Ras el Hanout

Name: Ras el Hanout
Yield: About 1 cup
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

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

Method

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

Origin: Morocco and broader Maghreb — the name translates roughly as ‘head of the shop,’ referring to a merchant’s best available spice combination, historically implying no single fixed recipe.

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: Ras el hanout has historically had no single standardized recipe — some traditional versions reportedly include 20-30+ ingredients, with Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian formulations each varying the mix.

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