For Your Spice Rack: Hawa’ij Spice Mix

Used in the Chicken Mandy With Rice recipe I tried recently, this spice mix can be easily made at home, using common spices which can be found in our hypermarkets in Malaysia.  I usually store my spices in the freezer to keep dry; you know how our humid weather can be. Recipe by the Queen of Sheba.

Ingredients

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  • 1/3 cup coriander seeds (biji ketumbar)
  • 1/3 cup cumin seeds (jintan putih)
  • 1/4 cup black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons green cardamom pods (buah pelaga)
  • 1 teaspoon cloves (cengkih)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon (kulit kayu manis)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground turmeric (kunyit)

Directions

For a finer grind, it is recommended that you soak the whole spices first for an hour or so, and drain in a colander to remove any excess liquid. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and toast all the spices except turmeric, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the spices burn.  Remove from heat and let cool.

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Place the toasted spices into a coffee grinder or a spice grinder. You could also use a mortar and pestle. Grind until smooth. Run the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the large pieces. Then mix in the turmeric. Store in a glass jar, or wrap in plastic bags to give as a gift.

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