Three Super Easy African Homemade Spice Recipes

The art of African cooking lies in the blending of herbs and spices, you never know what amazing flavors you might discover.

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Try new spice recipes of Simple Ground Curry, Chermoula, and Ground Piri Piri to use for a new recipe, it’s time to upgrade your recipe skills to the next level. There is no better way to understand a culture than through its food and spices. Add a new spice aroma to your food life. Ja means eat in the African language Southern Sotho (soh-toh) or Sesotho (se-soh-toh.) Here are three super easy homemade spice recipes from our book A Field of Greens.

Spices are like magic ingredients that can turn any bland dish into something super tasty and flavorful. They come in different forms like seeds, pods, leaves, and powder, and they all have different flavors and uses in cooking. One of the most popular spices is cinnamon, which is made from the bark of a tree. Cinnamon is sweet and spicy and is often used in baking and desserts like cinnamon rolls and apple pie.

Another cool spice is black pepper, which comes from peppercorns that grow on a vine. Black pepper is a bit spicy and is used to add flavor to dishes like soups, stews, and meats. If you like African food, you might have heard of a spice called turmeric. Turmeric is bright yellow and has a warm, earthy flavor. It's often used in curries and other Indian dishes, and it's also known for its health benefits.

Other spices you might know are ginger, which is used in baking and also to make tea, and paprika, which is made from ground red peppers and is often used to add a little bit of heat and color to dishes. Have you ever tried making your own spice blends at home? It's really fun and it's a great way to experiment with different flavors and create something totally unique. The amount of each spice you use will depend on your personal taste, so start with small amounts and adjust as you go. You can always add more later if you want a stronger flavor.

Three Super Easy African Homemade Spice Recipes

Try new spice recipes to make every night for dinner, it’s time to upgrade your recipe skills to the next level. 

Simple Ground Curry

Ghana

Yield about 1/4 cup

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

Directions

Mix all ingredients well and store in an airtight container away from light and heat.

Chermoula

North Africa

Yield about ¾ cup

Ingredients

1 ½ cups fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a food processor, add all ingredients, process until mixture resembles a thick sauce. Add more olive oil if needed.

Ground Piri Piri

Mozambique

Yield about ½  cup

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried lemon peel

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper flake

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container away from light and heat.

Second edition of A Field of Greens has the same favorite recipes we all know and love plus a new chapter on drinks, Ashanti Adinkra symbols and a few more surprises. With 111 easy African slow cooker recipes, fall in love with your slow cooker all over again. 

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