Baharat, which means ‘spices’ in Arabic, is a commonly used Middle eastern spice blend used in many meat and chicken dishes. An aromatic mix of warm spices, it usually includes pepper, cinnamon, coriander, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cumin, and cardamom. Ratios and ingredients for Baharat vary from cook to cook, country to country. Because there are endless variations, you can tweak the recipe to your liking.
While you can use ground spices to make Baharat, the freshest, most fragrant flavor is obtained by grinding the whole spices yourself. As soon as spices are ground, they start losing freshness so only grind in small batches. A small spice grinder is a worthwhile investment. Once you start grinding your own spices, you’ll never want to buy pre-ground again.
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Recipe
Baharat - Middle Eastern Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
- 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
- ½ grated whole nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika optional
Instructions
- Toast whole spices gently in a pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes until they become warm and fragrant. Don't let them scorch or burn.
- Put toasted spices into a spice grinder and process until finely ground.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Makes ¼ cup
Nutrition
Try Baharat out in my Kufta recipe!
2pots2cook says
While looking for Baharat ingredients I came across your beautiful post dear friend. Thank you so very much !
Kelly says
Why thank you very much, Davorka! So glad you found it, my friend!