This spice is often used in both sweet and savoury recipes. I pop cinnamon sticks into Giant Couscous with Chicken (see here) and sweet recipes (see Labneh with Caramelised Poached Quinces & Spiced Dried Fruit, see here), in which the stick can withstand long periods of simmering. Use ground cinnamon when blending this spice with other ingredients, for example in the Sweet Potato & Tahina Pudding (see here).
CORIANDER
We don’t use the spice coriander in our cooking nearly as much as we do the fresh herb or even cumin, but it still serves a purpose. The slightly lemony flavour of the spice will soften and complement other ingredients, such as the cumin in the Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel (see here).
COUSCOUS
When I was young, I remember my mum buying couscous in very large bags – they’d be either 25kg or 50kg – as we used to eat so much of it. Gone are the days when it was always steamed in a couscoussier (the traditional steamer used in the Middle East to cook couscous). This method does make the texture really light, but it’s quicker to pour hot water or stock over the grains and leave them to soak for 10–15 minutes to rehydrate them. Couscous needs lots of flavouring – oil and lemon juice, and you can also melt a knob of butter in the hot liquid – and then it’s ready to serve with rich stews. A lighter recipe, and very delicious, is my favourite Roasted Chicken & Couscous Salad (see here).
CUMIN
This spice infuses any recipe with a distinctive musky flavour. It’s often used with coriander, which complements it perfectly, with its lemony character. It’s a must in My Mum Zohra’s Fried Sardines (see here). Buy cumin seeds if you have a good spice grinder, or use ground cumin if you need to save time.
FREEKEH
We don’t use this as often as couscous or bulgar wheat, but I do enjoy it and it’s delicious in my easy and very filling Freekeh with Chicken (see here). Like bulgar and couscous, it is wheat, but it is harvested when young and green, then toasted and cracked to make the freekeh. It has a slightly nutty flavour and the cooking time varies depending on the packet you buy. Check this before you start so you don’t end up with bullet-like grains when you’re preparing it.
DRIED FRUIT
I always keep dried dates, figs, prunes and apricots in my cupboard – they’re instant snacks, plus I also love to serve them with mint tea and perhaps some whole almonds if anyone drops by. Much smaller dried fruit, such as sultanas, are also useful. Have a look at one of my favourite recipes, Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here), where I go to town with the whole range.
FUL OR FAVA BEANS
I’ve explained why it’s better to buy dried chickpeas and lentils, but I tend to buy ful or fava beans in tins. These are broad beans that have been dried then rehydrated. You can, of course, cook the dried beans, but it takes more time, and the recipes I use them in – Ful Salad with Radish & Mint (see here) and Broad Beans in a Tomato Sauce (see here) – are quick to make, so it’s easier to use tinned.
HARISSA
I love this fiery hot paste and I’ve even been known to enjoy it on eggs for breakfast. It’s also great swirled into yoghurt to make a dip, which softens its heat. You can buy it ready-made in jars or tubes (which makes it look a little like tomato purée), but I urge you to make my homemade harissa sauce, which is served with the Spiced Fried Squid (see here) and keeps well in the fridge.
HONEY
For me, sugar brings a simple sweetness to a recipe, but to give depth, too, you need a good-flavoured honey. We often use honey to make a syrup; I love using it this way, especially combined with orange blossom water or rose water. Choose a runny honey so it dissolves easily into other ingredients. it’s wonderful in the Walnut & Cinnamon Honey Cigars (see here).
LEBANESE SEVEN-SPICE MIX
I use this to season a piece of meat when I want to add a little extra something, at the same time as salt and pepper. Seven-spice is a blend of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. I use it in the Chicken & Chickpea Stew (see here), and also to give a more powerful flavour to a finished dish, such as the Slow-cooked Shoulder of Lamb (see here).
DRIED LENTILS
These are really handy as they don’t need soaking overnight, and a little goes a long way. I keep both green and red lentils in the cupboard. Lentils need extra herbs and spices to give them flavour and garlic is always a good addition. Try my budget-friendly Lentil Soup with Lemon (see here), which uses a handful of ingredients and is bulked up with Swiss chard.
DRIED MINT
We use dried herbs in dishes that need long, slow cooking as they have a more intense flavour than fresh herbs. The powerful flavour of dried mint can also be used to finish off a recipe, as in Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Spiced Minced Lamb & Rice (see here). The little parcels of cabbage stuffed with rice are drizzled with an aromatic herb and garlic butter.
NIGELLA SEEDS
I like these little black seeds in the Feta & Nigella Seed Falafel (see here) as they have a slightly bitter flavour, which enhances the herbs, spices and other ingredients. I also love the fact that they look good decorating the outside of the balls. If you’re looking for them in supermarkets, you might see them labelled as black onion seeds or kalonji seeds.
NUTS
Nuts play a big role in Middle Eastern food; they are part of our culture. If someone drops by, we put a bowl of nuts on the table. When we bake, we use them in sweet recipes. At the end of a meal, we’ll finish with mint tea and a bowl of nuts and dried fruit. You can buy them everywhere – from stalls in the street to shops specialising in roasted seeds and nuts, so of course I like to use them generously in whatever dish I’m making. If you can, buy them in big bags – it’s cheaper that way – and store them in a cool, dark cupboard so they don’t go off. I like to keep a good range in stock, but pistachios and pine nuts are my favourites so I always have these in. Try pistachios in my Fig, Halloumi & Pistachio Tart (see here) and sprinkle pine nuts over Feta & Spinach Flatbread (see here).
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
I like my olive oil to have a rich colour and a deep flavour. Lots of people reserve extra-virgin olive oil for dressings, but if you can buy a reasonably priced one, it’s worth cooking with it, too. The only time I use another oil is when I’m deep-frying, and then I use sunflower or vegetable oil, as they have high smoking points.
PAPRIKA
This lovely, red, smooth-tasting spice is made by drying sweet red peppers then grinding them into a powder. It doesn’t have any heat and is lovely in the mezze recipe, Aleppo Roast Peppers & Mixed Nut Dip (see here).
POMEGRANATE MOLASSES
I love this pink-hued syrup, which is a mixture of sweet and sour. It’s quite powerful – a little goes a long way – so I tend to