Indian cuisine is known for using a variety of aromatic spices and herbs in the dishes, which gives them a rich and complex taste. Cumin seeds, carom seeds, bay leaves, asafoetida, curry leaves, red chilli powder, and cinnamon are just a few names that we use in almost every savoury dish. However, Indian cooking ingredients are a lot more than just these spices. There are many other hidden culinary gems that every food enthusiast must know.
One such underrated ingredient is char magaz. This is a very old cooking secret that chefs and khansamas have been using in their recipes. Though not a lot of people might know about it, char magaz has a very vital role in giving a delightful and creamy touch to Mughlai and Indian curries. The term ‘char magaz’ means four ingredients that affect the brain positively, which is derived from the Persian language; chaar is four and magaz mean brain.
It is basically a blend of four seeds that are extracted from produce, namely watermelon, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and muskmelon. Watermelon seeds (magaz) have a mild flavour and crunchy texture. While pumpkin seeds (kaddu magaz) have a nutty flavour, cantaloupe and muskmelon seeds also contribute a mild taste, like watermelon seeds. All these ingredients combined together become highly nutritious and can blow your mind when added to any dish.
These seeds contain a mix of essential nutrients like healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals and are used for a variety of recipes. According to Ayurveda, they have some cooling properties and can also balance the doshas. The unique texture and mild, nutty flavour of char magaz can be used in both sweet and savoury delights. Apart from this, it can also be used as a thickening agent for gravy and desserts.
This is used for preparing desserts like kheer, barfi, and laddoo, and you can also add it to your glass of milk. When it comes to savoury dishes, char magaz is used for chicken curries, vegetable curries, paneer lababdar, malai korma, and so on.
Char Magaz Recipe
If you also want to enhance the flavour of your traditional dishes, here is a recipe to make char magaz at home:
Ingredients:
- 25 g watermelon seeds
- 25 g cucumber seeds
- 25 g cantaloupe seeds
- 25 g pumpkin seeds
Method:
- Wash the seeds properly under running water and dry them in direct sunlight.
- Add them to a grinder and make a powder. Again, keep the powder in direct sunlight to remove any moisture.
- Store char magaz in a glass container and refrigerate them to use in your dishes.