“Baharat” simply means spices in Arabic, but often refers to a seven spice blend. Think of this one sort of like a Lebanese version of garam masala. The warm notes of coriander, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg give the blend a lovely well-rounded flavor.
one recipe, two options
The recipe at the end of this post gives you two ways of making it: You can measure all your ingredients to yield about 1 cup. Or you could make whatever size batch you’d like with ratios.
How do you use a recipe that says something like “1 part paprika”? You just find an item you can use to measure something—it could be a thimble or it could be a coffee mug—and you use that as your “1 part.” Then you just add however many parts the recipe calls for. So 12 thimbles of black pepper and 1 thimble of cardamom. Or 12 coffee mugs of black pepper and 12 coffee mugs of cardamom. The choice is yours!
Baharat storage and use
A spice blend is the kind of thing that you make in a big batch and use over the course of a several months to a year (it will last closer to a year if stored in a sealed glass or stainless steel container). While it takes a small amount of effort up front, you’ll reap the benefits for a long time.
If I’m cooking with this spice blend (as opposed to just sprinkling it), I usually temper it in oil over low heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, which gives it a toastier flavor. But it’s also delicious sprinkled as-is.
Recipes featuring baharat / 7 spice:
- Easiest-possible Hummus Bowls
- Shakshuka
- chicken kebabs (easy and flexible)
- Warak Enab (Lebanese grape leaves)
- the best way to make falafel + a recipe
- vegetarian shepherd’s pie
- chicken shawarma
- sheet pan ras al asfour
- kuku sabzi with easy-to-find ingredients
- shawarma platter
Baharat (7 spice) + ways to use
- Yield: just over 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ground black pepper (3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns)
- 1/4 cup ground paprika
- 1/4 cup ground cumin seeds (1/4 cup whole cumin seeds)
- 1/4 cup ground coriander seeds (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds)
- 2 tablespoons ground cloves (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons whole cloves)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (2 1/2 inch cinnamon stick)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 small nutmeg) – optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (8 to 9 cardamom pods)
Instructions
Combine ground spices and store in a resealable container (preferably glass).
Notes
If you’d like to make a larger batch, here are the ratios:
12 parts ground black pepper
12 parts ground paprika
12 parts ground cumin seeds
12 parts ground coriander seeds
6 parts ground cloves
2 parts ground cinnamon
1 part ground nutmeg (optional)
1 part ground cardamom
don’t we have to toast the spices?
That step is totally optional (I mean, depending on who you talk to), but always a good option if you have the time. If you plan to toast the spices, it’s best to do so in a dry pan before grinding them.
Katie I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to share this Biryani recipe with everyone
Thank you for sharing your recipe with everyone and for taking the time to teach me how to make it! People are going to love it!