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Xawaash
Somali spice blend of cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon
Xawaash (pronounced 'ha-wash') is the spice mix every Somali kitchen keeps in a jar, used in rice, soups, stews, sambuusa fillings and even tea. Families toast and grind their own, often in quantity before Ramadan, and the balance of warm cumin, earthy coriander and sweet cardamom and cinnamon varies from house to house. It is different from Yemeni hawaij and Ethiopian berbere: there is no chilli in it. Chef's tip: toast each spice only until it darkens a shade and smells warm; burnt cumin turns the whole jar bitter.
- Total time
- 11 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 4 tbsp cumin seeds, 3 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tsp cloves in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat. Toast for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan, until the cumin darkens slightly and the kitchen smells warm and nutty. Common mistake: high heat — the outside burns before the seeds are toasted through.
6 minStep 2: Tip onto a plate and cool completely.
Step 3: Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder, then sieve out any large husks. Stir in 1 tbsp ground turmeric.
Step 4: Store in an airtight jar away from light for up to 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 10 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does xawaash take?
- About 11 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 6 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
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