Hawaij - Yemeni Spice Mix

Hawaij - Yemeni Spice Mix

source: http://www.shebayemenifood.com/content/chicken-mandi-rice

Hawaij is the name of the Yemeni spice mix which is used in a lot of popular dishes. It is especially essential to meat dishes of any kind and broths. You can buy it in the market in Yemen and you might find it in Arab markets in international cities. One advantage to making it fresh is that it is so much more potent. You can also change the ratio of the spices a little if you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup coriander seed

1/3 cup cumin seed

1/4 cup black peppercorns

2 tbsp. green cardamom pods

1 tsp. cloves

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. turmeric

HOW TO MAKE

1.       Place all of the whole spices (except turmeric) into a frying pan on medium heat and toast this for approx. 2-3 minutes. Do not let the spices burn.

2.       When the spices cool, place them into a coffee grinder or a spice grinder. You could also use a mortar and pestle. Grind until smooth.

3.       Run the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the large pieces. Then mix in the turmeric.

4.       Store in a glass jar or wrap in plastic bags to give as a gift.