Tag: Food

The last Day of January 2022.  By now we know what resolutions we are keeping up with, and which of them we are going to toss out, until we revisit them in December.  Put those aside for a day and think of the comfort of an amazing, delicious, and fragrant Moroccan staple.  What could be better than a comforting Moroccan Hamin with Ras El Hanut?

I made this recipe recently, and I can tell you, it will melt your troubles away, at the end of a long day.

Spices First – Ras El Hanut

Ras El Hanut is a Moroccan combination of spices, which literally means “the head of the shop,” as it is made of many beautiful and fragrant spices mixed together.

Ingredients you need for Ras El Hanut (from Epicurious.com):

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until combined well. Spice blend keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 month.

Hamin with Ras El Hanut

Hamin is a traditional Jewish North African dish, and is usually made for Shabbat, as it cooks all night in the oven or a special electric plate for Shabbat. This particular recipe is inspired by the Hamin my mother used to make when I was a child.

Ingredients:
1 pound garbanzo beans (optional)
1 cup wheat berries (optional)
4 tablespoons olive oil (used about half the oil)
1 onion, chopped
2-3 pounds pork shoulder, or chuck beef, or chicken pieces (I used pork, as used in the photo)
1 tablespoon Ras El Hanut (see recipe)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon silan (date syrup, can be found on Amazon) (optional)
2 onions, cut in eighths
2 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, cut into quarters
Eggs, as many as you need
Water or broth

Instructions:
If using garbanzo beans, soak in water overnight, or use canned.

Rub the meat with the spices.
Heat some of the oil in a Dutch Oven on the stove on med-high. Brown the chopped onion and the meat.
Add garbanzo beans and wheat berries and mix well.
Add water/broth, add silan, add vegetables, and cover with liquid. Taste for flavor.

Add the eggs, and cook until almost boiling for approximately 30 minutes..

Transfer to oven on 225 F, and cook for approximately 8 hours or overnight.

Bon Apetite!