Ras el Hanout can feature anything from 10 to 100 spices, with recipes varying from family to family across North Africa. Some include delicate rose petals or fennel, others more exotic ingredients like galangal.
What I love is its versatility, it brings aromatic warmth to nearly every savoury dish, whether vegetables or meat.
I always go easy on the cinnamon, which can overpower and narrow its use. Add just a touch for subtle complexity, or more generously for that unmistakable Moroccan flair.
This is my personal blend. With time, you will get a feel for which spices you love, and which deserve a lighter touch, it is all part of making the mix truly your own.
Ingredients Makes about 500g
- 3 whole nutmeg
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 cup dried rose petals (ground or grind dried petals)
- 1/4 cup ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup caraway seeds
- 1/4 cup anise seeds
- 1/4 cup fennel seeds
- 60g cardamom pods (about 3 times ¼ cup)
- 1/4 cup coriander seeds
- 1/4 cup black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup white peppercorns
- 1/4 cup whole cloves
- 60g star anise
Method
Effort: Easy, just takes a bit of time (and makes the house smell amazing)
- Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Fold a kitchen towel to cushion your surface, place the nutmeg and cinnamon stick in a napkin, and gently crush with a hammer.
- Grind the crushed spices in a coffee grinder, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the rose petals and turmeric.
- Spread the remaining whole spices across three baking sheets, not just to manage different roasting times, but because some will need longer grinding later:
- Sheet 1: cumin, caraway, anise, fennel, cardamom
- Sheet 2: coriander, black and white peppercorns
- Sheet 3: cloves and star anise
- Roast Sheet 3 (cloves and star anise) for 10 minutes, Sheets 1 and 2 for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Allow all spices to cool, then grind each batch separately until fine.
- Combine all ground spices in the bowl and mix well. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use within two months for the best flavour, freshly ground spices fade quickly.
- For a quick version: mix 1 tsp each of already-ground spices.
- Adjust to taste: it is your Ras el Hanout now.
If you decide to make this a distinct Middle Eastern-inspired dish, I recommend pairing it with Hans’ dry Gewürztraminer. A wine that offers an ethereal bouquet of lychees and rose petals, with a purity rarely found. Its seductive floral notes float above a silky texture, making it a truly deserving companion.
– Therese