Nigella Sativa (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, kalojeera, kalonji or kalanji) is an annual flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native to a large region of the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and West Asia.
The black caraway seeds are used as a spice in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines as well in Polish recipes. The dry-roasted seeds flavor curries, vegetables, and pulses. They can be used as a seasoning in recipes with pod fruit, vegetables, salads, and poultry. In some cultures, the black seeds are used to flavor bread products, and are used as part of the spice mixture panch phoron (a mixture of five spices) and alone in many recipes in Bengali cuisine and most recognizably in naan.Nigella is also used in Armenian string cheeses, braided string cheeses called majdouleh or majdouli in the Middle East.