The ingredients used in day-to-day Middle Eastern cooking have grown in popularity with the cuisine now one of our Aussie faves.
There’s nothing like the aromatic taste of home-cooked dishes, made with a variety of spices, herbs and sauces to recreate the flavours of the Middle East. Not sure what to use, or why?
Here’s our guide to 10 essential ingredients you can’t do without in your pantry plus recipes:
Sumac:
The brick-red finely ground berries of the sumac shrub give an astringent, lemony brightness to whatever they touch. A sprinkle wakes up the simplest ingredients – steamed rice, cooked meat or stone fruit.
Za’atar:
This savoury spice blend typically contains sumac, sesame seeds, marjoram, salt, thyme or oregano. Sprinkle it on homemade hummus or for a simple snack, mix it with some good olive oil and mop it up with warm pita bread.
Tahini:
A staple across the globe, tahini is also found in Asian dishes and Greek fare. It can be used as a spread, dip and a dressing as well as being a key ingredient in many dishes including hummus and baba ganoush. It can also be used as a peanut butter, almond or cashew butter substitute.
Cumin:
This is a common ingredient in many savoury dishes around the world, including the Middle East. It adds a warm flavour and works well in soups, stews and curries, or use it to season vegetables and meat before roasting or grilling.
Pomegranate Molasses:
This is pomegranate juice reduced to a thick, sweet-tart syrup. It can be used in place of citrus juice or vinegar in salad dressings as well as a glaze on meat before grilling or roasting.
Baharat:
This finely ground spice mixture is made from paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cardamom. This warming, all-purpose spice blend literally means ‘spice’ in Arabic – use it to season steaks before grilling or on vegetables before roasting.
Ras el Hanout:
Meaning ‘top of the shop’, this is a Moroccan blend which can contain anywhere from 10-100 different spices; add a burst of flavour to couscous, rice and potatoes, use it to season stews and tagines like lamb and chicken, or as a rub for grilled meat, vegetables and fish.
Harissa:
This fiery and garlicky North African spice paste is traditionally served with bread, stews and couscous dishes and is usually made with caraway, cumin, coriander and sometimes herbs such as mint. It is great mixed into burger meat, roasted vegetables and even into tomato pasta sauce.
Urfa Biber Pepper:
These dark Turkish chilli flakes have a smoky-sweet flavour with mellow heat – they’ll add depth of flavour to savoury dishes like hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara and even sprinkled on poached eggs.
Dukkah:
This Egyptian condiment is a mix of nuts, seeds and spices crushed to small pieces and can easily be made at home. Traditionally served with olive oil and fresh bread, it is great for delivering texture to popcorn, dips and salads; you can also use it as an aromatic coating for fish, chicken and lamb.
