Baharat بَهَارَات

The direct translation of Baharat into English is willingly a bit dull. It means Spices. I hear you. Rather a broad topic — but when used in the middle east and Lebanon in particular you do get something rather different. A gorgeous blend of fragrant spices, used in a wide variety of applications. Again as is with most spice mixes from Indian to North Africa they do vary from town to town and even from household to household. 

This spice mix I stumbled upon many years ago when I worked in the Bo-Kaap. The spice mecca of Southern Africa. I had been tasked with creating a deconstructed Fattoush salad - recipe to follow shortly.

Ingredients | 

Whole Spices

1 large stick cinnamon

1 tbsp whole allspice berries 

1 tbsp black and white peppercorns 

1 tbsp whole cumin seed 

1 tbsp whole coriander seed 

½ tsp cardamom seeds, removed from pods

 6 whole cloves

Ground spices

¼ nutmeg grated using a Microplane

2 tsp paprika

Method |

Toast, toast, toast — I can't stress this enough. This is such an important step. I keep mentioning it throughout all of our spice recipes. Toast the whole spices in a pan until they are aromatic and have just started to get darker. 

Then tip these into a spice grinder (or use a pestle and mortar as an alternative) and grind until you have powder. Add the ground spices and pulse for 30sec. Store in a sealed jar for up to six months.

The beauty of this blend is that you can use it as — 

A spice rub — for lamb, beef, chicken or fish(use sparingly on the later).

As a flavouring — for soups, casseroles, Fattoush or rice dishes. 

As a condiment – sprinkle across pita bread or fresh hummus. Or as a vegetable seasoning. 

As a marinade – simply mix with olive oil and lemon juice for a quick marinade recipe. It is particularly splendid with some lemon on chicken thighs for the BRAAI(Barbecue).

Do send in your pictures or comments on how you use your Baharat.