Baharat (aka 7 Spice)

[ecowper]

Baharat is Arabic for spices. It also means the spice mix kept on the shelf in kitchens in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and used generally for rubs and seasoning on lamb, beef, and chicken. If you are shopping online and see Baharat or 7 Spice, these are interchangeably meaning the same thing and is a commercial version similar to the homemade versions.

here’s my own Baharat, which i use frequently while cooking Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes

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

Directions

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.

Edit: if you don't want to hassle with making your own, this Baharat from Spice Jungle is pretty good.

Edit the second: Baharat is an Arabic word, as noted, that means spices. It was adopted into Hebrew sometime in the 19th century according to what I can find. In Hebrew it is בהרט, but pronounced exactly the same. It is commonly used in Iraqi Jewish and Sephardic cooking.

[Richard Chrz]

Thanks for sharing this again to make it easier to save and locate. I need to source a few, but will definitely be doing this soon.

[Starsky]

I keep a jar in my spice cabinet. Wife loves it

[Finster]

Gonna try this. Thanks.

I've used Cardamom before (can't remember what for) and it's a bit pricey, but there is a Sprouts near me that has bulk herbs and spices that you can purchase in small quantities.. I'll look to see if they have it there.

[ecowper]

If you can't get the seeds, buy a small jar of ground cardamom. Toasting and grinding the seeds is probably a 5% difference in the whole outcome.

[Johnny Booth]

Just got three mature, potted Cardamom plants from a neighbor who moved. One is in bloom. Score!

[Dewesq55]

Cardamom seeds are often available from Indian grocery stores. I generally have them on hand. You can also buy the whole pods and break them open for the seeds. This is a bit tedious, but for a small quantity is doable without TOO much hassle

[ecowper]

Draznnl here’s my recipe for Baharat with back story on it, if you’re interested. It’s great for many different recipes common in Israeli cooking as well as, of course, common in Levantine cooking in general.

[yakima]

Got it.

[Draznnl]

ecowper Paprika files would be great. Thanks.

[ecowper]

Draznnl check your inbox