Ingredients
- Flour 400g
- Margarine 250g
- Eggs 3
- Cloves of garlic 3
- Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons
- Fresh yeast 25g
- Salt
- Cumin seeds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Peel and mash the garlic
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, margarine, 2 eggs, garlic, yogurt and the yeast.
- Mix the ingredients and knead them until the dough isn’t sticking to the bowl any more.
- Cover with a towel and let is rest for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out to about 0.5 cm thickness and cut it into the desired shape and pace it on a baking tray.
- Beat the remaining egg.
- Brush the egg on top of the dough and sprinkle on the cumin seeds, and salt if desired.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown.
Note: If you want to add salt to the dough, always mix it with the flour first, and make sure not to put it on the yeast as that will prevent it from rising.
The cumin seeds can be replaced by cheese or other condiments if desired.
Fun facts: The oldest recorded use of cumin dates back 5,000 years as a mummification ingredient for the bodies of Egyptian pharaohs. Because of its antimicrobial properties, cumin was one of the main spices that was used to clean and preserve the mummified bodies. The ancient Egyptians also used cumin for medicinal reasons like treating gastro-intestinal diseases and expelling intestinal parasites. Like their contemporaries, they also used cumin to add flavor to their food. Cumin featured as a component in their cosmetic products, perfumes, was even used as a form of money and often featured in sacred rituals and the making of charms. In Greco-Roman Egypt, it was believed that a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried cumin seeds throughout their wedding ceremony.
Today, we know that cumin is in fact a super-food spice with many healing properties and anti-inflammatory benefits. It is one of the most iron-dense foods you can consume with a teaspoon of ground cumin containing about 20% of your recommended daily iron intake.
