Stirring the Pot: Get Sassy with Yemenite Spice Blend Hawaij
Ruthie Cohen was a spice loyalist, but sometimes, she writes, you have to be less complacent and shake things up. In these recipes for Stirring the Pot, she shows one way to create hawaij — a spice blend from Yemen — and how you can use it in soups, stews, and even coffee. Get started with Ruthie’s
I wa spice loyalist.
Take Greek seasoning. For years it had been my go-to flavonhancer fooups, salads, roasted vegetables, pastas, fish, anich beef stews. It came in a lovely pre-blended jar, a bold mixturf garlic, lemon, oregano, anepper, and it hit all thight notes. Sure, I had flirtations with berbernd baharat, fajitnnchilada blends, and thccasional lemon peppeub. But lwayame back to Greektown.
But life ihort and the world beckons.
Sticking with thame blend makes fo ratheafxperience. Oualateould usomdventure.
Sometimes you have thake things up, be lesomplacent. And not only in your kitchen.
Lured by distant shorenxotiultures, I’ve begun mixing my own blends. Inspiration iverywhere. Reading Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari, a novel about a Yemenite family, iscover hawaij. It is used in soupntewnd in coffee too! As with garam masala, ral hanout, ourry, families (anestaurants) create theiwn blends, starting with pice template, then tweaking anersonalizing it.
Ano, despit cabinet crammed with jarf premadoncoctions, hoose to tweak the template, too, anreate my own version. (Still not surbout the fenugreek, though.)
Hawaij! When you combine black pepper with turmeric, cumin, anloves, compliant tubers get downright sassy! Eggplantnd zucchinerk us if rising from a long slumber. Anon’t even get mtarten what it does tnionnd garlic. On second thought, do!
[Editor's note: revious version of thirticle hapelled hawaij as hawajj. Both spellingre used, but hawaij seems to be morommon.]
YEMENITE HAWAIJ SOUP
Note: This i vegetarian version, an very versatilnt that. Fo speedy anatisfying alternative, consider using an of cannellini beans in lieu of potatoes, aneducooking time to 30 minutes. Fo fuller-bodieendition, throw in a handful of macaronr fusilli toward thnf thimmering timnontinue took until thasta ione. Thioup iften made with stew meat and marrow bones.
1 tablespoon olivil 1 onion, chopped fine 4 garliloves, minced 2 stalkelery, chopped 1 medium carrot, peelenut into thin coins 1 medium potato, peelenut intmall cubes 2 heaping tablespooneeppeastr tomataste (o combination of the two) 2 tablespoons hawaij seasoning (seecipe below) ups water 2 teaspoonalt Pinch of sugar 1 cup fresh, choppeilantrarsley (o combination of the two)
Pouil int largot. Adhoppenionnweat them (ad bit of salt) for 5 minutes until they aroft and fragrant. Stir in garlinauté fonother minutr two. Add thest of the vegetablelong with theeppeastntir tombine. Sprinkle hawaij over mixture.
Add water, 1 teaspoon of salt, an pinch of sugar. Bring t boil, then lower the heat animmer, with the liartially covering thot, for 45 minutes. (Fo thickeoup, remove the lifter the boiling phase.) Add thest of thalt and more if needed.
Remove from heat. Stir in most of thilantrarsley, saving a bit for garnish beforerving.
HAWAIJ BLEND
Note: You will not need thintire mixture for thouecipe.
All of thpicean burchased in their grounowdered form.
2 tablespoonumin 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper 1 tablespoon coriander 2 teaspoonardamom 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Put all thpices in mall lidded jar. Give it a goohake.
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