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How To Use Mustard Seeds In Your Cooking?

  • By: Niaz Bhati, category: General
  • Last updated on February 26, 2024

Indian cuisine uses an exhaustive list of spices, among which whole mustard seeds are prominent. These tiny seeds are packed with a flavour bomb that gives Indian dishes a unique aroma and taste. However, if you’re using mustard for the first time, cooking with it may not be easy. 

Mustards have a piquant flavour that can overpower your dish’s flavour if the amount goes slightly up. If you have never used these seeds before, you need proper guidance on using mustard seeds in your Cooking. 

The article is created just for that. So keep reading to know how you can cook with mustard seeds, how they benefit your health, and where you can purchase them.

What are mustard seeds?

Mustard seeds are a seed part of a mustard plant. This is an annual plant widely grown in India. The whole mustard plant is edible. Its green leaves are often consumed as a vegetable in India and other Southeast Asian countries. 

However, the plant is usually grown for its seeds to produce oil and use them as a spice. The seeds are prevalent in Indian Cooking and are often tempered with oil and added to food for their piquant flavour. 

There are over 40 varieties of mustard seeds. But white, brown, and black ones are more popular in Cooking. Brown mustard seeds are more popular in Indian cuisine. And white ones have often been used in European, American, and Mediterranean cuisine. 

Out of all these three varieties, black mustard seeds have the most intense flavour. Brown mustard seeds are less piquant than black but more potent than white ones. 

White mustard seeds are often used to make mustard - a condiment popular in Europe, the USA, and other western countries. White mustard seeds are initially tan in colour, but due to the addition of turmeric or dye, they turn yellow. 

Despite being milder than black and brown mustard seeds, white mustard seeds contain intense flavour compounds such as sinalbin. The heat of mustard seeds can be felt on the tongue rather than by the nostrils.

How to cook with mustard seeds

As mentioned earlier, black and brown mustard seeds are popular in Indian cuisine. They are often fried in oil or ghee with curry leaves at the start or end of the cooking process. On the other hand, white mustard seeds are more popular in western countries and are used to make a mustard condiment.

Uses of mustard seeds in Cooking

The use of mustard seeds in Cooking varies according to cultures in countries. The beauty of whole mustard seeds is how they change flavour as you use them in different ways in your Cooking.

In Indian cuisine, mustard seeds are used in tempering. The frying or roasting of mustard seeds breaks open the seeds and brings out the flavour. They are an essential ingredient in curries, sabzis, and dals. Here are some of the ways to use mustard seeds in Cooking:

Mustard seed oil is popular in various Indian states and Southeast Asian countries.
White mustards make a mustard paste or mustard - a popular condiment used in hotdogs, sandwiches, and more.
Split white mustard seeds are often used in pickings.
They are also used in salads, accompanied by olive oil.
Mustard seeds are also used as a component of barbecue sauce.
Adding a teaspoon of mustard seeds to a dough creates delicious savoury bread.
Crushed mustard seeds can also be used in rubs and marinades.
If you want the whole mustard seeds in your dish, you can powder them in a grinder or food processor and use them.

Is mustard seeds good for your health?

Mustard seeds are loaded with vitamins and minerals and many properties that benefit our health. This is why these seeds have been used as medicine in many traditional practices. Here are some benefits you may get by cooking with mustard seeds.

Healthy skin, bones, nails, and teeth

Mustard seeds have active minerals that help maintain bones and strengthen nails, hair, and teeth. In addition, the vitamins keep your skin hydrated, nourished, and radiating.

Good digestive system

Due to the high fibre content, mustard seeds can regulate bowel movement and aid digestion.

Aids in weight loss

Mustard seeds can help in easy metabolism, a key factor for healthy weight loss.

Help with psoriasis

According to a study, mustard seeds may also cure inflammation and wounds caused by psoriasis - an autoimmune disease.

May prevent cancer

Some studies suggest that these tiny seeds contain compounds with chemo-preventive power, which may prevent the growth of cancer cells.

Where can you buy whole mustard seeds from?

All three mustard seeds are easily available in spice stores, grocery shops, and online retailers. Moreover, you can also purchase whole mustard from Indian spices suppliers. There are so many spice wholesalers in South Africa that you can find and buy premium quality mustard seeds.

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