Seed

Kalonji

What is Kalonji?

Kalonji (nigella seeds) is the small black seed scattered over naan and folded into pickles for its peppery, onion-like bite.

What does it taste like?

Peppery, onion-like and gently bitter, with a faint herbal note that becomes more pronounced once toasted or fried briefly in oil..

How Pakistanis use it

Kalonji is most visibly used as a topping on naan and other tandoor breads, where the seeds toast in the oven's heat. It's also a key spice in Pakistani pickles (achaar), where its bitterness balances the sourness of vinegar or lemon, and it appears in some vegetable dishes as part of a whole-spice tempering..

Where to buy it

Available at South Asian or Middle Eastern grocers, usually labelled either kalonji or nigella seeds — both names refer to the same ingredient..

Substitutes

Black sesame seeds with a pinch of cumin mimic the look and a little of the flavour, though the distinct onion-like bite of kalonji has no exact substitute..

Storage

Store whole seeds airtight for up to a year; kalonji doesn't lose aroma as quickly as ground spices do..