Orku Kala Namak is a 1Kg pouch of cooking Himalayan black salt, made from natural rock salt sourced from Pakistan. Its granules measure 1-2mm, and the resealable pouch keeps it handy in the kitchen.
Kala namak is a staple in South Asian cooking, often sprinkled over chaats, chutneys, salads, fruit and raitas. Its sulfur notes give it a savoury, hard-boiled-egg character, so vegans often use it to season tofu or avocado in egg-style dishes such as an egg salad or deviled eggs.
Sodium chloride provides kala namak with its salty taste, iron sulfide provides its dark violet hue, and all the sulfur compounds give kala namak its slight savory taste as well as a highly distinctive smell, with hydrogen sulfide being the most prominent contributor to the smell. The acidic bisulfates/bisulfites contribute a mildly sour taste. Although hydrogen sulfide is toxic in high concentrations, the amount present in kala namak used in food is small and thus its effects on health are negligible. Hydrogen sulfide is also one of the components of the odour of rotten eggs and boiled milk. Kala namak is appreciated by some vegans in dishes that mimic the taste of eggs. It is used, for example, to season tofu or avocado to mimic an egg salad or deviled eggs.
How is Himalayan Natural black Salt Made?
Natural rock salt is acquired from salt mines of Pakistan. Then the big lumps are broken into small pieces and put into large vessel of furnace. Some herbs like Pepper, Rosemary, Rue, Cinnamon and Harrad etc are mixed into rock salt in certain specific ratios into vessel of furnace then the whole ingredients including rock salt are melted on a high temperature in a furnace for a specific time. When all this mixture is converted into liquid form with the help of high temperatures then this liquid is poured into many small vessels of about 30-40kgs each and let it cool. It takes many hours to become cold and to convert in solid form again. When the material of the vessels becomes solid then it is taken out of these vessels and broken into small lumps. Now the black salt is ready for use. Factories make different grades of black salt. Some people want black salt in lump form, some demands in granulate or fine form
When and where to use Black Salt?
It is mostly used in Asian countries for different purposes like as edible salt because it is highly digestive as well as it is used in some medicines. It is also used for animals again for digestion purposes.
Kala namak is used extensively in South Asian cuisines of Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan as a condiment or added to chaats, chutneys, salads, all kinds of fruits, raitas and many other savoury Indian snacks. Chaat masala, an Indian spice blend, is dependent upon black salt for its characteristic sulfurous hard-boiled-egg aroma. Those who are not accustomed to black salt often describe the smell as similar to rotten eggs. Kala namak is appreciated by some vegans in dishes that mimic the taste of eggs. It is used, for example, to season tofu or avocado to mimic an egg salad or deviled eggs.
Kala namak is considered a cooling spice in Ayurveda and is used as a laxative and digestive aid. It is also believed to relieve flatulence and heartburn. It is used in Jammu to cure goitres.
