Ras el hanout is a traditional North African recipe for a complex and very aromatic spice blend that's a feature of the region's cookery. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic North African version of Ras el hanout.
Ras el hanout (راس الحانوت) is one of the 'must have' spice blends in Middle Eastern and North African (especially Moroccan) cuisine. The name itself literally means 'Head of the Shop' in Arabic and refers to the best quality spices that the merchant has. Though there is no set combination of spices that comprises ras el hanout, most versions contains over a dozen spices (and some can have as many as a hundred ingredients). The mixture given below represents an authentic Moroccan version containing a large number of spices, including some rather obscure ones such as rosebud (which can be omitted). I should also add that I was recently given a recipe for this from a 15th century North African manuscript. This is after the first conquest of Timbuktu so it includes the West African spices that are still found in Morocco today. I have slightly amended the recipe as a result.
Go to the printable version of the recipe
10 rosebuds (dried) (or 25g dried Damasc rose petals or 25g dog rose petals) [optional]
5 x 6cm [2 1/2 in] lengths cinnamon sticks
12 blades of mace
1 tsp aniseed
8 piece dried turmeric (or 2 tbsp powdered turmeric)
8 dried chillies
1/2 tsp lavender leaves [omit if serving to a pregnant woman]
1 tbsp white peppercorns
2 pieces galangal
5cm (2 in) piece whole ginger cut into small cubes (or 2 tsp ground ginger)
6 cloves
4 tsp long pepper
24 allspice berries
20 green cardamom pods
4 black cardamom pods
2 tsp cubeb pepper
2 tsp grains of paradise [optional]
2 tsp cumin seeds
10 saffron threads
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds (black)
Galingale
Cassia bark
Ashanti Pepper
Belladonna berries
Ajwain (Bishop's Weed)
Orris root
Black pepper
ash keys
Mastic
Nigella seeds
Senegal pepper
Monk's Pepper
tiger nut flour
white ginger (zedoary root)
Ras el hanout is a crucial flavouring in this site's Goat Tagine recipe and the Chicken and Lemon Tagine recipe.
Ras el hanout (راس الحانوت) is one of the 'must have' spice blends in Middle Eastern and North African (especially Moroccan) cuisine. The name itself literally means 'Head of the Shop' in Arabic and refers to the best quality spices that the merchant has. Though there is no set combination of spices that comprises ras el hanout, most versions contains over a dozen spices (and some can have as many as a hundred ingredients). The mixture given below represents an authentic Moroccan version containing a large number of spices, including some rather obscure ones such as rosebud (which can be omitted). I should also add that I was recently given a recipe for this from a 15th century North African manuscript. This is after the first conquest of Timbuktu so it includes the West African spices that are still found in Morocco today. I have slightly amended the recipe as a result.
Go to the printable version of the recipe
Ras el hanout Recipe
Ingredients:
4 whole nutmegs10 rosebuds (dried) (or 25g dried Damasc rose petals or 25g dog rose petals) [optional]
5 x 6cm [2 1/2 in] lengths cinnamon sticks
12 blades of mace
1 tsp aniseed
8 piece dried turmeric (or 2 tbsp powdered turmeric)
8 dried chillies
1/2 tsp lavender leaves [omit if serving to a pregnant woman]
1 tbsp white peppercorns
2 pieces galangal
5cm (2 in) piece whole ginger cut into small cubes (or 2 tsp ground ginger)
6 cloves
4 tsp long pepper
24 allspice berries
20 green cardamom pods
4 black cardamom pods
2 tsp cubeb pepper
2 tsp grains of paradise [optional]
2 tsp cumin seeds
10 saffron threads
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds (black)
Other ingredients often used include the following:
Alligator PepperGalingale
Cassia bark
Ashanti Pepper
Belladonna berries
Ajwain (Bishop's Weed)
Orris root
Black pepper
ash keys
Mastic
Nigella seeds
Senegal pepper
Monk's Pepper
tiger nut flour
white ginger (zedoary root)
Method:
Place all the ingredients in a dry no-stick drying pan and toast under gently heat until the spices begin to colour and/or dry out (the spices are sufficiently toasted when cumin and mustard seeds begin to 'pop'). When done, set the pan aside and allow to cool thoroughly before transferring to a coffee grinder and grind to a smooth powder. If properly toasted and the wet ingredients are dried then this spice blend will keep in an airtight container for several months. As a note, traditional Ras el Hanout only included black pepper for the most expensive variants.Printable version of the Recipe
north africa, spices, vegetarian, spice blend
Spices
North Africa
Ras el hanout
https://fabulousfusionfood.blogspot.com/2019/04/ras-el-hanout-recipe.html
Ras el hanout. This is a traditional North African recipe for a complex and very aromatic spice blend that's a feature of the region's cookery.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQwS5EtVnVPwUXjdhhoKt0aNR3-f2Vhq_ixPcZm-4nw43ZmlZZUqIulfCj4NGS0i2yJSxB8H0iFrYCoZcsguTDjfTWhCIXpjt9nQcy-IEsJ_3H-XCIeIXm_GDtll8WMPdHh0psHsIqx0/s1600/ras-el-hanout.png
2019-04-22
Yield: 1 jar
Ras el hanout
Ras el hanout. This is a traditional North African recipe for a complex and very aromatic spice blend that's a feature of the region's cookery.
prep time: 10 mins
cook time: 10 mins
total time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- 4 whole nutmegs
- 10 rosebuds (dried) (or 25g dried Damasc rose petals or 25g dog rose petals) [optional]
- 5 x 6cm [2 1/2 in] lengths cinnamon sticks
- 12 blades of mace
- 1 tsp aniseed
- 8 pieces dried turmeric (or 2 tbsp powdered turmeric)
- 8 dried chillies
- 1/2 tsp lavender leaves [omit if serving to a pregnant woman]
- 1 tbsp white peppercorns
- 2 pieces galangal
- 5cm (2 in) piece whole ginger cut into small cubes (or 2 tsp ground ginger)
- 6 cloves
- 4 tsp long pepper
- 24 allspice berries
- 20 green cardamom pods
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 2 tsp cubeb pepper
- 2 tsp grains of paradise [optional]
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 saffron threads
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 tsp mustard seeds (black)
Method:
- Place all the ingredients in a dry no-stick drying pan and toast under gently heat until the spices begin to colour and/or dry out (the spices are sufficiently toasted when cumin and mustard seeds begin to 'pop'). When done, set the pan aside and allow to cool thoroughly before transferring to a coffee grinder and grind to a smooth powder. If properly toasted and the wet ingredients are dried then this spice blend will keep in an airtight container for several months. As a note, traditional Ras el Hanout only included black pepper for the most expensive variants.
© Dyfed Lloyd Evans
Ras el hanout is a crucial flavouring in this site's Goat Tagine recipe and the Chicken and Lemon Tagine recipe.
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