What Are Poppy Seeds?
The poppy seeds that are used in cooking either come from the Blue Poppy or the White Poppy plants. The seeds are very similar and it is the seeds from the white poppy that are used in Indian cuisine.
Poppy seeds have a nutty flavor that is fully released when the seeds have been toasted. Toasting only takes a few minutes for the sweet aroma to be released along with the flavor.
The seeds are often ground to a powder and used to thicken Indian curry sauces. Also, the seeds are sprinkled over dry vegetarian or meat dishes.
Poppy seeds are tough and hard to grind. You can even buy a special poppy seed grinder. When grinding poppy seeds, don’t forget to toast them first to release the full flavor.
There are medicinal uses for poppy seeds including cough medicines and treating toothache and earache. The seeds themselves are used to stimulate the appetite. The dangerous derivatives such as heroin, morphine and codeine come from poppy pods and stems, not the seeds.
