Four Spice Blends

Name: Four Spice Blends
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp green cardamom seeds, from about 15 pods; 1 tsp cloves, whole; 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cm, broken up; ½ nutmeg, grated; 3 tbsp dried thyme or oregano; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tbsp ground sumac; 3 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 2 tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground allspice; ½ tsp cayenne pepper; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chili powder or cayenne, to taste; 18 g (1 tbsp) fine sea salt

Garam masala, za'atar, ras el hanout and an all-purpose rub

Makes: 4 small jars, about 30–100 g each
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 30 min
Level: Easy

Toasting and grinding your own whole spices gives blends that are far more fragrant than jars that have sat on a shelf for a year. These four cover most of the world's kitchens; make them in small batches and use them within three months.

Ingredients

Garam masala

2 tbspcoriander seeds
1 tbspcumin seeds
2 tspblack peppercorns
1 tspgreen cardamom seedsfrom about 15 pods
1 tspcloveswhole
1cinnamon stick5 cm, broken up
½nutmeggrated

Za'atar

3 tbspdried thyme or oregano
2 tbsptoasted sesame seeds
1 tbspground sumac
3 gfine sea salt (½ tsp)

Ras el hanout

2 tspcumin seeds
2 tspcoriander seeds
1 tspblack peppercorns
2 tspground ginger
2 tspground turmeric
2 tspsweet paprika
1 tspground cinnamon
½ tspground allspice
½ tspcayenne pepper

All-purpose barbecue rub

3 tbspbrown sugar
2 tbspsmoked paprika
1 tbspgarlic powder
1 tbsponion powder
2 tspground black pepper
2 tspground cumin
1 tspchili powder or cayenneto taste
18 gfine sea salt (1 tbsp)

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: sesame

Method

Garam masala: toast the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a dry pan over medium-low heat, shaking often, until fragrant and a shade darker, 2–3 minutes. Tip onto a plate to cool.
Grind the cooled spices to a fine powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, then stir in the nutmeg.
Za'atar: rub the dried thyme between your palms to crumble it, then mix with the sesame seeds, sumac and salt.
Ras el hanout: toast the cumin, coriander and peppercorns as above, cool and grind, then mix with all the ground spices.
Barbecue rub: break up any lumps in the sugar and mix everything together thoroughly.
Store each blend in a small, labeled, airtight jar away from light and heat.

Why it works

Spices carry their aroma in volatile oils that fade once ground. Toasting whole seeds briefly drives off moisture and triggers new roasted aromas, and grinding just before storing gives the freshest result. Toast seeds until fragrant only: beyond that, the oils scorch and turn bitter.

Common mistakes

Toasting ground spices: they burn in seconds. Toast only whole seeds.
Grinding warm spices: they clump and turn pasty. Let them cool first.
Storing above the stove: heat and light dull blends fast.

Variations

Dukkah: Toast and coarsely crush 50 g hazelnuts, 2 tbsp sesame, 1 tbsp coriander and 1 tsp cumin seeds; add salt and pepper. Serve with bread and olive oil.

Make ahead and storage

Keep 3 months in airtight jars; za'atar 1 month.

Notes

Use garam masala in Chana Masala, Chicken Biryani and Butter Chicken, za'atar on Skillet Yogurt Flatbreads, ras el hanout in Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine, and the rub on Smoked Pulled Pork. Check that the paprika and powders are pure spice with no anti-caking agents containing wheat if gluten matters.