If you haven’t yet added Baharat spice blend to your spice collection, this ‘all purpose’ blend really is a must. Whilst it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when and where Baharat origins lay, it certainly goes back to the Arabian spice traders of the ancient world. The word Bahar in the Persian language means ‘a sense of blossoms and foliage, of course, we know that spices are cultivated from the leaves, roots or flowers of various plants and herbs. Baharat is the plural of ‘bahar’, Arabic for spice, and the Arabic verb ‘bahara’ means to shine brilliantly to impress deeply and to and overpower with light!
Baharat can be traced back to the old spice trade routes that connect the Middle East and the Mediterranean with Southeast Asia. Hence there is no one recipe or standard blend of Baharat, so you will find each country or region has varying additions of certain spices be it from Syria, Turkey, North Africa, Lebanon etc. You will often hear it called “Lebanese 7 spice” too. Foodies and chefs who will often describe Baharat as “peppery, sweet, earthy”, “Aromatic with a bit of zest” and “Distinctly exotic”. Like wines think ‘oaken’ with a hint of apricot.
We love using Baharat in the Spice House for its warm earthy aromatic notes, it adds a little sweetness with a little heat, perfect for meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Here is how we like to use it:
- Mix Baharat into ground (minced) beef and lamb to make kofte, meatballs and meatloaf
- Use as an ingredient in hummus or charred aubergine dips
- Sprinkle onto flatbreads along with herbs
- Baharat makes a great dry rub marinade for meat and vegetables or can be combined with lemon juice, olive oil and salt for a wet marinade.
- Use as a seasoning in shawarma and doner kebab recipes
- For modern fusion Western recipes, Baharat can be added to soups, pasta sauces, spicy meatball mixes, hamburgers or rubbed over roast chicken.
Bulgur Pilaf with Herb Yoghurt
Vegetarian version with aubergine and a meat option using beef mince and dried cranberries.
Ingredients
- Vegetarian Bulgar Pilaf with Aubergine
- 1 large Aubergine
- 1 large onion chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Baharat
- 400 g tin tomatoes
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 200 g coarse bulgar wheat
- Salt to taste
- Green chilli finely chopped
Garnish
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp toasted ground fennel
- Squeeze lemon juice
- Olive oil drizzled
- 2 tbsp chopped mint
- 2 Tbsp chopped dill
- Chopped pistachios
Meat Version (to add to vegetarian version above)
- 500 g minced meat
- 1 large garlic clove crushed
- 50 g dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp Baharat
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut aubergine into medium-sized cubes and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 10 minutes to sweat.
- Combine fennel, yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Set aside for later.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan with a good amount of oil. Fry aubergine over medium heat, occasionally adding a splash of water to help soften. When aubergine has collapsed and has a soft juicy texture, it is ready. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Using the same pan, fry onion and garlic in a splash of oil until soft. Add Baharat and chilli and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant
- Add tomatoes, stock and bulgar wheat, stir well to combine, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn heat right down to simmer, then cover and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- Remove lid and stir through aubergine along with 1 tablespoon of the chopped mint and one tablespoon of the dill. Drizzle olive oil over bulgar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Transfer to bowls and garnish with fennel yoghurt, remaining dill and mint and pistachios. Note: Even when making the vegetarian version we add the cranberries for a little sweetness.
- Meat Version: After step 5 above whilst bulgar cooks, fry the beef mince, along with garlic and Baharat until crispy. Season with salt.
- At step 6 above, add beef and cranberries along with aubergine and herbs. Follow steps 7 & 8 above to finish dish and garnish.
Our hand blended Baharat spice mix is available online at www.spiceandeasycyprus.com