Mustard Seeds

Mustard Seeds – Brassica nigra

Mustard Seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimetres (0.039 to 0.079 in) in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three different plants: black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown Indian mustard (B. juncea), or white mustard (B. hirta/Sinapis alba).

Grinding and mixing the seeds with water, vinegar, or other liquids, creates the yellow condiment known as prepared mustard. An archaic name for the seed is eye of newt. Often misunderstood for an actual eye of a newt, this name has been popularly associated with witchcraft ever since it was mentioned as an ingredient to a witch’s brew in Shakespeare’s famous play Macbeth.

Raai (Gujarati), Mohari (Marathi: मोहरी ), aavalu (Telugu: ఆవాలు), kadugu (Tamil: கடுகு), or sasive (Kannada:ಸಾಸಿವೆ), kadugu (Malayalam: കടുക്) variety of Indian pickle consisting mainly of mangoes, red chilli powder, and aavaa pindi (powdered mustard seed) preserved in mustard oil, is popular in southern India with its origin in Andhra Pradesh.

These mustard seeds are known in Hindi as sarson (Indian colza, Brassica rapa subsp. trilocularis, syn. Brassica campestris var. sarson), in Bengali as shorshe and in Punjabi as sarson. These are used as a spice in Northern India and Nepal. The seeds are usually roasted until they pop. They are also planted to grow saag (greens) which are stir-fried and eaten as a vegetable preparation, sarson ka saag (sarron da saag in Punjabi).

In Maharashtra, it is called as mohair, and is used frequently in Maharani’s recipes. Sarson ka tel (mustard oil) is used for body massage during extreme winters. In Bengali cuisine mustard oil or shorsher tel is the predominant cooking medium. Mustard seeds are also essential ingredients in spicy fish dishes like jhaal and paturi.

Country of origin: United States