11 Best Substitutes for Nigella Seeds

It is necessary to find a nigella seeds substitute, even though I love to spice up many different recipes with nigella seeds. Since the change of spices will diversify and increase the flavor of dishes.

Nigella seeds play an essential role in many fantastic dishes, so you need to find a substitute to save the recipes in case of running out of nigella seeds. Reading this article is the first step to make a wise decision, as all easy replacements are in this post.

Black Seeds – One Spice, So Many New Knowledge

There are many alternative names of nigella seeds that you can use to call them. It is no problem to call them with these names, such as black seeds, onion seeds, fennel flower, black cumin, black flower, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander, etc.

Black seeds are a spice with a long history. The ancient Egyptians started cultivating these seeds a long time ago. Today, black seeds are found in abundance in South Asia. They appear in many recipes of India, the Middle East, and Asian countries.

The size of black seeds is small, and their color is similar to that of black sesame seeds. Black seeds will suit dishes that require a firm and crispy texture. The taste and scent of black seeds are pretty characteristic.

Fresh black seeds often have a spicy, warm, and mildly bitter taste that is quite similar to the flavor of onions. You will feel the sweetness and attractiveness of toasted black seeds.

Onion seeds are a perfect flavor addition to curries, vegetable plates, pastries, or sprinkled on other dishes to enjoy. Moreover, they will also help to make cakes more crispy and fragrant.

Surprise With 11 Fantastic Alternatives To Nigella Seeds

I was surprised to find a list of many alternatives to nigella seeds. There are 11 fantastic and effective alternatives to nigella seeds to spice up recipes. Change your taste buds with these unique spices.

Nigella Seeds Substitutes	Proportions
Black Sesame Seeds	1 part black sesame seeds = 1 part onion seeds
Celery Seeds	½ tsp celery seeds = 1 tsp onion seeds   1 tsp celery seeds = 1 tsp onion seeds
Oregano	1 part dried of oregano = 1 part of black seeds
Mustard Seeds	2 parts of yellow = 1 part of nigella seeds   1 part of black mustard seeds = 1 part of nigella seeds
Fennel Seeds	½ tbsp fennel seeds = 1 tbsp onion seeds
Onions	Using a small amount and increase after tasting
Cumin Powder	Using a small amount and increase after tasting
White Sesame Seeds	1 tsp white sesame seeds = 1 tsp fennel flower
Cumin Seeds	1 part of toasted cumin seeds = 1 part of nigella seeds
Caraways Seeds	1 tsp caraway seeds = 1 tsp nigella seeds    ¾ tsp caraway powder = 1 tsp nigella seeds
Fenugreek Seeds	½ tsp fenugreek seeds = 1 tsp black seeds

1. Black Sesame Seeds – Top Choice After Nigella Seeds

Black sesame seeds are my first choice to replace nigella seeds because the look of black sesame seeds is similar to black seeds, and their taste is also suitable. The taste of black sesame seeds will be better after toasted. Their crispness will appeal to you.

The distinctive and enticing aroma blends with the earthy, mildly spicy, and a bit of bitter taste of black sesame seeds that will pair perfectly with slices of bread, noodles, salads, or savory plates. Please use 1 part black sesame seeds to replace 1 part nigella seeds in desserts.

2. Celery Seeds – Adding A Bit Of Bitterness To The Recipes

A spice that is also used a lot in cooking is celery seeds. You should use them when nigella seeds are not available. Celery seeds are similar in taste to celery. But you can feel a higher earthy, savory, hot, and pungent flavor.

The taste of celery seeds is similar to onion seeds, but you will get more bitterness from celery seeds. You can use ½ teaspoon of celery seeds in place of a teaspoon of nigella seeds in salads, pasta, sauces, and tomato recipes or substitute as 1:1 ratio.

Furthermore, celery seeds also work well when used to marinate, garnish, or sprinkle on dishes. A small tip is that the whole celery seeds will bring a more robust flavor to the plate and add onion powder and lemon juice to increase the taste of celery seeds.

3. Oregano – Enhance The Flavor Of Pizza With Oregano

I still cannot get over the pizza that smells amazing with oregano. When substituting for nigella seeds, oregano will give it a distinctive aroma and a pungent flavor, but the texture and crispiness of the dish will not be like black cumin since oregano is a kind of herb.

You can use oregano fresh or dried as a substitute for nigella seeds in many different dishes. In particular, Mexican dishes often contain oregano. Its intense flavor and aroma are great for adorning recipes like pizza, roasted meat, veggie dishes, curries, and baked dishes.

To give a bold and robust flavor to the dish, it is better to use fresh oregano. You need to use 1 part dried oregano or dried oregano instead of 1 part nigella seeds.

4. Mustard Seeds – A Hot And Spice Substitute

Mustard seeds are a good choice for you, and you can use all kinds of mustard seeds instead of nigella seeds. This comes from their pungency that resembles nigella seeds. You can feel the spicy, sweet, and bitter flavor of mustard seeds.

Your soups will become warmer with mustard seeds. You will be surprised by the flavor of salads and dippings when using mustard seeds as a seasoning. Furthermore, the health benefits of mustard seeds will make you want to use them.

Mustard seeds are popularly used in Indian cuisine. The amount of mustard seeds depends on your type of mustard. If you use yellow mustard, you need 2 parts to replace 1 part of nigella seeds. Let’s use an equal ratio for black mustard seeds.

Making fantastic fermented mustard seeds at home.

5. Fennel Seeds – Powerful Flavor Substitute For Nigella Seeds

Add ½ tablespoon of fennel seeds to salads, bread, soup, pasta, or sauces instead of 1 tablespoon of nigella seeds. The distinctive earthy flavor of fennel seeds will help you forget about running out of black seeds.

When enjoying food with fennel seeds, I feel that the taste is a bit similar to licorice. Its flavor is a little stronger than nigella, with a bit of sweetness and earthy taste. It is fun to enjoy curries, meat, seafood dishes, salad dressings, and marinades containing fennel seeds.

You should remember not to use too many fennel seeds if you do not want to throw away your dish. Like black sesame seeds, toasting fennel seeds before using them will enhance their flavor and aroma.

6. Onions – The Similar Flavor Alternative

The similarity in the taste of onions and nigella seeds gives me another substitute. You can use fresh onions or onion flakes as a replacement for nigella seeds in dishes. Adding onions to dishes, such as soups, stews, and marinades, is not a wrong choice.

When using fresh onions, you should puree them to get the liquid to add to recipes, especially salads. Onions will bring intense flavor and warmth to the dishes. Onion flakes will add aroma and flavor to the dishes.

Moreover, just a few steps of drying the chopped onions, and you will have onion flakes to replace nigella seeds.

7. Cumin Powder – Choose It If You Do Not Care About Texture

Cumin powder is a favorite spice in cooking. If you are looking for an alternative that does not care about the dish’s texture, you should use cumin powder. Aside from not giving the texture of nigella seeds, the taste and aroma of cumin powder are perfect.

Cumin powder is a product of cumin seeds, so its taste is similar to cumin seeds. Cumin powder will bring a warm flavor to curries, soups, and sauces. Use a small amount of cumin powder before adding more for the best flavor.

8. White Sesame Seeds – Opposite Color Replacement

The appearance of white sesame seeds in this list is no surprise. In spite of the color difference between white sesame seeds and nigella seeds, the flavor, texture, and aroma of white sesame seeds will make up for it all to become a perfect alternative.

Tiny white sesame seeds have a sweetness and nutty taste. If you want to change the color and increase the flavor and aroma of white sesame seeds, you should toast them, and you will get higher-quality dishes with white sesame seeds.

Because of the similar taste, you can use 1 teaspoon of white sesame seeds to substitute 1 teaspoon of nigella seeds in cakes, bread, cookies, sauces, salads, soups, stir-fried, paste, and marinades.

Learn two methods to toast white sesame seeds to replace nigella seeds.

9. Cumin Seeds – Complex Flavor Spice

There are different types of cumin seeds, and they are distinguished by color with white, black, green, or yellow. Cumin seeds are small seeds collected from the cumin plant. Cumin seeds will save your dish when there are no nutmeg flowers left.

It is known as a typical spice in India, Mexico, and Middle Eastern countries. Cumin seeds will bring many different flavors to your dishes. Bitter, sweet, earth, nutty, peppery taste, and characteristic scent are indispensable things when talking about cumin seeds.

As an alternative to 1 part nigella seeds, you should use 1 part toasted cumin seeds to add flavor to curries, bread, grilled vegetables, or meat. You should combine cumin seeds with cinnamon, garlic, and other components to increase the taste of the plates.

10. Caraway Seeds – Bring The Warmth To Dishes With Caraway Seeds

Why is caraway suitable as an alternative to nigella seeds? The mild spiciness, earthy, citrus, peppery flavor, and aroma of caraway seeds will make you feel like enjoying a dish with nigella seeds. The warmth of caraway seeds will add deep flavor to the food.

A pleasant experience with curry that contains caraway seeds will leave a deep impression on your mind. You can use caraway seeds or caraway powder. You should not miss out on salads, potato roast, soups, beef goulash, dips, or sauerkraut that include caraway seeds.

When replacing 1 teaspoon of nigella seeds with 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, the dish will reach the perfection of flavor. If you do not have caraway seeds, you can use ¾ teaspoon of caraway powder.

11. Fenugreek Seeds – Native Indian Spice

The people of India love to use fenugreek seeds in their dishes because of their distinctive taste. In addition, fenugreek seeds are also a seasoning that you can use when you do not have nigella seeds on hand.

Sweetness and mild bitterness are the primary flavors of fenugreek seeds. If you like the enticing scent of fenugreek seeds, you should replace them with nigella seeds right away.

However, it is terrible to use fenugreek seeds in dishes that require a long cooking time because the plate will become bitter. ½ teaspoons of fenugreek seeds are enough to replace 1 teaspoon of nigella seeds.

Nigella Seeds Are A Kind Of Medicine

Not only is it an essential spice in cuisine, but nigella seeds also play the role of a health-protective medicine. Thanks to its nutritional and mineral components, they will help prevent diseases and improve your health.

These seeds have a positive effect on lowering cholesterol in your body and protecting heart health, contain antioxidant components, so they can prevent cancer ⁽¹⁾.

In addition, they are also a powerful antibacterial ingredient. Inflammation is reduced by using them ⁽²⁾. Nigella seeds will help protect and enhance your liver function.

They also have the function of controlling blood sugar levels and helping to prevent diseases related to high sugar like diabetes. Your stomach will be better protected with these seeds.

FAQs

Are you looking for answers to questions regarding alternatives to nigella seeds? All the fantastic answers to these special questions will appear in this section.

Let’s Cook With These Substitutes Right Away!

By this time, I believe that you are no longer worried or tired of searching for alternatives to nigella seeds. With this comprehensive and outstanding list, you are free to get creative and change your cooking to make delicious dishes.

Sharing this article will bring these fantastic values to more people. Comment on any other things you know about substitutes for nigella seeds below. Thanks for your time!

References

1. Anticancer Activities of Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin). (2011, July 3). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252704/
2. Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Nigella sativa Oil in Human Pre-Adipocytes. (2019, February 25). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6406245/