Hawaij is a Yemeni spice mix that came into my life during my time at the Palomar in London, and it has not left my spice cupboard ever since. It’s a mix of turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and ground coriander, giving it an earthy, vegetal flavour, and it’s traditionally used in soups and stews; it’s also a key component in zhoug, a spicy coriander and chilli sauce. It’s one of the most enlivening and versatile spice mixes I know, and should be your forever companion, too.
Harissa roast carrots, mango labneh and mint (pictured top)
Mango chutney is a wonder ingredient – I use it in marinades for robust, spiced fruitiness or, as here, I stir it through labneh for a highly delicious combination. If you’re making the labneh from scratch, there’ll be leftovers, which are great for sandwiches, and you’ll need to make it the day before.
Prep 10 min
Chill overnight
Cook 40 min
Serves 4
1kg carrots, peeled and left whole
For the labneh (makes 600g)
950g 5% fat greek yoghurt – I like Fage
1 tsp fine salt
For the hawaij (makes 6 tbsp)
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp cumin seeds
10 cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cardamom
For the marinade
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp harissa
1 tbsp date syrup
½ tsp fine salt
For the mint salsa
2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp hawaij (see above and method)
6 tbsp olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lime, plus 2 tbsp juice
3 tbsp finely chopped mint
1 tsp fine salt
For the mango labneh
300g labneh
2 tbsp mango chutney
⅛ tsp ground turmeric
The night before, whisk the yoghurt and salt in a bowl until well combined. Set a colander over a second bowl and line it with a clean tea towel. Tip in the yoghurt mix, fold over the tea towel to cover, then place a heavy bowl on top and chill overnight. The next day, decant the labneh into a container and it’s ready to use.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and line an oven tray with nonstick baking paper. Meanwhile, make the hawaij mix: using a spice grinder or high-powered blender, blitz the peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves and coriander seeds to a fine powder, then tip into a small bowl and stir in the turmeric and cardamom. Transfer to a clean jar and seal.
Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Put the carrots on the lined tray, pour the marinade all over the top and use your hands to mix until it’s evenly dispersed. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through, by which stage you should be able to pass a knife through a carrot without resistance and they should look golden.
Meanwhile, stir all the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl. For the mango labneh, mix all the ingredients in another bowl.
Smooth the labneh on to a serving dish, pile the carrots on top, then spoon over the mint salsa and serve.
Hawaij roast potatoes with preserved lemon and roast shallots
This dish is the main reason I always have hawaij in my cupboard. Its ability to elevate roast potatoes and imbue them with an even more golden hue is quite striking. You can make the roast shallots ahead of time and scatter them on the potatoes when they’re ready – the residual heat will warm them up.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4–6
2kg maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
½ tbsp fine salt, plus extra to boil the potatoes
150ml olive oil
1 tbsp hawaij (see recipe above)
For the roast shallots
600g banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp fine salt
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
30g parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
120g preserved lemon, finely chopped
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, salt generously and set on a high heat. Once boiling, cook for 11-12 minutes, until a knife slides easily through the potatoes. Drain into a colander and leave to steam-dry for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the shallots, oil and salt in a roasting tin and toss to combine. Roast for 12 minutes, until golden and soft, remove, leave to cool for 15 minutes, then toss with the remaining ingredients for the roast shallots.
Back to the potatoes. Put the olive oil in a large roasting tin and heat in the oven for 10 minutes, until it’s smoking. Give the potatoes a shake in the colander for a minute to rough up the edges – this will give them more surface area for crispiness. Remove the heated oil from the oven and use a large spoon carefully to lower the potatoes into the hot oil, which will sizzle on contact. Sprinkle over a half-tablespoon of salt and the hawaij, then toss the potatoes until they’re evenly coated with the oil and seasoning. Roast for 40 minutes, tossing once halfway, until golden and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, scatter over the roast shallot mixture and serve.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Centrepiece: Bold, Vibrant Recipes to Put Vegetables in the Spotlight, by Helen Graham, published by Hamlyn at £28. To order a copy for £25.20, go to guardianbookshop.com