Beginner’s Guide to Seeds in Indian Cooking

Flax and sesame are the two seeds most likely to show up in an Indian pantry, and while they get compared often, they play genuinely different roles, one long central to the cuisine, the other a smaller but real addition.

Where to start

Sesame is the more foundational starting point, central to sweets, chutneys and tempering across many regional cuisines for generations.
Flax is a smaller, more specific addition, useful stirred into dough, dal or a smoothie without dominating the dish.
Both can be bought raw or roasted, with roasted being the more broadly useful default for most recipes.
Both can be pressed into oil, though flaxseed oil stays strictly raw while sesame oil can also be used for cooking.
Starting with roasted sesame and roasted flax covers the most common everyday uses without needing to grind or roast at home right away.

Picked this week

Seeds to start with

Najirpur Farm I · Najirpur

Roasted Sesame Seeds

$2.08 · 1 KG

Khutmili Farm I · Khutmili

Roasted Flax Seeds

$1.25 · 1 KG

Our standards

Seeds beginner guide questions

Which seed should a beginner buy first?: Sesame, given how central it is to a wide range of traditional Indian sweets, chutneys and tempering.
Do I need to grind these seeds myself?: Not necessarily to start, roasted whole seed works well for many uses without any grinding needed.
Is flax seed worth adding if I already use sesame?: Yes, if you want its specific fibre and oil content added quietly to meals you already make.
Which is easier to cook with as a beginner?: Both are fairly easy, though sesame has more established, well known recipes to start from.

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