Hawaij – Yemeni Spice Mix

Hawaij is a Yemeni spice mix very central in Yemeni cuisine. It is used abundantly in Yemen, obviously, for soups, stews and other dishes, but is also used a lot in Israel where there is a large Jewish Yemenite community. In fact, Israelis took this spice mix and started using it to spice other non-Yemeni dishes, creating new and interesting flavors to old dishes.

To be more accurate, there are two different Hawaij mixes, one for soups, stews, etc., and one to spice coffee and sweets. We use both spice mixes on a regular basis. This is part of my Yemenite heritage. My Persian father fell in love with the mixes, so my mother made sure we used them at home in many dishes, including some of the Persian dishes she learned to cook from my paternal grandma. And as funny as it sounds, living so many years in America, every time my parents come visit, my mother brings with her (to my request) bags of these spice mixes that we love so much. We keep them in the freezer for freshness. When we run out, though, we make them ourselves…

Both mixes are shown here. To get the freshest flavor, it is better to use whole spices, toast them in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly to prevent burning. Then remove from the heat and chill. Place all spices (except the turmeric) in a coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds and mix in the turmeric.

The lazy version is to get all spices already ground and just mix them all together.

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Hawaij for Soup Spice Mix
4 tbs whole cumin seeds (3 tbs ground)
1 ½ tbs coriander seeds (2 tsp ground)
4 tbs black peppercorns (1 tbs ground)
1 tbs green cardamom pods (1 tsp ground)
1 ½ tsp whole cloves (½ tsp ground)
3 ½ tbs ground turmeric
Ground fenugreek was added to the mix in some regions in Yemen, and is an interesting addition to the mix. If you choose to add it, add 1 tsp of ground fenugreek seeds and make sure you toast them first to remove their bitterness.

Use this hawaij to spice up meat, fish or vegetables grilled , baked or stews, or in the soups such as Yemenite Chicken Soup or Shefteh

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Hawaij for Coffee Spice Mix
1 tbs green cardamom pods (1 tsp ground)
¾ tbs whole cloves (¼ tsp ground)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

There is no need to pre-roast the spices for the coffee hawaij.

When using hawaij in coffee, use about 1/8 to a ¼ tsp for a small cup of coffee. You can also use it to spice tea to make chai. We love to use this coffee hawaij mix in cakes and cookies as well. And we add it to our Yemenite charosset on Passover.

Yemenite Chicken Soup

One of the most precious memories of my childhood is Shabbat at my grandparents’ home, in Tel Aviv. After spending the afternoon together, preparing for Shabbat, grandma lit the Shabbat candles and we prepared the table for Friday night dinner. Everything was very simple and modest. The dishes were simple dishes, and the table wasn’t dressed. But it felt very much like Shabbat. The Challah was covered with a special cover, and the Kiddush wine and cup were ready for grandpa to recite the blessing. Dinner was very modest too and included Yemenite chicken or beef soup that was meant to last for both Friday night dinner and Shabbat lunch, white rice, Hilbah (fenugreek), Zhoug and Challah.

For years, my mother used to make her own version of the Yemenite chicken soup for lunch on Fridays, a reminiscent from her parents’ home. Up until today, Yemenite soup is one of my favorite Friday night dinners, though we don’t make it often enough.

This recipe, which calls for chicken, is my grandmother’s version on this yummy soup. Or more accurately, my grandpa’s. After my grandparents got married, grandpa realized that grandma, who was not Yemenite, did not know how to cook Yemenite food, so he taught her what he knew. Grandpa made the soup sometimes with beef and sometimes with chicken.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs skin on
6 chicken drumsticks skin on
4 medium potatoes peeled and sliced into 1” slices
2 medium tomatoes diced
1 medium onion quartered
1 tbs tomato paste
2 heaping tbs Hawaij spice for soup (found online)
1 tbs chicken soup powder
salt and pepper
small bunch cilantro, washed and cleaned

Preparation:
In a large pot, place the chicken and cover in water. Bring to a boil. Discard of the water and rinse the chicken lightly to rid of the blood and protein foam which result from the boiling.

Put the chicken back in the pot, cover with water again and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste, and the spices. Cook covered for about an hour. Add the cilantro at the end and turn off the heat.

If you rather make the soup with beef, use 2lb of beef shank meat cut into large pieces.

If you prefer the chicken version, you can use any part of the chicken, except for the breast.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a plant believed to be originated in the Middle East. It is used as a fresh or dried herb and also as a spice, using the seeds. Fenugreek seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, manganese, and iron. In their raw state, the seeds are very bitter and need to be roasted or soaked in water for an hour to remove most of the bitterness. The smell and the flavor of fenugreek seeds are pungent and dominant, and for most Westerners it is an acquired taste. You either love the flavor and the smell, or you can’t stand them. When eating large amount of fenugreek, the odor may be secreted in perspiration (I’m talking from personal experience), so make sure that you or people around you don’t mind the smell 🙂

Some people may be allergic to fenugreek, so please make sure you are not susceptible before attempting to experiment with this great plant.

The plant in all its forms is widely used in the Indian subcontinent. The leaves are used in curries and are also served as fresh herbs in salads. The seeds are used ground in spice mixes, pickles and chutneys.

In Persian cuisine, the leaves are called Shambalileh and this is probably the name you’ll find them under when looking for them in Middle Eastern stores. They are used in khoresh Sabzi, kukus (quiches), and fresh as part of sabzi (fresh greens served on the table).

Fenugreek seeds are used in Yemenite cuisine ground in spice mixes (Hawaij) and in Samnah – the Yemenite version of ghee. The seeds are also used to prepare a condiment eaten by Yemenite Jews called Hilbah (see recipe below) which is served with soups and stews. Hilbah is considered very healthy as it is believed to strengthen the heart and lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Ethiopian cuisine also uses fenugreek, called Abesh. The seeds are incorporated in various dishes and are also used as a natural herbal medicine to treat diabetes.

Georgian cuisine is another cuisine that enjoys fenugreek in its dishes. They use a slightly different type of fenugreek, known as blue fenugreek.

I’m sure there may be other cultures using fenugreek in various degrees in their cuisines, and I apologize in advance to all of those I unknowingly omitted.

At home we use both the leaves (we can only find them in their dry form) when we cook Persian dishes, and we use the ground seeds in spice mixes and to make Hilbah which goes great with Yemenite soup.

Hilbah
Hilbah is a frothy condiment with a slightly slimy texture. When whisked with lemon and water, the seeds change their color from yellow to creamy white. Yemenite people eat Hilbah with soups, salads, and breads. Hilbah was brought to Israel by Yemenite Jews and is now widely eaten by other ethnic groups in Israel.

2 tbs ground fenugreek seeds (found in Indian and Middle Eastern stores)
¼ cups water
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt

Place the ground seeds in a bowl, cover with water and soak for at least an hour in the refrigerator. The seeds will soak most of the water and will double in size.

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Discard of the water by tilting the bowl gently (don’t spill the jelly-like seeds themselves).

Add lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water and salt, and using a whisk or a mixer whisk the hilbah until it becomes thick and frothy. Add a little more water if necessary. The consistency should be fluffy but not watery.

It is best eaten when freshly made. You can keep leftovers in the fridge in a closed container. Hilbah tends to turn dense and lose its foam after a while. You can either add it to foods as is or add some lemon and water and re-whisk it to recreate the original texture.

Jachnoon

Breakfast as we know it, takes a different turn on Saturday, for traditional Jews. Shabbat breakfast is almost always food that was cooked overnight in the oven or on low heat on the stove. Or it was entirely cooked before Shabbat and warmed up in the oven that is on all day. Nothing is freshly cooked. Not that it matters much. Most Shabbat breakfasts I’m familiar with are so yummy and special, that it makes me look forward to Shabbat, just to be able to enjoy these dishes.

Jachnoon is of a Jewish Yemenite origin, and was brought to Israel by Yemenite immigrants. It is a baked rolled dough with honey and butter. Being so well integrated into Israeli homes, Jachnoon is now considered an Israeli dish.

Jachnoon pot is a simple tin pot with no handles and a tight lid that wraps around the top of the pot. In the U.S you may find it in some Israeli/kosher stores. However, any ovenproof pot with a lid, about 2.5 quarts in size, is good.

1kg (2 ¼lb) all-purpose white flour
120g (5oz) honey
4 tsp salt
3 cups water
½ cup oil
200g (8oz) very soft butter

In a mixer bowl, mix flour, honey, and salt, using a spoon. Add two cups water, give another stir with the spoon, then mix for about 3 minutes, using the hook attachment, to form a smooth, soft dough. The dough should not be firm, it should sag. If the dough is dry or stiff, add another ½ – 1 cup water.

Cover a large tray with oil. Divide the dough into 12 pieces by pulling dough the size of a small apple (with oiled hands) and pinching it off the large dough mass, one piece at a time. Knead each piece in your hands into a ball, then place it on the oiled tray after rolling the ball in the oil. You may need more than one tray to accommodate all the balls. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Generously butter a work surface. Place one of the dough balls on the buttered surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, then keep spreading it outward using your hands, and open it to form a paper-thin, round shape. Using your hand, spread about one tablespoon very soft butter on the stretched dough.

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Fold the right side of the dough to the middle, then fold the left side on top of the right one (like an envelope). Do not worry if you have some holes in the dough. You will end up with a long strip of folded dough. Butter the top of the strip.

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Starting at the bottom, roll the strip of dough upwards while slightly pulling the edges outwards.

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Place the rolled dough on the bottom of the pot adjacent to the wall. Repeat the process with the other balls and arrange them close to one another in one layer in the pot. When the first layer is full, cover it with parchment paper and create a second layer on top.

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Optional: If you have room left in the pot after placing in all the rolls, you can add eggs. Wrap about 5-6 eggs in tinfoil. Cover the Jachnoon with parchment paper, then place the wrapped eggs on top. Cover the pot with the lid. No room left in the pot for the eggs? No worries. Place the tinfoil wrapped eggs on the oven wire next to the Jachnoon pot. Just make sure the eggs are well sealed in the tinfoil, to avoid steam from escaping.

Preheat oven to 220F. Place in the Jachnoon pot and the eggs in the oven before you go to bed and bake overnight (10-12 hours).

Serve it the following day for brunch, with a nicely browned egg, grated fresh tomato salted, and spicy z’houg.

For the Jachnoon to taste best, eat it with your hands!!!

Z’houg

The fresh aroma of cilantro, robust flavor of garlic, and stinging hot pepper are combined together with spices to create this perfect spicy condiment. Z’houg is the Yemenite version of hot sauce, although it is not exactly a sauce, but rather a paste. It has so much character. Some people even eat it on its own straight from the spoon. My grandfather used to fill a small bowl with Z’houg and eat scallions dipped in it. You can add Z’houg to anything just like you would use any other hot sauce. But there are some dishes that call specifically for Z’houg to compliment them, such as Jachnoun.

You can buy ready-made z’houg in kosher or in Middle Eastern grocery stores (in the refrigerators) or make it at home. Like many ethnic foods, Z’houg has many variations depending on the region, the cook, and so on. The z’houg recipe brought here was passed down to my mother by my Yemenite grandfather (her father), and I learned it from her. I don’t make Z’houg very often as we like to eat many different types of hot sauces. But when I make it, I make sure that I make enough to have some Z’houg in the freezer, so we never run out.

2 heads garlic, cloves peeled
5 large bunches cilantro
3 ½ oz dried red-hot chili peppers (the amount of pepper may be changed depending on their level of spiciness or your level of tolerance)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt

Soak the peppers in boiling water for ½ hour. Discard of the water and remove the stems (if there are any).

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Using a meat grinder or a food processor, grind the garlic cloves, the cilantro and the peppers into a large bowl. Add in the spices and mix well.

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container. The z’houg tastes best when it is fresh. To ensure freshness, divide the z’houg into small portions, keep one container in the fridge and the rest in the freezer in airtight plastic bags.

* Optional – add to the z’houg mixture ¼ tsp ground cardamom and ¼ tsp ground clove, to enrich the flavor.