Tag: hawaij

Hawaij Roasted Cauliflower with Ginger Lime Tahini


when people ask me what my favorite cuisine is, I always answer -, can you have a favorite child? It’s so hard to pick! That’s exactly why I fell in love with Israeli cuisine – it’s a melting pot of global flavors. On a single walk through the shuk you’ll find a Mexican Jew making tortillas from scratch, a jachnun shop seling Yemenite food, Georgian Kadeh, Turkish bourekas, morrocan moufletta…

But Israel is not just a melting pot of food, it’s also a country mixed with different cultures, languages, traditions and so much more.

What is magical to me is that despite all of our differences – as diverse as the ingredients in a falafel sandwich itself – being in Israel gives me the greatest sense of belonging. It is our homeland that makes us a family. The shared steps we take in the path of our forefathers. Our history that is so deeply rooted in the beautiful land. Israel is home.

Click here to order my Hawaij.

To view the reel on my Instagram click here.

Hawaij Roasted Cauliflower with Ginger Lime Tahini

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (I use the stem and greens too!)
1 tbsp hawaij for soup
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro (stems removed)
1/2 bunch parsley (stems removed)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, minced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

Ginger-Lime Tahini
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup tahini paste
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp honey
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 cup ice water

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the cauliflower out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Season with hawaij and salt and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly and roast until browned, about 25 minutes.

while the cauliflower is roasted, whisk the tahini sauce until creamy.

Spread the cauliflower out on a serving dish. Top with fresh herbs, olives, raisins, sunflower seeds and tahini.

Related Recipes:

Roasted Cauliflower With Dates & Smashed Olives
Roasted Cauli & Chickpea Salad
Roasted Cabbage Pizza

Post a Comment

Hawaij Apple Crisp with Halva Crumble


Fruit Crisp is never about a recipe for me. If I find I have some fruit that’s gotten a little too soft and wrinkly for my taste – it’s time for some baked fruit – with whatever toppings I’ve got in the pantry. Lucky for you (and luckier for me!!) I had tons of halva leftover from a gig and I wanted to use it up. Add some hawaij for coffee – a delicious chai-like Yemenite blend, and it just takes it over the top!

You can get my TK Hawaij for Coffee on Amazon! DO NOT use Hawaij for soup!!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Hawaij Apple Crisp with Halva Crumble

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp Hawaij for coffee
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
Mix in a large bowl and transfer to a baking dish

In the same bowl, combine:
1 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c oil
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded halva
Mix with your hands to form crumbs and spread over apples

Bake at 350° uncovered for 40 min- 1 hour.

Serve with coffee ice cream and shredded halva!

Related Recipes:

Apple Crisp with Gluten-Free Marzipan Crumble

Post a Comment

Lemony Hawaij Chicken Couscous Soup


When I need comfort food, it’s hawaij for me! The Yemenite spice blend has both sweet (hawaij for coffee) and savory (hawaij for soup) versions. You can purchase my blends through the link in my profile (or on Amazon) or look for a mix in your local Middle Eastern market.

To make your own hawaij for soup and hawaij for coffee, you can get the recipes in my cookbook Totally Kosher!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Lemony Hawaij Chicken Couscous Soup
Yield: 8 servings

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. pargiot (boneless dark meat chicken), diced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp hawaij for soup (NOT hawaij for coffee!)
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups chicken stock
8.8oz Israel couscous (NOT instant couscous)
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large handful fresh parsley

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the pot. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until softened and starting to take on some color, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Return the chicken to the pot, add the hawaij and stir until fragrant and incorporated. Add the chickpeas and chicken stock and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the couscous and simmer until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the fire. Add the lemon zest and juice and stir in the parsley. Serve.

Related Recipes:

Hawaij Couscous
Hawaij Honey Cake With Labneh Frosting
Couscous Stuffed Capons

Post a Comment

Yemenite Chicken Soup

Yeah baby!!! I’m coming at you with a pot of liquid gold, aka my YEMENITE CHICKEN SOUP, the most comforting bowl of deliciousness everrrr! Look for Hawaij for Soup (not to be confused with Hawaij for Coffee, it’s sweet counterpart) at Middle Eastern Markets. You’re welcome!

To view the reel on Instagram click here.

Yemenite Chicken Soup

2 tbsp hawaij for soup
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 chicken thighs (skin on)
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
3 large yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1 large tomato, diced
1 head fresh garlic, peeled
bunch of cilantro
salt to taste
water

Method:

Mix hawaij with olive oil and rub it over the chicken thighs. Add your chicken to a pot with diced tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and add water to cover the ingediants by 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for a minimum of 4 hours (the longer the better!).

Related Recipes:

Hawaij Couscous
Cream of Chicken Soup In Bread Bowls
Leftover Chicken Soup Pot Pie

Post a Comment

Hawaij Couscous

It all started with Zahav, the fabulous book on Israeli cooking by Michael Solomonov. Reading Michael’s descriptions of traditional Yemenite soup made me want to charter a flight to Israel, but I did the next best thing: I purchased some Hawaij (and practiced the pronunciation more times than I’d like to admit….CHA-WAYIJ). I was hooked.


There’s just something about the warm golden spices that transports me – and I don’t even know where. I’m 5th generation American on my Mom’s side, and while my Dad is Israeli, his Ashkenazi mother was cooking up shlishkes when he was a kid. I’ve got no Sephardic blood, although I later married into a Syrian family where they cook up their couscous with allspice. This, then, is the power of hawaij, I decided. It has the ability to carry you to a place you never even knew – but it feels like home. Perhaps it’s my souls yearning for Jerusalem, the city of gold, the color of this truly intoxicating blend: Zahav.


Of course the first thing I cooked up with Hawaij for soup wasn’t soup. Because I never go the traditional route (you should know that by now). Instead, I made Jerusalem Hummus in Jars, followed by Hawaij Garlic Confit  (you can find that life-changing recipe in my cookbook, Millennial Kosher), some roasted chicken and potatoes, and, yes, finally the soup (where I mixed the meat and chicken in one pot). I also explored the sweet side of Hawaij, with Hawaij for coffee – although of course not in coffee – with my Hawaij Honey Cake.

If you’re confused – let me explain. Hawaij is so good – the Yemenites decided to make two blends – one sweet and one savory. The savory one is used for classic Yemenite soup and the sweet one, for coffee. But the magic spice deserves more and I’m all over it.


So this summer I was putting up a last minute pot of Israeli couscous when I realized I was out of chicken and vegetable stock. I prefer not to cook my couscous in water, since it’s kind of bland, so I looked through my spice cabinet to see how I could improvise. The hawaij for soup looked at me and I realized that if I didn’t have soup – then I could just let the hawaij for soup take it’s place, and then THIS happened! It’s everything you never knew you wanted in Israeli couscous and it’s about to become your go-to recipe.


And since I know by your messages that y’all have hawaij in your cabinets by now, no need to go searching. Just make sure you use the savory blend otherwise this will be a couscous to remember for other reasons  (insert facepalm here!).

Hawaij Couscous

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced small
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
2 heaping tbsp hawaij for soup
1 17.7oz. pkg Israeli couscous (or 2 8.8oz. bags)
1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, optional
kosher salt, to taste

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep skillet and saute the onion until deeply golden. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms caramelize. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and hawaij seasoning and continue to saute until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Add the couscous and saute until lightly toasted. Add chickpeas, if desired, 5 cups of water and salt and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Stir and serve.

VARIATION: I’ve tried this recipe with just onions, onions and mushrooms, and onions, mushrooms and chickpeas. I ended up liking the one with just onions the most but you can also try with peppers, eggplant and/or other vegetables.

NOTE: If you prepare the couscous in advance, add a bit of water, cover and steam for a few minutes, mixing with a spoon to loosen up the couscous before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION: serve with lemon sumac pargiot with silan.

Related Recipes:

hawaij honey cake with labneh frosting
Jerusalem hummus in jars

Post a Comment