AJOWAN Nature’s Pharmacy – Choline, An All-Purpose Healer

Ajowan (pronounced aj’o-wen) is a spice that’s popular in India—where it’s prized not only for its ability to add zest to curries and aroma to breads and biscuits, but also for its power to cure everyday ills. Many Indians are more likely to drink a little omam water—ajowan seeds steeped in warm distilled water—than to take an aspirin for a headache, cough medicine for a cold, an antacid for heartburn, or an antihistamine for allergies. And this folk remedy is now getting its scientific due: researchers have identified more than two dozen medicinally active compounds in the tiny crescent-shaped seeds. One of them is as strong as morphine.

Natural Pain Relief

When you chew on raw ajowan seeds, your mouth fills with a hot, bitter flavor that is so intense it momentarily numbs the tongue a bit. (In the kitchen, ajowan is always cooked, which takes the sting away.) That’s the thymol in ajowan—which can numb pain as well.

In a study by researchers in Iran (where ajowan is a folk remedy for headaches and arthritis), the pain-numbing power of ajowan was compared to morphine in laboratory animals—and ajowan was just as effective! “The present study supports the claims of traditional Iranian medicine showing the Carum copticum [ajowan] extract possesses a clear-cut analgesic [pain-relieving] effect,” write the researchers in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

The Secret Ingredient: Choline

Omam water is used as a home remedy for a variety of gastrointestinal ills: easing heartburn, relieving belching and bloating, reducing flatulence, and stopping diarrhea. In one experiment, researchers studied four different omam water solutions (whole seeds soaked in cold water, a warm infusion made with whole seeds, an extract of the powdered seeds soaked in cold water, and roasted seeds steeped in hot water) to find out which worked best and why.

When they gave each of the four preparations to laboratory animals, they discovered that all four helped heal the digestive tract, probably because of the presence of choline, a nutrient that aids the brain in sending healing messages to the body. But the roasted seeds had the greatest effect on GI health. When the scientists analyzed the seeds, they found acetylcholine, a chemical that controls involuntary muscles, like those that line the gut. Other researchers say the presence of acetylcholine may explain why ajowan so successfully soothes an ailing digestive tract.

An All-Purpose Healer

Asthma, high blood pressure, coughing, bacterial infections—ajowan has been used as a folk remedy for all of them. Researchers are supporting its healing reputation with new scientific evidence:

Asthma. Researchers gave a boiled extract of ajowan to people with asthma. Another group of asthmatics received theophylline, a bronchodilator that expands the airways. Every 30 minutes for two hours, the researchers measured lung function. The extract improved breathing ability by up to 32 percent—similar to the drug. Ajowan is comparable to theophylline in opening asthmatic airways, concluded the researchers in the journal Therapie.

High blood pressure. Ajowan had the same effect as the calcium channel blocker verapamil (Calan) in decreasing the blood pressure of laboratory animals. The researchers said that acetylcholine probably played a role in the pressure-lowering effect of the spice.

Cough. Iranian researchers found that ajowan works more effectively than codeine in suppressing a cough in laboratory animals. The probable reason: once again it’s the acetylcholine, calming the contractions that result in coughing.

Bacterial infection. Researchers in India found that ajowan disarmed eight strains of infection-causing bacteria. And in a test of 54 herbs against drug-resistant Salmonella bacteria, ajowan was one of those that could kill the germ.

Getting to Know Ajowan

Ajowan (which also goes by the names carom seeds and ajwain) is a stranger to most American kitchen cabinets but not to American medicine cabinets, where one or more of its active ingredients are used in cough medicines and lozenges. Thymol, its essential oil, is found in toothpaste and mouthwash. And components of the spice are also used to maintain the shelf life of packaged foods and perfumes. Ajowan is a cherished spice not only in the cuisine of India, but also in those of Iran, Pakistan,

AJOWAN IS AN INGREDIENT IN MANY PERFUMES.

Afghanistan, and North Africa. It has a natural affinity for starchy foods, and is used to perk up the flavor in dishes featuring root vegetables and legumes. In India, it’s an essential ingredient in lentil dishes, both for its taste and for its ability to improve digestion and prevent flatulence.

When dining in an Indian restaurant, you might find it in an appetizer fritter called pakora or a filled dumpling called samosa. It’s popular in Indian baked goods, and is found in a wafer-thin Indian flat bread called pappadam and in the puffed, pastry-like fried bread paratha. In Afghanistan, ajowan is used in breads and pastries. It’s also a key ingredient in the Ethiopian spice blend berbere, which is used to flavor vegetable dishes and meat stews.

Ajowan may help prevent and/or treat:

Allergies

Asthma

Cough

Diarrhea

Flatulence

High blood

pressure

(hypertension)

Infection

Pain

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Ajowan pairs well with these spices:

Chile

Coriander

Garlic

Ginger

Oregano

Marjoram

Mustard seed

Turmeric

and complements recipes featuring:

Apples

Breads

Fish curries

Legumes

Pancakes

Root vegetables

Savory pastries

Vegetarian entrees

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Other recipes containing ajowan:

Chaat Masala

How to Buy Ajowan

Ajowan is inexpensive but somewhat hard to find. It’s available in Indian markets and some specialty spice shops. Use the “Buyer’s Guide” to find it on the Internet.

The small seeds (the size of celery seeds) are always sold whole, as they are rarely used in ground form. Look for seeds that are light brown, uniform in color, and free of extraneous debris. The freshest seeds will have an herbal aroma. If stored in an airtight container away from heat and moisture, they will keep for two years or more.

Ajowan Parathas

Parathas are Indian pan-fried flatbreads that are often served as an accompaniment to a main meal. They are usually eaten with yogurt and pickles.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ajowan seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon chili powder

Warm water

½ cup ghee or vegetable oil

1. Put the flour, salt, ajowan seeds, turmeric, and chili powder in a large mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly.

2. Make a well in the center of the flour and add a little water, about 2 tablespoons, and start mixing. Keep adding a little warm water until the mixture starts to get lumpy. Add and mix until you get medium-firm dough.

3. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead back and forth, turning, until the dough is nice and smooth, about 10 minutes. As you knead, the ajowan seeds will release their oils and aroma. Set the dough aside, covered with a clean kitchen towel, for 30 minutes.

4. Put a little flour on your hands and start to form the parathas by rolling into balls about the size of a golf ball. Make sure they are smooth with no cracks.

5. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the parathas to the size of a crepe. You can stack them by separating them with a piece of waxed paper until ready to use.

6. Heat a heavy skillet or a griddle over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat. When the oil is hot, add as many parathas as will easily fit without touching. When the dough starts to bubble, turn the parathas. Heat for about 30 seconds, cover the surface with a little oil, and turn again. Continue this process until both sides are crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a warm oven until you’re finished with the batch.

Makes about 1 dozen.

The small ajowan
plant is similar to parsley.

In the Kitchen with Ajowan

Ajowan has a strong thyme and anise-like flavor—and a little goes a long way. The spice always must be cooked to take away the numbing impact of the raw seeds. The longer it cooks, the mellower it gets. To enhance the flavor, first fry it in a little oil until it deepens in color.

The small seeds are chewable, so they don’t have to be ground. Ajowan lovers generally prefer the crunch that whole seeds add to a dish. But if you’d rather grind the seeds, dry roast them first. The seeds are tender and easily broken with the fingers, so you can get a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.

The spice is best known for the flavor it imparts to breads, savory biscuits, and desserts. It also blends nicely in chutneys, relishes, and pickles. Here are a few ideas for experimenting with ajowan:

• Add it to meat and fish curries, lentil stews, and potato casseroles. Because it mellows with long cooking, feel free to add more than a pinch.

• Dry roast and add it to trail mix or spiced nut blends.

• Add a pinch to homemade bread and pastry doughs. It gives piquancy to the pastry crust of a chicken potpie or other meat pies.

• Sprinkle on top of steamed or stir-fried vegetables.

• Blend roasted seeds into a compound butter for sautéing vegetables.

• Fry it in oil and combine it with garlic, ginger, and turmeric to make a stir-fry.