Being that I now live in Middle East, I have access to a whole world of spices and cuisines I may not have been able to find back home. The great thing about Saudi Arabia is that it is a giant melting pot for so many different cultures, so tons of foods and spices are readily available in the shops here.

One thing that is often used here is kalanji, also known as the black seed. One reason it is so popular here is because it is important in Islam. I am not a scholar, so I am not going to go into the benefits or Islamic importance it. (If you want to know more, here is an academic paper from Qassim University, and a post from Dar-us-Salaam. )

While this seed is so small, it is very beneficial for our health, and its also very tasty. I wanted to find a way  to incorporate it in my diet, so I added it to some of my recipes. My personal favorite? Turkish Pogacas aka feta dumplings.

They are super easy to make, pair nicely with iftar or suhoor, and are a healthy snack. I useda recipe I found online, and just added some black seeds on top before baking. They turned out delicious.

What kind of food are you cooking this Ramadan?

Salaam,

KC