Grow Your Own Magazine

I am making nan bread to go with curry for dinner tonight. The recipe calls for onion seeds. Just wondered, do I have to buy special ones for cooking with or can I use the leftovers from my onion sowing?

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

No worries, made them without onion seeds.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

*wonders if my invite got lost in the post*

If I am not mistaken the onion seeds often referred to in Indian recipes are nothing to do with onions but are in fact Nigella seeds.

I wouldn't like to say if they are one and the same as the Nigella flower plant - but its name would suggest it is closely related!

Seeds for sowing would probably be named varieties, thus more expensive. If you need them for cooking (also mustard seeds) try your local health food or ethnic shops.

Blooming long drive for a curry

Thanks for the advice folks, will ask my friendly local Indian restaurant owner if I can have a spoonful. Shouldn't be a problem as he gets most of my chilli production in the summer!

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Yes, the 'onion seeds' you use in your naan bread etc ARE nigella. To my mind they don't bear any relatonships - they aren't an allium - but the seeds have a lovely smoky aroma. They do look like onion seeds though! You can get them on supermarket spice shelves.

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 29th 2008

don't put sowing seeds in your cooking - in case they are treated with fungicides etc

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Yes- exactly my thoughts!!!! - (or germination inhibitors)

Are the Nigella seeds same as love-in-a-mist?
anyone ever used leek or onion seeds in cooking? just a thought really, as I wondered if they tasted of onion?

I've used them - they don't taste of onions but have a lovely aromatic smell as Flummery says. I don't know if they are the same as love-in-a-mist, but the culinary ones are also known as kalonji as well as nigella and onion seed.

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Dwell simply ~ love richly

Yes, they are love in a mist. However, I'd only cook with the ones from the spice counter - unless I saved my own. You never know what the seed companies are treating them with.

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 29th 2008

For those of you who make chutney, they are a tasty addition.