Essential Spice Mixes

The joy of using spice mixes is that you can season your food just as they would in any country or for a specific dish, gathering all the flavour in one jar of aromatics. Here are some of our favourite essential spice mixes.

Curry Leaf Masala Spice

Ingredients:

• 8-10 stems curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumins
• 1-2 green chillies, dried red chillies or chilli flakes – the amount depends on your own taste
• 1 tablespoon dried coconut flakes or desiccated coconut

Method:

Place the seeds, coconut and chillies in a dry pan. Toast until fragrant and smoking. Cool and grind in a spice grinder with the curry leaf. Store in glass jars.

More About Masala Spice Ingredients

Curry leaf tree

Every garden deserves a curry leaf tree to enjoy fresh leaves for your Indian or Thai-style dishes. You can even grow them indoors.

Cumin seeds

The dried seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant is what cooks use as cumin or jeera and is a member of the parsley family. You can grow your own cumin from seed but they need a few specific instructions. It’s advisable to sow seed in plantable pots as they do not transplant well. These can go straight into the ground once the seedlings are about 4cm high. Sow a thin layer of seed in each pot filled with seedling mix and cover with a fine layer of sand. Keep well-watered in a shaded area. Move the seedlings into the sunlight a few hours a day, until they are accustomed to the sun. Plant out into a position that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The plants should reach about 20-30cm tall.

The flowers and leaves are all edible. But it’s the seed that is valuable, for anything from baking to adding to stews and curries. It will take about 120 days before the seed can be harvested. Just before the seed falls from the seed heads, cut the stems and hang them upside down. Cover the seed heads with a paper bag or container to catch the seeds. Store in sealable containers and use within a year.

Fennel seed

Fennel has a distinctive anise flavour that adds depth to this spice mix. Grow fennel in the herb garden for the bulb which makes a wonderful salad ingredient and for the seed for use in baking and spice mixes.

Coconut flakes

Available in a variety of dried variations, try freeze dried for a quick snack or to add to your food for a tasty flavour and crunch.

Chillies

In this recipe we used green chillies, so as not to overpower the fresh curry leaf taste. But it’s really up to you as to how hot you want to go. Fresh or dried, chillies add intense heat and flavour.

Fish Spice Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon garlic flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Blend all the spices together and keep in jars. To use, oil the fish lightly and cover in the spice mix. Cook under a grill or on a braai until just cooked through. Serve with extra lemon wedges and some bread and homemade jam.

More About Fish Spice Ingredients

Lemon zest

The skin of a lemon has the most intense flavour. It’s a great way to add a lemony taste that goes so well with fish. 1 medium lemon will make about 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest and 1 teaspoon dried lemon zest. To dry the zest for this spice mix, grate the washed lemons finely with a grater or microplane. Place the zest on a tray on baking paper and dry out at room temperature for about an hour.

Garlic

Growing garlic (Allium sativum) is incredibly rewarding. Plant garlic is in the cooler months from May to August, so that they have time to form bulbs. They need a temperature of around 10°C to do this. Plant in a sunny spot in well-draining soil that has been improved with plenty of compost and a few handfuls organic general-purpose fertiliser. Plant each clove at a depth of 3cm, 5 – 7cm apart. Water well during the growing season. Feed every 3 – 4 weeks with a general-purpose fertiliser or a seaweed-based liquid fertiliser.

Once the leaves start to go dry, the bulbs are ready for harvest. Pull them out and leave them to cure in a dry, cool place before using. To dry, peel the garlic and chop them into tiny pieces. Place on baking paper on a baking tray and bake for 2 hours on the lowest setting (about 60°C) in the oven. Turn the oven off and let them dry further – until properly dry and crisp.

Dill

The flavour of fresh dill is something that is often paired with fish. There is a reason for that. It has a liquorice flavour and if used sparingly, can enhance the taste of the fish.

Oregano

Oregano makes a great groundcover. Or when planted in pots, it cascades over the rims. Fresh oregano is used extensively in Mediterranean food and is a member of the mint family.

Parsley

This widely cultivated herb is used extensively in all types of cooking and has many beneficial qualities. It is loaded with Vitamin K for good bone health and sprigs can be eaten to freshen breath amongst many other benefits.

READ MORE: 6 Spices You Can Grow

Hot Taco Spice Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground paprika (smoked if you wish)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Method:

Taco seasoning can be used for any Mexican-style dish to give it a more authentic flavour. Try it when preparing chilli con carne, tacos, chicken enchiladas, veggie and cheese burritos or bean dishes. Mix all the ingredients together and store in jars in a cool, dry place for 3 months.

More about Taco spice ingredients

Paprika peppers

For flavour but not too much heat, paprika peppers are worth growing in the garden in spring and summer. They are also very flavourful when dried and crushed or ground for this recipe. To do this, wear gloves as they can still burn your skin. Cut off the tops and discard the seeds and the membranes inside. Cut into thin slivers and place on baking paper in a single layer.

For the oven, place on a baking tray and set the oven to 60°C. Leave the door open a little for the moisture to escape and cook for 30 minutes at a time, checking on them regularly. It may take 2-3 hours for them to dry completely, and then they can be ground in a spice grinder. Leave the ground paprika out to dry out further before storing in sealed jars.

To dry in an air fryer, set the temperature to the lowest setting and place the pepper slivers in a single layer in the basket. Dry out in 5 –10 minute intervals. Depending on the size of the slivers it can take anything from 20 – 40 minutes to dry. They should crack when you bend them. Cool and store in jars.

Onions

One of the real mainstays of many dishes is the humble onion. They are one of the longest crops to grow. But one packet of seed will give you onions for 6 months. They can be stored for that long and dried for an even longer storage time.

Cumin

See further up in this article on growing your own cumin and harvesting the seed. Then, they can be ground down into a powder to add to this recipe. Cumin is used often in Mexican cuisine. Combined with other spices like coriander and cinnamon, it is used to spice traditional mole sauces.

Oregano

Oregano is a staple ingredient in many Mexican dishes and is even used to make herbal tea. It’s an all-purpose seasoning often paired with beans, vegetables and meat dishes.

Red chilli peppers

As with the paprika, red chilli peppers can be dried in the oven, a dehydrator or an air fryer, but if you have the time, string them up and let them air dry over several weeks. They make good kitchen décor too.

Winter Glüwhwein Spice Mix

Glühwein as it’s traditionally called in Germany and Austria (or mulled wine elsewhere) is a spicy warm alcoholic drink that is perfect for a cold winter’s night celebrating around a crackling fire. It’s easy to make and totally delicious. For this recipe, it’s best to use the spices whole and discard them when portioning out the drink. Grinding down the spices will give the finish a gritty texture which is not pleasant.

Ingredients:

• 1 orange sliced
• 500ml fresh orange juice
• 1 bottle red wine – use a good blend rather than inferior wine or you will taste it
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 7 cloves
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 150ml brandy – this is optional but gives it a good kick to keep you warm

Method:

Add all the ingredients (except the brandy) to a large saucepan and heat on a low temperature for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You don’t want to boil the mixture but rather just have it warm. Add the brandy if using, discard the spices and pour into glasses.

READ MORE: Take a look at these delicious spicy hot drinks!