5 easy DIY spice blends you can make now 5 easy DIY spice blends you can make now
Centr Team
31 Jul 2019
Perfecting the art of seasoning is your healthy eating secret weapon – it brings out exciting and satisfying flavors without relying on processed foods, fats or sugar.
Of course, the risk of buying pre-made spice mixes is that many have added salt, starch, sugar and chemical preservatives. Because we use a lot of different spice mixes on Centr, here’s a helpful guide to mixing your own at home to avoid unwanted additives.
We’ve given the instructions in ‘parts’ rather than teaspoons/tablespoons/cups so you can easily adapt it to how much you want to make. Why not prep some jars of your favorites?
1. Mexican
- 3 parts chilli powder (if this is too much heat for you, add in more paprika and cumin instead)
- 2 parts paprika
- 2 parts cumin
- 1 part onion powder
- 1 part garlic powder
- Additional dried oregano, red pepper flakes or cayenne as desired
1/5
A sprinkle of Mexican spice pulls together the fresh flavors of our Tex Mex Wrap.
2. Cajun
- 2 parts garlic powder
- 2 parts smoked paprika
- 1 part ground black pepper
- 1 part onion powder
- 1 part dried oregano
- 1 part dried thyme
- For some heat, add 1 part crushed red pepper and 1 part cayenne pepper
2/5
The Buddha Bowl with Sauerkraut isn’t complete without that distinct smoky-spicy Cajun flavor.
3. Curry
- 4 parts ground coriander
- 2 parts ground cumin
- 1 part ground turmeric
- Chili powder to suit your heat preference
3/5
There are so many different curry powders you could use for a Curried Chicken Tray Bake with Coconut Sauce, but here’s a basic mix to start.
4. Moroccan
- 3 parts ground cumin
- 3 parts ginger
- 3 parts ground black pepper
- 2 parts ground cinnamon
- 2 parts ground coriander
- 2 parts ground cayenne pepper
- 2 parts ground allspice
- 1 part ground cloves
- 1 part ground turmeric
4/5
Whether your dinner plan is for Middle Eastern Baked Eggs with Chickpeas or Lamb Kofta Pizza, you’ll need a sprinkle of Moroccan flavor to pull it off.
5. Dukkah
Traditional dukkah might include pine nuts, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds, as well as baharat (white and black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg), but you can really be creative with this mix based on what you have to hand. Nuts should make up the bulk of the mix (around half), with the other half a combination of spices and seeds.
- Nuts (e.g. hazelnuts, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, almonds)
- Seeds (e.g. sesame, sunflower seeds)
- Spices (e.g. cumin, coriander, pepper, fennel seed, paprika)
Dry toast it all on an oven tray or a non-stick frying pan, then quickly pulse once or twice in the food processor to crush it slightly. You want it to have some crunch and chunks, not to be fully powdered.
5/5
This Egyptian seasoning is used for dipping and sprinkling – as in our Roasted Chickpea Cauliflower Salad with Dukkah.
