Hawaij Recipes

HWAYEJ (HAWAIJ) SPICE MIX

Steps:

• On a skillet over medium low heat add all the spices except for the turmeric.
• Roast the spices for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
• Put the roasted spices on a plate and let them cool down.
• Finely grind the spices in your coffee grinder.
• Sift the ground spices and discard big chunks then mix in the turmeric.
• Put the spice mix in a jar with a tight lid and store in a cool dry place.

HAWAIJ CHICKEN & RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven (or other ovenproof pot) over medium-high heat.
• Cover the chicken thighs in the hawaij spice - sprinkling it on both sides and patting it on the chicken to make sure it sticks.
• Add the chicken thighs, skin side down and brown for 3 minutes, then flip and brown for another 3 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breasts and set aside.
• Add the onions to the pot the chicken was in and sauté till they are translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Then add the garlic and let sauté for 30 seconds.
• Deglaze the pot with a little bit of the chicken broth, scraping up any bits sticking to the bottom. Then add the rest of the broth. Turn off the stove.
• Add the rice and stir to combine. Then nestle the chicken in the rice.
• Cover the pot and put in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove the chicken and rice from the oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

HAWAIJ SPICED CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place evoo, onion, carrot, rice, 1 teaspoon hawaij, salt, and broth in 9 x 13 casserole or deep saute pan. Mix well. Add chicken breasts and sprinkle with remaining hawaij. Cover tightly and roast for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes. Garnish with herbs, pistachios and cranberries.

HAWAIJ - TRADITIONAL SPICE MIX FROM YEMEN.

Steps:

• Put everything except the turmeric into a frying pan & dry fry (no oil required) for a couple of minutes.
• Allow to cool, grind using a spice / coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Add the turmer, mix well & store in an container in a cool, dark place.

HAWAIJ/ALL-PURPOSE SEASONING

Steps:

• Whisk pepper, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, sumac, and salt together in a bowl. Store in a container with a lid in a dark place for up to 6 months.

HAWAIJ

Steps:

• Finely grind peppercorns and seeds in grinder, then transfer to a bowl and stir in turmeric.

HAWAIJ (YEMENITE SPICE BLEND)

Steps:

• In a black iron or heavy-bottomed skillet combine the cumin, cardamom, turmeric and coriander. Place over very low heat and toast, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add the black pepper and stir well. Store the blend in a tightly sealed container for up to one month.
• Rub hawaij liberally into fish, chicken, lamb, pork or beef one hour before cooking.

HAWAYEJ SPICE BLEND

Steps:

• Lightly toast the cumin, caraway and coriander seeds in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn!
• Pour the toasted seeds into a cool bowl. Place the toasted cumin, caraway and coriander seeds in a coffee or spice grinder along with the turmeric, peppercorns, cardamom seeds and cloves.
• Pulse the grinder in long, slow pulses to grind the seeds into a powdery spice mix, stirring inside the grinder periodically to evenly distribute the seeds. It may take a few minutes for the spices to reach the desired powdery texture. Store spice blend in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry.
• Toasting and grinding the whole spices provides a fresher flavor than using pre-ground spices. However, if you already have ground spices and you don't want to spend more money on whole spices, you may substitute 1/3 the amount of ground spice to 1 whole seed spice. If, for instance, you would like to use ground cumin, you may substitute 2 tsp ground cumin for 2 tbsp cumin seeds.

HAWAIJ COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• To make the spice mix, blend together the cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside. You'll only need 1 tablespoon for this cake.
• To make the cake, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of flour if the mixture starts to curdle. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon hawaij, the baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until smooth and just combined. Stir in the espresso powder mixture and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
• To make the topping, beat the mascarpone in a small bowl until smooth. Pour in the espresso powder, sugar and liqueur, if using, and beat for 1 minute, or until combined. Pour in the cream and whisk until it just reaches a thick spreading consistency. Be careful not to overwhip, as it may split.
• Spread the topping generously on top of the cake and create swoops and swirls by using the back of a spoon. Slowly sweep your spoon or offset spatula back and forth across the cake, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges.

HAWAIJ (TRADITIONAL YEMENI SPICE MIXTURE)

Steps:

• Place peppercorns, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, and cloves in a small skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder; grind and mix with turmeric. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.