Homemade Ras el Hanout - The Complex,
Traditional Moroccan & North African Mix

Ras el Hanout is one of North Africa’s most celebrated spice blends, especially in Moroccan cuisine. It traditionally reflects a merchant’s finest spices, with recipes varying widely by region and family. This version is floral and complex, perfect for tagines, couscous, grilled meats and roasted vegetables.

What You'll Need: (makes about 10 tablespoons)

2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp allspice berries
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp smoked or regular paprika
Seeds from 5–6 green cardamom pods
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried lavender (optional)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp dried rose petals (optional)
1 tsp galangal powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp cubeb pepper
1 tsp whole cloves
3–4 mace blades

tbsp = tablespoon
tsp = teaspoon

Directions:

Lightly toast the coriander, cumin and mustard seeds, allspice berries, black peppercorns, cloves, mace and cubeb pepper in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

In a spice grinder, finely grind the cooled, toasted spices together with the caraway and cardamom seeds. Add to a mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, including the dried lavender and rose petals, if using. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.

Store your ras el hanout in a cool place in an airtight jar and out of direct sunlight. Use within 6 months.

A Step-by-Step Instructional Video

Here's a video of how I made a version of the above ras el hanout powder. The ingredients may be slightly different but the process is exactly the same. If you enjoyed it and have a Youtube account, you can click the SUBSCRIBE button in the bottom right corner in the video, OR click the SUBSCRIBE link below the video...

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Information on Moroccan Ras el Hanout

Homemade Ras el Hanout

Translated from Arabic this blend means "head of the shop" or "top of the shop" and can consist of anywhere between 15 and 25+ spices!

It really gives the adventurous chef a chance to show off, and in the numerous variations available, you will often find some fairly unusual ingredients mixed in.

My variation above has a couple of seldom used ingredients: grains of paradise, lavender, anardana seeds etc, but compared to some I've come across mine is still quite basic.

Orris root, long pepper, cubebs, galangal, rose petals, chufa nuts and ash berries are just a few of the exotic ingredients I've found used.