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Moroccan · Maghrebi

Ras el hanout

Vegetarian

رأس الحانوت · rās al-ḥānūt

Morocco's 'head of the shop' blend: lightly roasted cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, allspice and cloves ground with ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg and paprika. Warm, floral and gently hot, it perfumes tagines, couscous and grilled meat.

Ras el hanout is a Moroccan condiment from Morocco, ready in about 20 minutes and made with cumin seeds, coriander seeds and ground ginger. It serves 27 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
5 min
Cook
5 min
Rest
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
27
Level
Easy
Calories
6

Ingredients

27 teaspoons (about 2 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm a dry pan over medium-low heat. Lightly roast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns (opens in a new tab), cardamom pods (opens in a new tab), allspice (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab) for 2–3 minutes, shaking, just until fragrant — ras el hanout should taste bright, not deeply toasted.

  2. Step 2

    Tip the spices onto a cold plate and let them cool completely, about 10 minutes, before grinding — warm spices release oil and turn pasty in the grinder. Shell the cardamom (opens in a new tab).

    • 10 min

  3. Step 3

    Grind the whole spices finely in a spice grinder and sift. Stir in the ginger, turmeric (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab), nutmeg (opens in a new tab) and cayenne until evenly coloured.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Store in a dark, airtight jar.

About this dish

Origin
Morocco · Well documentedEach spice merchant has a house blend, sometimes of 30 or more ingredients including rose buds, lavender and grains of paradise. This is a simplified 12-spice home version built from widely available spices.Also popular in Algeria, Tunisia, FranceMore food from Morocco
Dish
Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Toasted
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, earthy, sweet, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Cumin seeds · Coriander seeds · Ground ginger · Cinnamon · Black peppercorns · Cardamom
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Dry grinding

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

6 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 2 g · recipe makes 27

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 10%
  • Carbohydrate 67%
  • Fat 23%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy6 kcal318 kcal
Protein0.2 g10.9 g
Carbohydrate1.3 g63.2 g
Net carbohydrate0.7 g35 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.6 g28.2 g
Fat0.2 g11.3 g
Saturated fat0.1 g2.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1 mg58 mg
Salt equivalent0 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
29 mg
Calcium
11 mg
Iron
0.5 mg
Magnesium
5 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
7 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add 1 tsp crushed dried rose buds after grinding for the floral note of many Moroccan blends.
  • Use about 1–2 tsp per kilo of meat; it is a seasoning, not the whole spicing.

Common mistakes

  • Roasting the ground spices — they scorch instantly.

Serve with

  • Lamb tagine with apricots, chicken tagine with olives, couscous with seven vegetables, mrouzia, grilled lamb chops and roasted carrots.

Food safety

  • Store in a clean, completely dry, airtight jar away from light and heat; always use a dry spoon. Ground blends lose aroma steadily after the first month.

Storage

  • Airtight jar, cool and dark, up to 3 months.

Variations

  • Tunisian ras el hanout: A simpler, often rose- and cinnamon-led blend with black pepper, used in sweet-savoury stews.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

About this masala

Type
Dry spice blend
Texture
Fine powder
One batch makes
about 55 g
Keeps
about 3 months
Store
Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
Recipe
Traditional

Morocco. Makes Ras el hanout, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

None of our dish recipes use it yet — it keeps well, so it’s worth having on the shelf.

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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