5 Uncommon Ingredients For Your Kitchen: Middle East Inspired

I used to be afraid of recipes that had ingredients I didn’t use or have in my kitchen.  I thought it took too much energy to find them & the unknown price & flavors… But over time & the use of bravery, I’ve stalked my kitchen with all kinds of interesting ingredients & end up using them more than I expected.

I want to help you become familiar with a few of them & encourage you to explore flavors for yourself.  You’ll be so popular & feel really cool.  Today, I’m sharing 5 ingredients, but I plan to share more later.   YUM! I’m hungry.

5 Uncommon Ingredients for your Kitchen! Mid-East Inspired 

1. Turmeric:

Commonly used in Curry!  Delicious! You can buy fresh turmeric in the grocery store near ginger, those two look similar, or turmeric ground up into a spice.  Turmeric is not scary, unless you make Turmeric Milk, I still have nightmares from this experience.

Right now, Turmeric is the popular girl at school.  Bloggers & healthy people figured out the benefits of turmeric & now it’s all the rage, for good reason.  Benefits can: reduce bloating, heartburn, high cholesterol, headaches, swelling, water retention, inflammation, skin issues, and the list goes on.  (via)

So, Pinterest a yummy Curry recipe, like this one, and give Turmeric a try!  (I really need to get a Curry recipe on MissBassmaster soon…)

2. Cumin: 

How the hell someone does not have a large tub of the cumin spice at home I have no idea… I dump Cumin in everything!  Hummus, spaghetti, Chili, Curry, casseroles, seasoning – I mean everything.  By the way, I’ve watched plenty of Curry & Biryani dishes being made & let me tell you it’s pretty cute how American’s measure out a precious teaspoon of their spices to add in a dish – Arab’s dump them in! I’ve witnessed it & have applied the same strategy when cooking.  With some spices it works against me (*cough* cayenne pepper) but with Cumin, dumping works!  I prefer ground cumin more than the seeds, but to each their own.

3. Cardamom:

Have you ever wanted to know how Arab’s cook the rice they accompany to all their lunches?  Cardamom. They throw a few cardamom pods, & a clove or two, in their rice cooker while the rice is cooking.   This is a staple way to prepare your basmati white rice. Or really any basmati rice dish.  And how easy is that?  Wafiq and I grab a cardamom pod + a clove and toss them in our rice cooker.  Adds the perfect amount of very light flavor to really make you feel like a pro in the kitchen.  Hello, Chef!

Cardamom is known as an expensive spice, but don’t let that scare you.  A little goes a long way & it’s still not that expensive for a good spice. You can find it near the spices at the grocery store.  The bonus? Believed benefits include: mood-elevating properties, aromatherapy, antidepressant, improved blood circulation, cancer protection, treatment for sore throats, congestion, stomach & lung issues… the list is long! (via)

4. Tahini:

Do you have Peanut Butter?  Yes?  Then Tahini shouldn’t scare you away.  It’s basically a different kind of peanut butter but instead of peanuts, Tahini is made from sesame seeds.  You can find it next to Peanut Butter in the grocery store & likely only a dollar or two more than peanut butter.  Most commonly known as an ingredient used in Hummus, which is why I always have a jar in my kitchen. Wafiq’s mom chops dates & drizzles a little Tahini over them for an evening snack… SO GOOD.  (Hummus Recipe: HERE)

5. Saffron:

This is probably the most intimidating ingredient on my list simply because it’s pretty expensive for such a little amount.  And what the hell do you do with it, right?  Saffron is a little tricky to find, usually found near the spices in a little jar. Most rice dishes that are yellow coloring have Saffron in them, unless it’s Turmeric as a substitute.  I’ve only used Saffron in Biryani recipes, like this one.  You can throw in a very little amount, only a very small strand, and the dish will turn yellow as mixed.  You can also mix the saffron in a liquid (we used milk) before you add it to a dish.

Saffron is still tricky for me, but worth a try!!  I don’t always have Saffron in my kitchen, but from time to time I’ll get my hands on some & Wafiq thanks me 🙂

I hope you’re excited to get to the grocery store (OR you’ve already ordered them on your Amazon app, HA)!

These flavors are currently waiting for a tasting so give them a try! Most are super easy to incorporate into any meal & you can only begin exploring new meals from there.

Anyone have new ingredients to share?  I’m ALWAYS looking 🙂

Have a great day today & be thoughtful.

Xx