Why you should make Jeera (Zeera) Biscuits

 

After a long slog at work there is nothing better than Masala chai on the balcony with a jeera (cumin) biscuit or two, these slightly sweet, slightly salty and savoury, crunchy and crumbly biscuits flavoured with roasted cumin seeds are a perfect match. 

Biscuits were brought in by the British invaders to the sub continent and they stuck. We'll never find these zeera biccies back in Blighty and the taste of roasted cumin with a cuppa at elevenses is reason enough to make this simple recipe.

This recipe made about twenty five biscuits about 6cm square.

Ingredients:-

100gm butter slightly softened and creamed with 2tbl spoon of caster sugar. Add 200 gm plain flour, add 1/4 bicarb and 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp roasted cumin (about 5 mins in a dry frying pan on low), 2 tbl spoon of milk, maybe another...

Mix well to form a ball, set aside in the fridge for a bit to chill. If you break the dough it should look like the picture, looking like it is tearing.

Roll out to about 4 mm thick sprinkle more cumin seeds on top and roll over again with a rolling pin. Cut into shapes and bake till lightly golden, about twenty minutes at 160.

Place a pot of tea and best china in front of your Memsaab along with a jeera biscuit and wax lyrical of the days of the British Raj.