Shahi jeera
The thin, dark, sweeter cousin of cumin, used in Mughal-style rice and meat dishes.
Also: kala jeera, black cumin, royal cumin, caraway of Kashmir
Shahi jeera, literally royal cumin, is Bunium persicum, a wild mountain plant of Kashmir, Himachal and the Hindu Kush. The seed is thinner, darker and more curved than ordinary cumin, with a finer, sweeter and slightly smoky scent. It is harvested in small amounts from hill meadows, which makes it costly. Mughal kitchens used it in biryanis, pulaos and kormas, and Kashmiri cooks add it to rogan josh. The name causes confusion because kala jeera is also used for nigella and, in places, for caraway. Buy by the Latin name if you want the real thing, and expect a short shelf life once ground.