Arabian Spice Mixture for Desserts

BHARAT AL-HELOU

ARABIAN GULF

It is not often that you see spice mixtures used in sweets, but here is one from the Arabian Gulf. In fact, many Arabian sweets are flavored with spices such as cinnamon, or cardamom and/or saffron, not to mention fragrant waters and sometimes mastic (see Morrocan Almond Spirals and Cornes de Gazelles), giving them an intriguing exotic taste.

MAKES 2¼ CUPS (225 G)

½ cup (50 g) cumin seeds

½ cup (75 g) black peppercorns

2 tablespoons green cardamom pods

2 tablespoons whole cloves

3 whole nutmegs

½ cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon ground fenugreek

½ cup (50 g) ground ginger

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

Grind the whole spices in a spice grinder or a food processor until very fine. Transfer to a large bowl and add the fenugreek, ground ginger, and turmeric. Mix well. Store in an airtight glass jar and keep it in a cool dark place for up to one year, possibly longer.

MOROCCAN SALT AND CUMIN MIXTURE

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MOROCCO

Like Tunisian B’harat, this is a simple mixture of two ingredients in a ratio of 1:1. In this case it’s salt and cumin, to be served with mechoui and kebabs. Store in a cool dark place in a heremetically sealed glass jar.