Moroccan Spice Blend

If we move down and westerly along the Mediterranean coast of Africa on our travels, we eventually reach Morocco.  A country I’ve never been to, but think I would like to go there one day.  I have always loved their detailed wood art, wooden furniture, metal art and tile crafts.   Their cuisine is an interesting mixture of Arab, French, Spanish, Berber and with a heavy influence of general Middle Eastern cuisines.  Much of it is prepared in a tagine, a medium-sized clay pot.  I personally have never used one.  Photos of some lovely tagines below.    

I’ve only tried to create a few Moroccan dishes based on my limited reading of a very few recipes.  This spice mixture is very similar to Baharat spice in other Arab countries with the addition of paprika and a bit of spunk with the crushed red pepper (the Spanish and Berber influences).  I think you’ll like this one.  Delicious  with everything I’ve tested it on so far.   It’s great with grilled meats, or in water-braised dishes and stews.  It really lends itself to dried fruit added to your meat dishes as well.  I tried it one time on a grilled fish and it was most excellent used that way.  As most spice mixtures, it is Atkins Induction Phase friendly.

INGREDIENTS:

4 T. Smoked Spanish paprika

4    3″ sticks cinnamon, broken up, (about 3 T. if using ground cinnamon)

¼-½ tsp. cayenne, depending on taste

3 T. coriander seed

1 rounded tsp. whole cloves (about ½ tsp. ground cloves)

1 tsp. cardamom seeds, removed from their outer pod/husk

1 T. coarse black pepper

3 T. cumin seed (whole)

½ tsp. turmeric

DIRECTIONS:  Measure all whole seeds/spices into a dry, non-stick skillet.   Turn heat to high and roast spices a couple minutes until they become very fragrant.  Turn off heat and cool.  Run through a spice grinder or coffee grinder dedicated to spice grinding.  When you use your coffee grinder,, those tastes will linger for months and months, producing some really funny tasting coffee………so don’t do that.    Grind the mixture pretty fine.  Add any UNGROUND spices you are having to use instead of whole (whole is best though), mix well and spoon the blend into a lidded jar.  Store in a dark cabinet as is proper for all spice storage.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes about 1 cup or 16 Tablespoons.  One tablespoon is about how much you would use for a 4-serving braised entrée or to grill fish or meat for four people.  One tablespoon contains:  

18.4 cals, 0.75g fat, 3.78g carbs, 2.28g fiber, 1.5g NET CARBS, 0.71 g  protein, trace sodium