Cumin

Zeera is the first spice to hit the hot oil in nearly every Pakistani tarka — its sizzling in ghee or oil is the auditory signal that cooking has begun. Both whole seeds and ground cumin appear in the same dish: whole seeds bloom in fat at the start, ground cumin goes in with the masala. Zeera pani (cumin water) is a beloved digestive drink, and zeera biscuits are a national snack institution.