Qizha

Ingredients

Seeds

• 500 gblack nigella seeds, habbat al-barakah

Optional

• a pinch of salt
• 1 tbspsesame oil, if the paste is very stiff

Used in

• qizha cake
• kaak
• maamoul
• festive pastries

Equipment

• a stone mill, or a heavy-duty blender and patience

Directions

1. Pick through the seeds and discard any grit or stones. Rinse them briefly and dry them completely on a cloth. Dry them thoroughly, because any moisture stops the seeds giving up their oil and the paste will not come together.
2. Toast them only until they smell strongly aromatic and start to crackle. Keep the heat low and keep them moving. Let them cool completely before grinding.
3. Warm seeds release their oil into the grinder and clog it immediately. Now grind them, and be prepared for it to take a long time. Rest the machine often.
4. Keep going through the crumb stage. It looks like it will never come together and then it does, in the same way peanuts become peanut butter.
5. Add a spoonful of sesame oil only if it refuses to loosen, though a properly ground paste needs none.
6. Add a pinch of salt if you want, which sharpens it. Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge, where it keeps for months. Stir it before each use, because the oil separates and rises as it stands.
7. Use it sparingly. It is intense, and too much makes a bitter and slightly medicinal pastry rather than an interestingly bitter one.

Technique

• Ready-made qizha is sold in Palestinian shops and is genuinely hard to make well at home.
• Nigella seeds are widely sold whole and are used across the Middle East and South Asia.
• It is closely associated with Nablus, which is also famous for its knafeh and its soap.

Substitutions

• Ready-made qizha paste from a Palestinian shop.
• Black sesame paste, which is a completely different flavour but works texturally.

Variations

• Mixed with tahini and sugar as a spread.
• Worked into kaak or maamoul dough.
• Layered inside a rolled festive cake.

History

Ground in Nablus stone mills and used in qizha cakes and sweets, especially for Christian and Easter baking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Qizha?

Qizha is a sauce & condiment from Palestine: black nigella seed paste, dark and bitter, spread in festive pastries. Ground in Nablus stone mills and used in qizha cakes and sweets, especially for Christian and Easter baking.

How long does Qizha take to make?

Qizha takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Qizha?

Yes, within limits. Ready-made qizha paste from a Palestinian shop. Black sesame paste, which is a completely different flavour but works texturally.

What is the most important thing to get right in Qizha?

Keep going through the crumb stage. It looks like it will never come together and then it does, in the same way peanuts become peanut butter.