Bezaar ~ Emirati Spice Blend

UAE is my second home in every sense. Or should I say, my first home? Apart from being born back home and being there the first four months of my life, I have literally spent my entire life time in this little country, like many other Indian expatriates. Just like all of them, I can’t think about going and settling down back home, even though at the back of my mind, I know that one day, I may have to go and settle down, just like my parents have gone back. Even though I have been here, our eating habits have been very much our own food plus whatever we get at various restaurants out here. I already have a handful of Emirati recipes and definitely trying to build a little database on this little blog of mine. 🙂

As far as Emirati cuisine is concerned, a special spice blend called “Bezaar” is used in most their savoury cooking including their rice delicacy called Majboos. I have always wanting to be trying them, however the bottles of bezaar in the market are quite big bottles that I may not be able to use up soon, I have always hesitated to buy it. While searching for a recipe on the net gave me so many different options. In fact, while reading through, I understood that the blend of bezaar varies from house to house! I got all confused of which blend to use, when I found a recipe for it in last year’s Ramadan booklet and I decided to stick to it without doing much research. The smell while roasting the spices were amazing and it had a very particular smell once powdered. It had an overpowering smell of the coriander. You can call it the “Garam Masala for UAE cooking” since this is used in almost all savory cooking here. I have stored them in the fridge so that I can use them in the recipes I wish to try, one which will come very soon, InShaAllah… 🙂

Posted on this day:

2013: Vettu Cakes

2014: Peanut Butter Cookies

2015: Kummelweck Rolls

Bezaar ~ Emirati Spice Blend

An important spice blend used in every Emirati savory dish

Course Spice Blend

Cuisine Emirati

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 1 1/2 cups

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup fenugreek seeds
• 2 dry red chillies optional
• 1 small pc cinnamon
• 1/4 cup turmeric powder

Instructions

• Roast each of the whole seeds briefly, ensuring not to burn them. Set aside to cool.
• Roast the red chillies if using and the cinnamon as well and add to the whole spices.
• Once cool, put all into a grinder and grind till smooth.
• Empty into a neat glass bottle and store in the fridge. Use as required.

Recipes where this spice mix is used:

Dejaaj Muraag Saloona

Thareed Al Khadar

Majboos Dejaaj

Samak Koufta

Samak Bel Fern

Biryani Samak

Marrag Samak

Emirati Lamb White Bean Stew

Biryani Dejaaj