Hi! Kalonji is nigella seeds. Not only is it used for tempering and in vegetable dishes, but also used when cooking cooking specific chicken dishes such as Achari Chicken or Beef (which is chicken/beef with pickling spices). It lends a slightly nutty flavor to the food and has many medicinal benefits as well. I throw in a small pinch whenever I make any kind of chicken curry. For e.g. someone told me once (but I can't verify this) that a tsp of ground kalonji eaten first thing in the morning helps lower blood sugar (good for diabetics). It's useful taken along with honey as well (either ground or whole). It is said about kalonji, " in it lies the cure for everything but death" .
