On Tue, 28 Jun 2005 18:27:32 GMT, AlleyGator wrote:

> sf > wrote:
>
> >Butter Fish Curry
> >
> >Ingredients
> >
> >4 butter fish (pabda)
> >4 tblsp mustard oil
> >4 tblsp chopped coriander leaves
> >1/2 tsp black cumin
> >6 sliced green chilies
> >salt to taste
> >2 tsp turmeric powder
> >
>
> Quick question. I've never seen black cumin.

Not familiar with it myself... find it 4 pictures down:
http://www.foodsubs.com/SpiceInd.html

> Seed or powder?
The recipe doesn't say, but it looks (from the picture) like you could
"bruise" it with your hands.

> And I assume you can't substitute regular cumin, right?

Not necessarily: http://www.cookbook.hu/angol_receptek/cumin.html
Quote: Black cumin is the fruit of a related plant that grows wild in
Iran and the Northern Indian region Kashmir. It is sometimes preferred
to ordinary (white) cumin for Northern Indian meat kormas.

Do you have any place where you can buy Indian spices near you?
Apparently it goes by a lot of other names! Nigella is common.
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/nigella.html

Black Caraway, Black Cumin, Damascena, Devil in-the-bush, Fennel
flower, Melanthion, Nutmeg Flower, Roman Coriander, Wild Onion Seed
French: cheveux de Venus, nigell, poivrette
German: Scharzkummel (black caraway)
Italian: nigella
Spanish: neguilla
Indian: kala zeera (lit, ‘black cumin’), kalonji, krishnajiraka