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Home » Food » By Type of Dish » Gluten Free » Baharat (Middle Eastern Spice Blend)

Baharat (Middle Eastern Spice Blend)

June 17, 2013 by Kimberly Killebrew · 55 Comments

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baharat recipe middle eastern spice blend homemade authentic best

Baharat, Arabic for “spice”, is a special an all-purpose spice blend widely used in Middle Eastern cuisine.  Just a pinch of it adds depth and flavor to sauces, soups, grains, vegetables, stews and meat.

Middle Eastern food is phenomenal.  Those of you who have taken the time to explore the various cuisines of the Middle East will agree.  I have spoken to many people who say they would love to be able to make authentic Middle Eastern food at home, but are intimidated by some of the recipe ingredients, such as Baharat.  What is it?  What’s in it?  Where can you find it?

Unless you have a Middle Eastern store in your area or order it online, this spice blend can be challenging to find.  However, as with any spice blend, it makes such a difference in the flavor outcome of your dish when you make it fresh in your own kitchen anyway, so I’m going to share my recipe for it with you!

Now that you’re equipped with this magical blend, you can make some phenomenal-tasting Middle Eastern food right at home!

Two fantastic and authentic Middle Eastern dishes you can try that call for Baharat:

Koshari (Egyptian Rice, Lentils and Macaroni with Spicy Tomato Chile Sauce), the national dish of Egypt.

Egyptian Koshari

Chicken Machboos (Bahraini Spiced Chicken and Rice), the national dish of Bahrain:

Chicken Machboos Middle Eastern Biryani Rice

4.9 from 7 reviews
Baharat (Middle Eastern Spice Blend)
 
Print
: The Daring Gourmet, www.daringgourmet.com
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
  • 1½ tablespoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and dry roast the whole spices/seeds (set aside the paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg) until they become very fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, tossing regularly to prevent scorching. Transfer them to a bowl and allow them to cool completely before grinding them in a spice or coffee grinder along with the paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg. Keep stored in an airtight glass jar.
3.2.2045

 

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55 Comments →

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55 Responses

  1. S says

    February 8, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    If I use already ground spices, how much of each should I use? Thanks

    Reply
  2. Lisa Hewitt says

    January 5, 2023 at 10:28 pm

    I have made this baharat and the koshari recipe from this site. My husband (he’s Sudanese) spent 10+years in Cairo and says this is as good as it gets outside of Egypt. I make a large amount and he can eat twice a day every day and be happy with that!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      January 12, 2023 at 4:41 pm

      That’s wonderful, Lisa, and what a compliment indeed – thank you so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  3. George says

    December 4, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    …The Baharat spice blend is actually a masala blend…Baharat is the word for India. :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      December 4, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      Hi George, in Arabic it translates simply as “spices” and is a well-known spice blend in the Middle East.

      Reply
  4. Giulia says

    February 15, 2022 at 2:11 am

    My favorite thing is adding hot milk, sugar and baharat spice to my espresso coffee (Illy of course, made with the moka).

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 15, 2022 at 7:30 am

      That sounds yummy, Giulia. Like a Middle Eastern twist on Masala Chai but with coffee.

      Reply
  5. Kevin says

    October 27, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    Hi Could you tell me the correct ratio of ground spices to make this please.
    Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 18, 2022 at 11:06 pm

      If you read the ingredient list it tells you how much to use

      Reply
  6. june nel says

    April 25, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    Do you need to mix oil with the spice blend before rubbing it into lamb shanks

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 26, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Hi June, you can but you can also use it as a dry rub and just rub the meat down with the dry spice blend.

      Reply
  7. Hasna says

    April 20, 2020 at 1:58 am

    Hi! This recipe looks easy and simple. But can I use this as an substitute for red curry paste, to cook pumpkin?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 20, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      Hi Hasna, it’s not the same thing as red curry but you can certainly use it for cooking pumpkin.

      Reply
  8. Gerda Halvorsen says

    January 16, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    We often use it on grilled chicken, also with a dash of lemon juice

    Reply
  9. Mahazin says

    December 27, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    Hi Susan,

    Can this mix be used as rub to grill chicken?

    Reply
    • Ricki Danielle says

      December 21, 2020 at 4:42 pm

      Hello, it is a common spice blend that can be used universally on meats and vegetables you could also try grilling egg plant with the spice blend and olive oil. With pomegranate molasses (found at Mediterranean stores) with pomegranates and a mint with yogurt sauce…. very delicious

      Reply
  10. Susan Sobon says

    November 12, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    Thanks so much for this spice blend. Im plant based so I am always on the lookout for new spice blends to try. I noticed pepper is the first ingredient, but they are peppercorns. Would you call this a hot blend? Im so pleased to see you are still answering after all these years.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 13, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Susan, yes, it’s a fairly spicy blend. You can adjust the ratios according to your own taste.

      Reply
  11. Neyha says

    September 19, 2019 at 2:12 pm

    How much would you recommend using per pound of ground beef?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 19, 2019 at 9:20 pm

      Hi Neyha, it depends on how you’re using the ground beef and what other ingredients you’re adding to the dish. As a general guideline I’d say 1 to 2 tablespoons depending on how flavorful you want the meat to be.

      Reply
  12. commercialservice says

    September 6, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    Some genuinely interesting details you have written.Aided me a lot, just what I was looking for
    :D.

    Reply
  13. Nadia says

    June 3, 2019 at 3:19 am

    Thanks for this recipe and the very helpful responses to all the comments/queries. I look forward to making this! Just back from a visit to the Middle East, which included several days in Cairo.
    NM

    Reply
  14. Bethany says

    May 31, 2019 at 1:47 pm

    Do you have a particular spice grinder that you’ve found to be good?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 4, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Bethany, I’ve used my little KRUPS spice/coffee grinder for about 13 years. It was less than $20 and they still make a similar model.

      Reply
  15. Lorraine says

    April 18, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Green or black cardamom?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 18, 2019 at 3:22 pm

      Green.

      Reply
      • Jeanne says

        November 28, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Do you use the whole cardamom pod, or open it up and just use the seeds?

        Reply
        • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

          November 28, 2020 at 1:36 pm

          Hi Jeanne, you just use the seeds and discard the pod.

          Reply
          • Fatima says

            August 31, 2021 at 9:09 pm

            Don’t discard the cardamom pod, it has so much flavor in it.
            Add it to water that you boil for Indian/Yemeni chai/tea

            Reply
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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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