Ras El Hanout Spice [Recipe]

Ras El Hanout Spice – North African Spice Blend 

Recipe by Madison B. Siobhan of FASHION TALES blog 

This is an easy blend to put together, and you don’t have to toast the spices before blending. 

Ras el hanout is a North African spice blend that is full of flavour and boldness. In Arabic, it literally means “head of shop,” meaning it features the best or premium spices offered on the shelf of the shop (top shelf product). Ras el hanout is a bright concoction of black pepper ginger, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and more. The blend varies but usually always includes a few key spices such as, coriander, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric, black pepper, etc. Tunisian rasel hanout is a bit milder than the blend you might find in Morocco.  

I like the use the mix of both because I love a kick of spice, and I’ve always had it made with rose petals (a version of how you may find it in many Tunisian blends). So, my version has a slight kick — the most important thing to note is to make certain the quality of spices that you use is premium, to ensure your blend comes out amazing. 

Ras El Hanout 

Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

½ teaspoon ground turmeric 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon ground allspice 

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 

1 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1 teaspoon crushed rose petals 

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg) 

½ teaspoon ground coriander 

¼ teaspoon ground cloves 

¼ teaspoon kosher salt  

 

Method: 

  1. 1. Toss all the ingredients in a small bowl, and use a spoon to blend the spices together. 

  1. 2. Pour the contents into a spice jar, spice shaker, or airtight container. Close securely with a lid. Store in a cool, dry and dark area. This will keep well for up to three months, in a cool, dry place, or you can store it in the refrigerator, for up to six months. 

  2.  

  3. See how I used ras el hanout in this Moroccan-inspired dish here.Ras el hanout spice on a plate

 

Notes & Helpful Tips: 

Fresh vs. ground nutmeg: For this blend, I do like to use freshly grated nutmeg, if you have it use it fresh, otherwise ground will work. Fresh nutmeg, in my opinion, is more flavourful, it has a more potent flavour profile because ground nutmeg is bottled and processed by the manufacturer, you don’t know when it was blended, therefore if you can use fresh nutmeg, it is preferred in my recipes. 

I cannot find rose petals; do I need them? 

Although rose petals are in this recipe, if you cannot find them, you can omit them. You can find rose petals in many international grocers these days in most places. The crushed rose petals here give the spice blend complexity, which is just another element in the ingredient list that gives rasel hanout an extra layer of flavour.