Recipes with cumin seeds

Texiana shrimp and rice, Tex-Mex one-pot with green chiles, toasted cumin, oregano, and shrimp simmered into pilaf-style rice. Border-state weeknight seafood main with cilantro and scallions on top.

Cucumber mint raita with plain yogurt, grated cucumber, fresh mint, roasted cumin seeds, and cayenne. A cool Indian condiment ready in 10 minutes with no cooking.

Potato curry (Aloo Matar) with cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne, simmered until tender and finished with yogurt and green peas. A classic Indian vegetarian dish with whole spice flavor.

Sweet lassi blended with plain yogurt, ice water, lemon juice, and sugar, topped with crushed cumin seeds. A cooling Indian yogurt drink ready in minutes.

Indian nut masala paste made from toasted cumin, cardamom, poppy seeds, and peppercorns ground with almonds, garlic, and fresh ginger. Keeps for a month.

Shahi Gobi is a Punjabi cabbage dish where batter-fried slices are simmered in a spiced tomato-onion gravy with garam masala, cumin, and coriander. A rich vegetarian curry with deep, layered flavors.

Big-batch beef and pork chili con carne with four kinds of beans, plantain (or banana), molasses, and a deep spice blend. An overnight-marinated chili built for slow simmering and serving a crowd.

Homemade curry powder toasted and ground from whole spices for vibrant, complex flavor that blows away store-bought blends and keeps for six months.

Roasted eggplant and vegetable pate with charred eggplant, yellow peppers, ginger, jalapeno, cumin, and lime. A smoky vegan spread for crostini, crackers, or sandwich filling. Keeps a week.

A quick South Indian-style bell pepper curry with mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, peanuts, and chickpea flour for a nutty golden crust. Ready in 15 minutes. Serve with dal and rice.

Delicious and dramatic, this dish is a mosaic of colors. It's easy enough to make for a simple family dinner but impressive enough to serve to guests.

Crispy pan-fried potatoes seasoned with toasted cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cayenne, and loads of fresh basil. Eat them straight from the pan or wrap in a tortilla with cool yogurt for a quick, spiced meal.

Syrian noodles with lentils is a hearty one-pot vegetarian stew of cumin and coriander-spiced lentils simmered until tender, then finished with broken vermicelli. High-fiber comfort food that feeds six for pennies.

Slow cooker Southwestern beef and pinto beans with salt pork, red chili, cumin seeds, and tomato paste. Set it and forget it for 9-10 hours of hands-off cooking.

This is a very colorful and tasty arrangement of marinated and then skewered and grilled vegetables and fish. The marinade, called chermoulla, is a blend of fragrant seasonings, oil, and lemon juice. In this version I've suggested my favorite vegetables for kebabs. You should choose your own favorites; some other good choices are eggplants, mushrooms, and onions.

A fragrant South Indian curry powder toasted from whole spices: cumin, black mustard, fenugreek, curry leaves, dried chili, and urad dal, ground fresh. Keeps for four months in a jar.