Authentic Spice Blends

Advieh

2007-08-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

I Love Authentic Cooking ...

... and I'm starting my blog with Advieh, a Persian spice blend that varies by region, and by use. Advieh may include turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, rose petals, cardamom, lime powder and other ingredients depending on how it is to be used. Some advieh is used for pickling, some for rice, others for main dishes.

I'm posting some recipes for how I use advieh. All of my recipes are adapted from ones used in daily cooking around the world, or from chefs who build what I called "creative authentic" recipes using a region's flavors and tastes.

I'm happy to send you enough of my personally blended advieh (which includes crushed rose petals) to make several recipes, for eight dollars.

On the other hand you may make up your own blends or find some locally. I create my own spice blends using local and organic, when possible, ingredients. (I have had some bad luck with a stale blend that had been sitting in a warehouse for a few months or years, so I blend and/or hand-roast my own spices.) My goal is nothing less than to create flavors from far away that startle and amaze.

I like to buy my produce and meats from people I trust. I want the freshest, highest quality local products. Here, I endeavor to do the same thing with spice blends and various other ingredients.

Enjoy the recipes and let me know what you think. If you are looking for blends or other ingredients for exotic recipes I hope you call on me. I don't have everything but I do have a lot of exciting spices and ingredients I'd love to share with you.

Jeweled Rice

Described as the King of Persian Dishes, Jeweled Rice (or Morasa Polow) is often served for special occasions in Iran. It is supposed to bring sweetness to the lives of newlyweds and so it is frequently a part of wedding feasts. If you'd like, stir in some chopped dried fruit. It is a very beautiful and flavorful dish.

10 to 20 saffron strands
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup basmati rice
1 orange
1 tablespoon currants
2 carrots, julienned
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
1/2 teaspoon advieh (My blend is available for eight dollars)

Using a mortar and pestle grind the saffron with just a very few grains of sugar until it is a powder. Add 4 or 5 teaspoons of water and stir until liquid. Set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a sauce pan along with a tablespoon of butter. When it is hot, add the rice and a little salt and stir to coat for a minute or two, then add two cups water and bring to a boil. Stir, then cover and cook over low heat for about 12 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking saute the carrots in the remaining oil for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add a tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of the saffron mixture, 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is gone. Set aside.

Zest the orange, then peel and discard the white pith and slice the orange into slivers. Place the currants in a little bowl of water and set aside to plump up. Place the nuts in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, strain and set aside.

Place rice in a bowl and stir in all ingredients, including remaining saffron water and the advieh. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Istambooli Polow - (Rice with Tomatoes and Lamb)

The old world meets the new in this dish, which uses advieh along with new world ingredients potatoes and tomatoes. Use new potatoes for this dish.

2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2/3 teaspoon advieh (My blend is available)
Salt
Pepper
8 ounces lamb from leg or shoulder, cut into small pieces
3 smallish new potatoes, cut into 3/4” cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Soak the rice in water to cover for about an hour. Saute the onion in the oil until soft, then add the turmeric, advieh, salt and pepper, and meat. Stir fry until browned, then add the tomato paste and just enough water to cover. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the potatoes and the drained rice and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 or 4 minutes uncovered, then reduce heat and boil gently for another 5 minutes. Reduce heat, cover tightly, and allow to steam until done, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Rice with Green Beans

If you want a vegetarian dish, omit the lamb or substitute tofu. Tomatoes and green beans were brought to Iran around 1900 and have been incorporated into the cuisine.

2 cups basmati rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon advieh (My blend is available)
Salt
Pepper
2/3 pound lamb or beef, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds green beans

Heat 1 tablespoon oil with the butter in a saucepan and add the rice. Saute to coat for a minute or two, then add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 17 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet until very hot then add the onion and stir fry until browned. Add the advieh, salt and pepper and stir, then add the meat and stir fry until browned. Add the tomato paste, stir well, then add enough water to cover the meat. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

Chop the beans into roughly 1/2 inch lengths. Add to the pan, cover and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid is almost gone. Stir into the rice.

Peach Khoresh

Peaches are native to the Middle East; many dishes from the region include the fruit. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the peaches, or drop into boiling water for a minute or two, then remove immediately to cold water to stop the cooking process, and the skin will slip off. This is nice served with a rice pilaf.

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 to 1 1/4 lbs. lamb (or beef) stew meat, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon advieh
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 1 tbsp. hot water
4 large very firm peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for a minute or two then add the meat and brown on all sides. Stir in the advieh, salt, pepper and two cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Combine the lime juice and sugar, then add to the pot along with the saffron. Cover again and simmer another hour.

Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet and add the peaches, stirring to brown slightly. Add the peaches to the pot, cover and simmer another 20 minutes or until the peaches are tender.

I unconditionally guarantee you will be happy with the advieh - I will pay for the return postage and refund your purchase price if you are not. I know you will be delighted.

I'm available by email: authenticspiceblends@yahoo dot com, or call me: 503.280.2051.

If you'd like to order advieh ($8) or another ingredient, payment is secure via Paypal, and your ingredients are hand roasted/packed as ordered. (Shipping is $1 for the first ingredient, $.75 for each additional. I ship only within the U.S.) Just send an e-mail and tell me what you'd like. I'll get right back to you.

Thanks for reading. Drop me a note with questions about any recipe.

John Ettinger

Sri Lankan Curry Blend

2007-08-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

I hand roast the spices for this curry, which has delightfully subtle differences from Indian and other curries (including roasted and ground cashews). You can substitute it in any of your favorite Indian curries for a delightfully different flavor. I promise to roast the curry powder within 2 days of shipping.

Sri Lankan Shrimp Curry

Seafood, of course, is the staple of Sri Lanka where spiciness is also a fact of food life. You can make this as mild or spicy as you wish by reducing or increasing the hot pepper.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 cinnamon stick
2 small birdseye or jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
5 teaspoons Sri Lankan curry powder (My own blend is available)
2 small/medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups coconut cream, or coconut milk

Heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon and chilies over medium high heat until onions begin to brown. Add the turmeric and curry powder, tomato, lime juice and a little salt. Cook until the tomato is almost completely fallen apart, about ten minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and serve.

Mango Curry

This dish goes back at least to the fifth century, when it was served to King Kasyapa. Wonderful dish to include in any Asian dinner. If you have coconut cream use it for the second addition, instead of coconut milk.

3 or 4 teaspoons mustard seeds
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 birdseye pepper, minced
4 teaspoons Sri Lankan curry powder (My own blend is available)
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb. mangoes, as green as possible, peeled and cut into thick slices
1 cup coconut milk and coconut cream (see note above), divided (or just coconut milk)
2 teaspoons sugar

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the mustard seeds and vinegar to a paste and set aside. Heat the oil and add the onion, cooking for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper and cook a minute longer. Stir in the curry powder, cinnamon, salt and mango and then add about 1/3 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer until the mango is just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard paste, remaining coconut milk (or cream) and the sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. (The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.)

As I say on each post, I unconditionally guarantee you will be happy with my spices - I will pay for the return postage and refund your purchase price if you are not. I know you will be delighted.

I'm available by email: authenticspiceblends@yahoo dot com, or call me: 503.280.2051.

If you'd like to order the curry powder ($8) or another ingredient, payment is secure via Paypal, and your ingredients are hand roasted/packed as ordered. (Shipping is $1 for the first ingredient, $.75 for each additional. I ship only within the U.S.) Just send an e-mail and tell me what you'd like. I'll get right back to you.

Thanks for reading. Drop me a note with questions about any recipe.

John Ettinger

Ras el Hanout

2007-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

From Morocco, ras el hanout is one of the world's most interesting and complex spice mixtures, a mixture made slightly different in practically every Moroccan kitchen. There is no one ras el hanout anymore than there is one version of curry powder. Mine is made up of nine freshly ground spices and is terrific in tangines, stews, couscous, rice and more. I blend my own ras el hanout

Moroccan Lamb

Now here is a simple way to enjoy the exotic flavor of a good ras el hanout. Cut 1-inch slits into a 5 lb. leg of lamb and insert slivers of garlic. Rub the lamb with a cup or two of dry white wine, then cover it with cheesecloth and allow to rest for an hour. Mix 1/4 cup ras el hanout with 2 teaspoons pepper and rub it on the lamb. Roast or barbecue as you always do.

Lamb Tangine - Mruziyya

Cooking lamb in spices and honey may have started because of how well the recipes preserve the food. This dish is wonderful leftover and will last several days in the refrigerator covered in its sauce.

2 1/2 pounds lamb from leg or shoulder, cut into pieces
Salt
4 teaspoons ras el hanout (My blend is available for eight dollars)
1 cinnamon stick
2 sticks butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup blanched almonds

Rub the ras el hanout into the meat pieces. Place the meat, cinnamon, butter, oil and a little salt into a pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 90 minutes, occasionally checking to make sure there is water in the pot.

Add the raisins and the honey and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is syrup like. Brush the almonds with a little butter or oil and saute them until lightly browned. Place lamb and sauce on a platter and sprinkle with the almonds.

Bastilla

This is a dish seen frequently at celebrations in Morocco, often using pigeon (feel free to substitute if you have pigeon available, or one chicken if you don't have game hens). This is a stunning main dish.

1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 Cornish game hens
1 small onion, minced
2 teaspoons ras el hanout (My blend is available)
Butter
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 eggs, well beaten
Filo (about 20 sheets)
Sugar and cinnamon

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the salt, garlic and parsley to a paste, then rub on the hens. Place in a stockpot with the onion, ras el hanout, 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook, covered, for about 40 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the almonds until lightly browned. Remove to a food processor or finely chop by hand. Remove the hens from the pot and bring the remaining liquid to a boil. Reduce to one cup, then gradually add the eggs to the cooking liquid, stirring until it forms a curd. Allow the hens to cool, then remove the meat from the bones.

Preheat the oven to 350º and lightly oil a deep cake pan or springform pan. Melt 1/4 cup butter. Separate the filo sheets and line the pan with 4 of them, allowing them to overhang. Place one more sheet on the bottom and then brush with butter. Place about one-third of the meat on top and sprinkle with one-third of the almonds. Drizzle one-third of the curd on top, then add another layer of 3 or 4 sheets of filo. Repeat until all ingredients are gone, topping with filo. Fold the overhanging layers over, bind with melted butter and sprinkled with remaining butter and almond. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven and carefully flip onto a serving place. Sprinkle with a sugar/cinnamon mixture.

As I say on each post, I unconditionally guarantee you will be happy with the ras el hanout - I will pay for the return postage and refund your purchase price if you are not. I know you will be delighted.

I'm available by email: authenticspiceblends@yahoo dot com, or call me: 503.280.2051.

If you'd like to order ras el hanout ($8) or another ingredient, payment is secure via Paypal, and your ingredients are hand roasted/packed as ordered. (Shipping is $1 for the first ingredient, $.75 for each additional. I ship only within the U.S.) Just send an e-mail and tell me what you'd like. I'll get right back to you.

Thanks for reading. Drop me a note with questions about any recipe.

John Ettinger