Ever wondered how easy it would be to make your own spice mixes and rubs? In some cases, its easier than you think. With most Supermarkets stocking previously hard to get spices nowadays, you can pull together a quick spice rub in no time at all. If you think making it yourself doesn’t make a difference, then just try one these mixes.
The key to these mixes however is heating the whole spices before grinding, and of course grinding them well. Many people use a coffee grinder to make their spice mixes but of course you can always use a pestle and mortar. But you can get one from as little as €16, why bother with the elbow grease? You might need the energy later to open the second bottle of wine! Here are a selection of my favorite mixes:
Garam Masala:
This is a staple in any Indian dish and includes mostly easy to get spices. You’ll need:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom seeds (if you can’t get cardamom seeds buy the pods and split them, should take about 20)
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
4 dried bay leaves
Toast the whole spices (that is, everything but the ground cinnamon) over a medium heat until the spices start to change color and the seeds begin to pop. Be careful not to overdo or burn them. Transfer to your spice grinder and grind until fine. Add the already ground spices (cinnamon) and bay leaves and grind again until fine. Store in an airtight jar for up to 4 weeks.
Ras El Hanout :
This is the basis spice mix for Moroccan cooking and is delicious in tagines or any slow cooked dish. Especially in winter, if you have a slow cooker or range, pop a lamb tagine or beef stew into the oven with a good shake of this and you’ll come home to a hug in a bowl. Finish with some pomegranate seeds and couscous and you’ve a delicious meal ready to go with barely any effort. This mix will keep for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container.
2 cinnamon sticks, broken up as finely as possible
1 tbsp cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
25g rose petals
Fry everything but the rose petals in a warm pan until the spices start to brown. 2-3 minutes will be enough, once you start to smell the spices getting strong they’re ready to do. Place them in your grinder along with the rose petals and grind until fine. The rose petals are hard to find but you can buy them online for less than 3 quid. A jar would last ages —> http://www.steenbergs.co.uk/product/1395/rose-petals-standard-jar-edible-flower
Chinese Five Spice:
This is absolutely delicious over pork or ham with some honey to make a sticky 5 spice glaze. You could add to chicken and veggies for a quick stir fry. The 5 spices that are indistinguishable in this mix are:
2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
8 Star Anise
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fennel seeds
Toast the fennel seeds and peppercorns in a medium pan until they start to give off their aromas. Add to a spice grinder and mix until coarse. Add the star anise, ground cloves and cinnamon and grind until fine. Store in an airtight container for about 4 weeks.
You can get a little coffee grinder online for next to nothing and it will make a difference to your spice mixes. Somehow it gets the mix finer than using a pestle and mortar. However, a bit of elbow grease would get the same result! Here are a few I’d recommend:
I use this one from Viking Direct, it’s a little small for a coffee mix. It would do one portion, but as a spice grinder it’s perfect. You can have this one for €16!
http://www.vikingdirect.ie/a/pb/Lloytron-coffee-grinder/id=6840882/#sku_FullProductInfo
Another site I’ve used with great success is Lakeland. They have such a great range of products, I think particularly for baking. You can get a really wide range of bakeware and it’s quite well priced. I found a birr coffee grinder for £40.99, and I’m reliably that birr grinders are the bees knees for coffee grinding.
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/10780/Krups-Burr-Grinder
If your an Amazon customer they have a bestseller Andrew James coffee, nut and spice grinder for €13.99 on their site. I haven’t personally used this one but have shopped loads of times with Amazon and any time I’ve bought one of their best-sellers I haven’t been disappointed.
