#zahtar

There are so many wonderful spices found all around the world, and every culture has combinations to flavor their own cuisines. From Garam Masala in India to Mexican Adobo and now Dukkah from the Middle East, at some time everyone should try some of these.

I love spices of all kinds, and even more when they are combined to make delightful mixtures. Each time I discover another new flavor combination, I like to try it immediately. I do keep a wide variety of spices at home. I know I keep far more than most people, due to my fascination with all the flavor aspects and

combinations. The more exotic the spice, the more curious I become. This all began when living in Guatemala. While the spices used there are not terribly unusual, what made them interesting was the way they were combined. Chiles with chocolate, I asked? How about sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds in desserts?

The next step was Indian spices, which was akin to finding a whole new genre of books to read. I dove in head first and tried every spice and spice mixture I could. Mixtures like Garam Masala are known nearly everywhere these days, but how about something like Panch Phoran? Not long ago I heard of a new spice mixture from the Middle East called Zahtar. I just happened to have all the ingredients, so I mixed up a batch and started using it on everything. It was wonderful.

Today I came upon a reference to Egyptian Dukkah. I immediately looked up everything I could find about this new spice.  While pulling ideas from many possible recipes, I got a glimpse of the personality of this mix. Many of the mixtures of Middle Eastern spices like Zahtar or Dukkah can be used in many possible applications. One of the simplest is to mix with olive oil. Bread, pita or other flat breads are then dipped into the oil, similar to the mixture of spices with olive oil in Italian restaurants. Dukkah can be used rubbed onto meats for stewing, frying or grilling. Lamb is used often in the Middle East and is ideal for use with these particular flavors. Sprinkle Dukkah onto eggs, avocados, salads, pastas or vegetables for remarkable flavor.

Ingredients used for Dukkah

What I learned is that Dukkah is made from some basic ingredients, with other spices added in for variations. The basic ingredient is nuts. Most often hazelnuts are used in combination with almonds, and sometimes sesame seeds. Sometimes pistachios are used in place of the hazelnuts, and chickpeas are yet another option. Other nuts can be substituted, such as macadamia nuts, pine nuts or cashews. The most common spices added to this mixture are coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper and salt. Other possible spices commonly added to this mixture are fennel seeds, sweet or smoked Spanish paprika, caraway, or nigella seeds. Some recipes call for a little Zahtar to be added in, and another spice mixture called Baharat. Some sweeter spices such as cinnamon, cloves or allspice can also be used. In some recipes herbs such as marjoram, mint or thyme are also added in, as well as chile flakes if heat is desired.

My Dukkah Recipe

1/2 cup shelled hazelnuts

1/2 cup shelled raw almonds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoons nigella seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon dried lemon zest

2 teaspoons flake salt, or other salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place nuts on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel to remove as much of the dark skins as possible. Place all the nuts into a food processor and process to small chunks.

Separately, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add in the coriander, cumin, fennel and nigella seeds, with the peppercorns. Toast these in the dry pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until quite fragrant. Pour the seeds into a bowl to cool. Once cooled, place them in a spice grinder with the dried lemon zest and grind until well broken, but not a fine powder. Alternately, a mortar and pestle can be used. Add the spices to the nut mixture, along with the salt and mix well. This makes about 1 1/2 cups of Dukkah.

Do give this a try. It is most excellent mixed with olive oil on bread, but try other applications or make other mixtures to satisfy your taste.

My name is Chris Rawstern and I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible, the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.

My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Sign up for my Newsletter to follow all of our events.

You may hear Sumac andimmediately think of poison sumac. The spice sumac is not from the same plant as the poison sumac, although they are from the same plant family.  As a matter of fact, the sumac used as a spice grows wild, mainly in the Middle East, so there is no problem with running afoul of the wrong plant, here in the US. The sumac commonly used as a spice in the Middle East is from the plant Rhus coriaria. The poison sumac found in the US is Rhus vernix.  They are from the tropical or subtropical cashew or sumac family of trees, shrubs and vines, all bearing drupes, or fruits with a single stone or seed. 

Sumac bushes grow wild in all the Mediterranean countries, in Sicily and southern Italy and especially the Middle East countries, notably Iran, Lebanon and Turkey. The parts of the plant used are the dried and ground berries which are an essential part of Arabic cooking.  The dried and crushed fruits yield a reddish powder, preferred over lemons for its fruity sourness and astringency.  Sumac can be sprinkled into dishes as they are being cooked, macerated in hot water and mashed to release flavor, or mixed into spice mixtures, most notably the Middle Eastern spice mixture called Zahtar.  The use of sumac in cooking closely parallels the use of tamarind or dried green mango powder in contemporary Indian and Indonesian cuisines. The fresh berries can also be made into a refreshing drink similar to lemonade.  In the US, there is a relative to this sumac, Rhus Glabra, mainly used in the tanning industry, but Native Americans also used the red berries to make a refreshing drink.

While all this is interesting, one may be wondering what to do with this spice, should it be acquired.  An acquaintance made chicken kebabs, by cubing chicken breasts and marinating them for a minimum of a half hour in a mixture of 1/4 cup plain yogurt, the juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste, 2 or 3 smashed cloves of garlic and 1/2 teaspoon dried dill.  She was lamenting that to make this dish as she would have in her home country, she would have added sumac. I replied that I just happened to have some. Not knowing the amounts she would need, I brought her about a quarter cup worth.  She dumped the entire amount into the marinade.  After marinating, she threaded the chicken onto skewers and grilled to desired doneness.  These kebabs were truly excellent in flavor. 

Another use is in the spice blend called Zahtar, Zaatar or Zatar.  As this is a Middle Eastern mixture made with a west Asian species of marjoram generally not available outside the region, the substitution is thyme or oregano, for US cooks.  Ratios vary from recipe to recipe.

Zahtar

4 tablespoons ground sumac

2 to 4 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

1 to 2 tablespoons each dried oregano, thyme and or marjoram.

1 teaspoon salt

The sesame seeds may be left raw, or toasted lightly in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly, until they begin to pop. Remove from heat immediately and pour out onto a plate to cool, as they will continue to roast off the heat. Grind together all ingredients with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder and store in an airtight glass jar in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.

This is a very basic recipe, with many possible variations.  Some use only thyme, without any oregano or marjoram.  Some use only oregano.  Some use salt in the mixture and some add pepper, and some do not use salt or pepper.  Other recipes contain spices such as coriander. Try making a batch and see what proportion works best for your taste. The recipe can be doubled or tripled, as needed.  Now that you have it, try using it mixed with olive oil as a dipping mixture for good bread.  Brush pita bread with oil and sprinkle with Zahtar and bake until heated through.  Sprinkle over hummus, yogurt or cheese.  It can be used to spice up most any dish.  Avocado, notoriously bland, can be spiced up with Zahtar.  Use it on anything that needs a little kick.

Sumac can be used in a shaker on the table to sprinkle onto foods such as rice or to lend a pleasant fruity sour note and soft reddish color to sauces, poultry or fish, or sprinkle it on meat before grilling.  Sumac also has purported healthful properties.  A sour drink of sumac is made to relieve stomach upsets. It is also said to have diuretic qualities and may be helpful with reducing fever.  Whatever its use, find some sumac at a reputable spice shop and try it out. You may be surprised at its usefulness.

My name is Chris Rawstern and I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible, the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like.

My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Sign up for my Newsletter to follow all of our events.