Cumin seeds have a peppery and nutty flavor that is packed with a punch. They are used in Mexican, Tex-Mex, Indian, and Middle Eastern food- just to name a few. You may find yourself using it so often that you run out, which is why we are going to give you the best 5 cumin substitutes.
Do you know that the cumin has got excellent health benefits? It has the basic ability to help improve immunity, assist in digestion and even treat respiratory disorders.
If you check out cumin seeds, you can see that they somewhat resemble caraway seeds, which are oblong, longitudinally ridged, and are yellow-brown in color. It is not surprising to know that both caraway and cumin belong to the same flora family.
Check out the cumin substitutes below.
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Health Benefits of Cumin
Even though there are various cumin substitutes, cumin is something that ranks among the best food ingredients in Indian, Mexican and Eastern cooking. Of course, you might feel that this is an ordinary food item, but it has got abundance of health benefits. Let’s check some of the health benefits of cumin:
- Essential Energy And Immune Functionality
Do you know that cumin seeds are one of the best and excellent sources of iron? Iron plays a major role in our body, being an integral part of hemoglobin. It helps in transporting oxygen to the lungs and to all the cells of the body.
- Good For Digestion
Cumin seeds are also good for digestion. Cumin has a compound called thymol that stimulates the glands that secrete enzymes, bile, and acids that are responsible for complete digestion of the food in the stomach and the intestines. It also can relieve you of gas issues.
- Weight Loss
Cumin is rich in antioxidants and phytosterols. Phytosterols prevent the absorption of harmful cholesterol in the digestive tract. Cumin also helps balance your blood sugar levels. These characteristics are how cumin helps with weight loss.
Cumin Substitute: 5 Great Ingredients
If you can't find cumin for your recipe, you should try these 5 best cumin substitutes:
1. Caraway Seeds
Caraway and cumin are both the part of the parsley family. They are similar in appearance and taste. Cumin has a hotter and stronger flavor so you may use more of the caraway seeds than the amount of cumin seeds your recipe calls for. You can also ground caraway as a replacement for ground cumin.
2. Ground Coriander
Being another member of the parsley family, ground coriander can be used as a substitute for cumin. It has the same lemony and earthy flavor of cumin, but lacks the heat.
3. Chili Powder
Do you know that the cumin is considered as one of the major ingredients used in the chili powder? So you can use it as a substitute for cumin, but you will want to use much less of it than your recipe calls for cumin because it has a much spicier flavor.
4. Garam Masala
This is an Indian spice that contains cumin. It is quite similar to cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves. Garam masala will help bring out the complex sweet, earthy, spicy and citrusy flavors in your dish. In addition, the color will be same as the cumin, so the appearance of the recipe will be quite similar.
5. Curry Powder
Curry powder is one of the best substitutes for cumin. It contains turmeric, coriander, mustard, ginger, black pepper, fenugreek seed, and even cinnamon.
Final Thoughts
Frankly, there are various cumin substitutes that you can use. Most of the ones given above are the basic ones. Cumin substitutes are often used when one cannot find or use the cumin. So, whenever you are making a dish, using the cumin substitute will not alter the texture and the taste of the dish.
You might also enjoy: Thyme Substitute and Substitute for Rosemary.
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