indian food’ and he will be dumfounded. But a foreigner will have a ready answer “chicken tikka masala or aloo tikki