I came across this spice a few months ago, sprinkled over some Hummus dip, having never heard of it before.  It originates from North Africa & translates literally as ‘head of the shop’ implying this is a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer.  There is no specific recipe for Ras el Hanout, as each seller or shop has their own blend.

A colleague of mine from Thermomix found this recipe for Ras el Hanout on a blog called Chonny’s Thermomix Delights.   Like me, Chonny had experienced the spice sprinkled over some Hummus dip & was amazed at the flavour.  She pulled out the ‘Maha’ cookbook by Shane Delia, found his recipe & converted it to Thermomix method.

I’ve been taking my Ras el Hanout to Thermomix demo’s ever since, to rave reviews & requests to share this on my blog.   If you love making dips, especially for your early evening drinks, you won’t believe how good this is sprinkled over Hummus!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp allspice berries
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp flaked sea salt
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp tumeric
2 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp fennel seeds
7 cardamom pods (I used 1tsp ground)
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1.5 tsp cloves

Method:
1) Place all ingredients in TM bowl, cook 5 minutes/Varoma temperature/speed 2 (MC lid off)
2) Allow to cool to at least 60 degrees.  Replace MC lid on.
3) Mill 1 minute/speed 10.

Notes: I’ve found storing my ground spices best in these small decor containers.  You can buy them in packs of 6 from the supermarket or kmart.  I’ve found these really great, as most Thermomix recipes are a teaspoon of this & a tablespoon of that.  These containers are great, as I can get my spoons in easily, compared to getting spices out of the long slim jars.  This also allows me to buy my spices in bigger bags, which saves money too.