Cumin Powder, How To Make & Use It

Learn How to make Cumin Powder at home – a quintessential of Indian cooking. Homemade Cumin Powder is pure, with a burst of flavors, easy to make and is more economical. Cumin is the seed of the flowering plant cuminum cyminun which belongs to the Apiaceae family. Apart from imparting an earthy, smoky and delicious flavor to the food, cumin also provides some nutritional and health benefits.

It is basically used in 2 different forms – 1. Whole seeds and 2. Ground form which is known as ground cumin, cumin powder and jeera powder (in Indian languages). While it is commonly used in the Indian sub-continent, it is also used in the Mediterranean region, Latin America, North Africa, Mexico and the Middle East.

In Indian cooking, the whole seeds are usually added to hot oil or ghee. This process known as tadka or tempering brings out the complex flavor and aroma of the spice. Whereas cumin powder is added to dishes while simmering (curries/gravies) or at the finishing stage like in stir fry dishes, soups, salads, chaats etc. It plays a very important role in a recipe and it cannot be substituted with the whole seeds and vice versa.

New to spices? Explore more about Indian Spices here.

Why Homemade Cumin Powder?

Just like homemade Curry Powder, Chai Spice, Biryani Masala and Garam Masala, homemade cumin powder is more flavorful than the store bought bottled one for the simple reason that ground spices oxidize and begin to lose their real flavor overtime. Store bought ground spices can never have the same amazing depth of flavor as the homemade one.

So I always make it at home in small batches. All you need is good quality whole cumin seeds, preferably organic or at least NON-GMO kind & a good spice grinder. Store bought ground cumin comes in 2 kinds.

1. Raw cumin powder where the seeds are simply ground without roasting. This is mostly labelled as ground cumin. This kind of ground cumin is always added while simmering/ cooking dishes like curries, soups etc.
2. Roasted cumin powder which is made by roasting the seeds first. Then they are ground. This kind of powder can be used while simmering, finishing or for garnishing. It is also known as bhuna jeera powder.

Why Roasting is Important?

Whole cumin seeds naturally taste sharp and slightly bitter. Roasting them not only reduces these sharp and bitter tastes but also enhances the flavor profile by releasing a more earthy and warming flavors. Once you begin to use the roasted cumin powder you will never want to go back to the unroasted one. Also this step of roasting makes it more shelf stable and lasts longer.

However unroasted ground cumin can be used in marinades, grilled dishes, fried foods, soups and stews where it is added much earlier in cooking.

Making your own cumin powder at home is a 2 step process. The first step is to roast the whole seeds on a really low heat to bring out the aroma. Then they are cooled down and ground in a spice grinder to a very fine powder. Stored in a clean air tight glass jar, this homemade ground cumin retains its flavor for 2 to 3 months.

So this well-known spice not only flavors & adds nutrition to your dishes but also has immense potential to work on the overall body system.

Recipes using Cumin
Jeera water
Jeera Aloo
Cumin/Jeera rice
Chicken Tikka Masala
Butter Chicken

Photo Guide

Step-by-step photos to make Cumin Powder

1. Add cumin seeds to a pan.

2. Begin to dry roast on a medium heat stirring often for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Once they become hot, turn down the flame to lowest and keep stirring. Within 1 to 2 minutes, they will begin to smell good, earthy, strong and aromatic. They will also turn slightly deeper in color. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Keep stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes after taking it off the heat. Cool completely.

4. Add them to a spice grinder and grind in intervals of 30 to 50 seconds until fine.

5. Scrape down the sides with a spoon and grind a little longer if needed.

6. If you do not have a powerful grinder, sieve it and grind the coarse ground spices again. Let the cumin powder cool down completely after grinding. Store in a air tight glass jar and store it in pantry for 2 to 3 months. If stored in the refrigerator it keeps good for 6 months or even longer. If you make it in larger quantities, store them in separate smaller jars and use them one after the other so the flavors remain intact for longer.

How to Use Cumin Powder?

You can sprinkle this in your stir fry dishes, curries, soups, salads, chaats etc. It is best to use this when you are about to finish in stir fry and soups. To use it in curries, use it along with coriander powder or garam masala. To use it in raita, salads and chaats, sprinkle as much when you are serving.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card