Food Ingredients Seasonings 22 Cumin Recipes to Cook Now By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 1, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio Warm, aromatic cumin seeds have been used as a spice for thousands of years. They're thought to have originated in Asia or the Mediterranean and were brought to the Americas by Spanish and Portuguese colonists. Cumin is popular in cuisines across the globe, especially prevalent in Indian, Mexican, North African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern dishes. It's used to flavor all kinds of foods — and even some desserts, such as Cumin and Jaggery-Glazed Apple Pie. We especially like it paired with lamb, eggplant, or both (check out Cumin Lamb Noodles with Eggplant). Browse our favorite cumin recipes to find new ways to feature this spice's unique taste. 01 of 22 Cold Poached Salmon with Cumin Yogurt Sauce Julia Hartbeck Chef and television personality Andrew Zimmern used this recipe in Boiling Water 101, a class he taught for 10 years at a school in Minnesota. He developed the recipe to teach a basic cooking skill — how to poach salmon — that also delivers complex flavors. He serves the fish chilled with sliced cucumber, sliced lemon, and a delicious yogurt sauce packed with herbs, capers, and a healthy amount of ground cumin. Get the Recipe 02 of 22 Spicy Cumin-Braised Pork Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Just a tablespoon of Kwame Onwuachi’s Pepper Sauce brings plenty of heat and tenderizing flavor to this reverse braised pork shoulder. As the liquid and delicious fat from the pork cook off, the resulting Geera Pork is coated in a richly seasoned paste, ideal for eating with rice or leftover bara flatbreads. Get the Recipe 03 of 22 Kaera Na Cutless (Spicy Green Banana Cutlets) Photo by Joel Goldberg / Food Styling by Mallory Lance If you like hash browns, you'll love these flavor-packed patties made from more than just potatoes: The recipe also includes bananas, spices, onions, garlic, and chile. The cumin and coriander seeds are toasted first to bring out their flavor before grinding in a mortar and pestle or a spice mill. Get the Recipe 04 of 22 Ande Ki Bhurji (Scrambled Eggs with Cumin and Fragrant Herbs) Sarah Crowder A traditional Indian scrambled egg dish, ande ki bhurji includes an almost equal amount of fresh yellow onion to eggs. As the beaten eggs cook (until they are fully set but not browned), the onion sweetens and mellows. Topped with toasted cumin seeds, cilantro, and fresh green chiles, this meal is fragrant and savory, with a distinct vegetal crunch. Get the Recipe 05 of 22 Lamb Loin Chops with Red Wine Pan Sauce with Cumin and Chiles Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Toasty cumin and piquant chiles, offset with fresh cilantro and lime zest, balance bold red wine in this quick pan sauce. The rich flavor of lamb is delicious here, but you can substitute cuts of beef, such as skirt steak, hanger steak, or filet mignon, which would work just as well with the red wine-based sauce. Get the Recipe 06 of 22 Cardamom and Cumin-Spiced Pea Pilaf Caitlin Bensel "I like to add whole aromatic spices to the ghee, which releases their oils and infuses the ghee and rice with their warm and intoxicating flavors," says cookbook author Nik Sharma. For this recipe, he cooks cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves in ghee until they're fragrant before adding the peas and rice. Get the Recipe 07 of 22 Spicy Cumin Lamb Meatballs Victor Protasio Nothing compares to the taste of meat the day it was ground, and grinding meat at home allows you to choose your own flavors. Perfect this meatball recipe to arm yourself with an easy dinner solution for any weeknight. With a crisp crust and tender interior, these cumin-scented meatballs feel at home in Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Indian dishes. Get the Recipe 08 of 22 Fried Catfish Sandwiches with Cumin Slaw Jennifer Chong Tender catfish fillets marinate briefly in garlic and pepper before being breaded and fried for these extra-crispy sandwiches. Don't skip the creamy coleslaw: In addition to the usual cast of green cabbage, red onion, and matchstick carrots, it's punched up with cilantro, bread-and-butter pickles, and a roasted cumin, mayo, and vinegar dressing. Get the Recipe 09 of 22 Cumin and Jaggery-Glazed Apple Pie Marcus Nilsson Cookbook author and chef Asha Gomez’s striking apple pie gets a glossy finish from melted jaggery — a deep amber sugar —and piquant cumin seeds. Save any extra glaze for a last-minute drizzle before serving. Get the Recipe 10 of 22 Pot-Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cumin © Quentin Bacon Cookbook author Paula Wolfert visited the kitchens of Dar Yacout in Marrakesh, where the cooks still use charcoal fires to make dishes like lush and smoky roasted eggplant salad. Get the Recipe 11 of 22 Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cumin © Line Klein For this deeply satisfying soup, chefs Anna Trattles and Alice Quillet roast cauliflower with cumin seeds and curry powder to intensify the flavor, then simmer it with onion and water to make an unfussy, spice-inflected puree. Get the Recipe 12 of 22 Cumin Chili © David Malosh You'll get a clear taste of cumin in this great cold-weather chili made with ground beef, beans, and green bell pepper. If you want a hotter chili, add as much cayenne as you like. Get the Recipe 13 of 22 Spicy Sichuan-Style Lamb with Cumin © Johnny Miller Cooking pieces of lamb shoulder in a super-hot cast-iron skillet makes them wonderfully browned and tender. Get the Recipe 14 of 22 Swiss Chard with Ginger and Cumin © John Kernick “I often use just one or two spices, such as the ginger and cumin in this Swiss chard,” says cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey. “It’s a very northern Indian approach.” Get the Recipe 15 of 22 Roasted Carrot and Cumin Puree © Hannah Queen Roasting carrots until they're golden brown brings out their sweetness and provides a perfect foil for tart lemon juice and musky cumin. Our silken puree is a particularly good side dish for lamb or roasted chicken. Get the Recipe 16 of 22 Gouda, Pancetta, and Onion Fondue with Pretzels © Quentin Bacon Leyden, a Dutch cheese flecked with cumin seeds, inspired cheese aficionado Laura Werlin to create this cumin-spiced Gouda fondue. Serve it with soft, warm pretzels or pickled vegetables for dipping. Get the Recipe 17 of 22 Chunky Guacamole with Cumin © Tina Rupp Choosing a guacamole recipe that will please everybody is no easy task, but this one is a winner because of its subtle tartness, nicely balanced heat, and creamy-chunky texture. Get the Recipe 18 of 22 Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin © Paul Costello "I love this hot or cold, by itself or as part of a larger meal," says chef Sera Pelle about this roasted cauliflower recipe. The dish is a vibrant yellow from turmeric and fragrant with cumin, cilantro, and mint. Get the Recipe 19 of 22 Roast Chicken with Garlic and Cumin © Petrina Tinslay Whole heads of garlic are roasted along with the chicken in this recipe, then chopped and added to the pan juices to make a light but rich-tasting sauce. The chicken serves four as a main course or six as part of a tasting menu. Get the Recipe 20 of 22 Cumin Lamb Noodles with Eggplant © Christina Holmes Blogger Ashley Rodriguez creates a rich, creamy lamb ragù with delicious Greek flavors; it's a total crowd-pleaser and a nice alternative to more common Italian pasta dishes. Get the Recipe 21 of 22 Summer Berries with Cumin Meringues and Crème Fraîche © Keller + Keller A touch of cumin gives these crisp meringues a welcome warmth that pairs beautifully with a trio of sweet and juicy summer berries and a dollop of tangy crème fraîche. Aromatic and floral ground cardamom or fresh and herbal ground coriander may be substituted for the cumin. Get the Recipe 22 of 22 Spiced Roasted Chickpeas © Petrina Tinslay Roasted chickpeas make a simple and delicious hors d'oeuvre or snack. Here, they're tossed with cumin, coriander, chile powder, and olive oil, then oven-roasted at a high temperature. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit