Ras el hanout

Ingredients

Core spices

• 2 tbspcoriander seed
• 2 tbspcumin seed
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 1 tbspground ginger
• 1 tbspground turmeric
• 2cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbspallspice berries

Aromatics

• 12green cardamom pods
• 6cloves
• 1 tspfennel seed
• 1 tspaniseed
• 2blades mace
• 1whole nutmeg, grated

The distinctive ones

• 1 tbspdried rosebuds
• 1 tspcubeb pepper
• 1 tspgrains of paradise
• 1 tspdried galangal
• 1 tsplong pepper
• 1 tsplavender, optional

Also

• 1 tspcayenne, optional
• 1 tspdried mint, optional

Equipment

• a spice grinder or a heavy mortar

Directions

1. Toast them one at a time. Coriander and cumin take about 2 minutes and turn fragrant and slightly darker.
2. Let everything cool completely before grinding. Grinding warm spices releases their oils into the grinder and clogs it, and the friction dulls the aroma.
3. Grind the hard spices first: peppercorns, coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon.
4. Break the cinnamon sticks up with a rolling pin before grinding, because whole sticks jam most grinders. Grind in short bursts with rests between. Short bursts keep the powder cool.
5. Grind the delicate ones separately and briefly: rosebuds, cardamom, cloves. Sieve everything together and regrind the coarse pieces that will not pass.
6. Combine all the ground spices with the pre-ground ginger, turmeric and grated nutmeg. Mix it thoroughly, which takes longer than expected with this many components.
7. Taste a pinch. It should be complex and warm rather than hot, with the floral note of rose clearly there behind the spice. Use it in tagines, in mrouzia, rubbed into meat, through couscous and in pastilla.

Technique

• Rosebuds are the signature that most people notice, and they are sold dried in Middle Eastern shops.
• Grains of paradise and cubeb are West African and Indonesian peppers respectively, and both are worth finding.
• Every Moroccan family also has a preferred merchant, which is the point of the name.

Substitutions

• A good shop-bought Moroccan blend, of which there are many.
• A shorter blend of cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and pepper, which is the practical minimum.

Variations

• A shorter everyday blend of eight or ten spices.
• A hot version with more cayenne and long pepper.
• A floral version heavy on rose and lavender.

History

The name means head of the shop; every Moroccan spice seller guards a personal formula, historically including rosebuds, cubeb, galangal and grains of paradise.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ras el hanout?

Ras el hanout is a sauce & condiment from Morocco: the spice merchant’s top-of-the-shop blend, sometimes thirty spices, for tagines. The name means head of the shop; every Moroccan spice seller guards a personal formula, historically including rosebuds, cubeb, galangal and grains of paradise.

How long does Ras el hanout take to make?

Ras el hanout takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 150 g. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Ras el hanout?

Yes, within limits. A good shop-bought Moroccan blend, of which there are many. A shorter blend of cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and pepper, which is the practical minimum.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ras el hanout?

Taste a pinch. It should be complex and warm rather than hot, with the floral note of rose clearly there behind the spice. Use it in tagines, in mrouzia, rubbed into meat, through couscous and in pastilla.