Meaning & use
ajwain
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A small, grayish-brown seed with a sharp, thyme-like flavor, used in Indian cooking and as a home remedy for stomach upsets.
Grammar: Used like other spices: a pinch of ajwain.
Patterns
- a pinch of ajwain
- temper something with ajwain
She fried a pinch of ajwain in hot oil before adding the lentils.
Ajwain is often added to flatbread dough to help with digestion.
The crackers were sprinkled with ajwain and sea salt.
Common combinations
- ajwain seeds
- Toast the ajwain seeds until they smell fragrant.
- a pinch of ajwain
- Add a pinch of ajwain to the batter.
- ajwain water
- Many families drink warm ajwain water for an upset stomach.
- ajwain paratha
- We had ajwain paratha for breakfast.
- crush ajwain
- Crush the ajwain between your fingers to release the aroma.
Synonyms and how they differ
- carom seeds
- Carom seeds is the common English name for the same spice and is easier to find in non-Indian recipes.
- bishop's weed
- Bishop's weed is an older English name for the plant and is less often seen in cookbooks.
- thyme
- Thyme tastes somewhat similar but is a leafy herb, while ajwain is a seed.
Word family
- carom noun
- the English name for the ajwain plant and its seeds
- ajwain leaf noun
- the leaf of the plant, used in fritters
Commonly confused: ajwain or ajwain vs. cumin?
ajwain vs ajwain vs. cumin
Ajwain tastes sharp and like thyme, while cumin tastes earthy and warm, and the seeds are shaped differently.
Practice
Which spice, with a flavor like thyme, is often added to Indian breads and snacks?
Choose one answer.
Ajwain has a sharp, thyme-like taste. Saffron is floral, vanilla is sweet, and clove is warm and peppery.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ajwain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.