Ajwain is a "seed" of the ajwain herb, commonly used in Indian cuisine.
Ajwain is an annual herb and the plant's leaves and fruit—often referred to as seeds—are pale khaki-colored, oval-shaped, and look like a smaller version of cumin
seeds. They are highly fragrant, have a bitter and pungent taste. Ajwain is also known as carom seeds or bishops weed. These seeds are often used for culinary purposes
in small quantities and have a wonderful effect on overall health.
Carom seeds are incredibly nutritious, being rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals. Because of this, they have been associated with health benefits and long been used in traditional Indian medicine practices.
It is widely grown in arid and semi-arid regions where soils contain high levels of salts[10,11] Ajwain is a profusely branched annual herb, 60-90 cm tall. Stem is striated; inflorescence compound umbel with 16 umbellets, each containing up to 16 flowers; flowers actinomorphic, white, male and bisexual; corolla 5, petals bilobed; stamens 5, alternating with the petals; ovary inferior; stigma knob-like; fruit aromatic, ovoid, cordate, cremocarp with a persistent stylopodium; leaves pinnate, with a terminal and 7 pairs of lateral leaflets. Fruit, consists of two mericarps, grayish brown, ovoid, compressed, about 2 mm long and 1.7 mm wide, 5 ridges and 6 vittae in each mericarp, usually separate, 5 primary ridges.
Ajwain seeds or Carom seeds contain:
Ajwain is cultivated throughout most of India.
Ajwain balances Pitta dosha and alleviates Kapha and Vata dosha.
Hindi | Sanskrit | English | |
---|---|---|---|
Rasa | Kashaya | Taste | Tikta,Katu |
Veerya | Sheet | Potency | Ushna |
Vipaka | Katu | Post-digestive effect | Katu |
Guna | Laghu | Characteristics | Laghu, Rooksha, Teekshna |
Ajwain (carom seeds) is safe to be consumed in food and also for curative dosage. Only if taken in excess, Ajwain side effects come into the picture. Excessive intake (exceeding 10 grams a day) can cause following side effects: