Three Versatile Homemade Spice Blends
Berbere, ras el hanout, and khmeli suneli are delicious blends that can provide immediate complexity to your dishes and make great gifts
Whether you’re going around in circles cooking the same three things or you enjoy regularly putting aside an afternoon to get elbow-deep in a challenging recipe, homemade spice blends are a wonderful way to boost your cooking. Here I’ve got a few different recipes from around the world — naturally, you can buy your own ready-made, but they’re a fun project and you can adjust the measurements to make something that perfectly suits your taste buds. Each recipe makes a relatively small quantity — though you could consider making larger batches, as they also make for a great homemade gift.
Depending on your pantry, these recipes will probably require a bit of shopping at the outset. While it’s true that the strongest flavour comes from using whole spices and then pulverising them in a spice grinder, I’ve leaned towards ready-ground ingredients to make things easier on you. But if you have the equipment then by all means, go ahead and get whole spices.
As for what to do with these spice blends? Like a magic wand full of flavour, they can provide immediate depth and complexity. Stir them through couscous…
