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Tunisian Ras el Hanout

The Quirky Foodster Team

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About 1 cup
Servings

Ingredients

  • cumin
  • coriander
  • ginger
  • turmeric
  • cinnamon
  • cardamom
  • clove
  • nutmeg
  • black pepper
  • dried rose petal
  • and often a small amount of grains of paradise or long pepper
  • As for classic ras el hanout, with Tunisian versions often leaning closer to the country's broader preference for chile-forward spicing than the more purely warming-spice-focused Moroccan formulation

Method

  1. Toast the toastable whole spices, cool, grind, then combine with any non-toasted components like dried rose petal.
  2. Toast the seed and bark spices; rose petal and some floral components are typically not toasted.

Origin: Tunisia.

Use: A versatile all-purpose seasoning for tagines, couscous, and rice.

Classic Dishes: Various tagines; couscous dishes; rice pilafs.

Storage: Keeps 2-3 months sealed and dark.

Variations: One of three closely related regional ras el hanout styles, alongside Moroccan and Algerian, within a tradition that has historically had no single standardized recipe.

Substitutions: Garam masala plus ginger, rose petal, and grains of paradise approximates the general direction.