Homemade Za'atar Spice Mix
Have you heard of the spice mix Za’atar? It is a wonderful blend of toasted sesame seeds, herbs and its special ingredient is sumac powder – found in many grocery and bulk food stores. It takes a few minutes to make and keeps for a long time in your cupboard! Za’atar adds a wonderful hearty, earthy flavour to anything you add it to – it can be the star flavour - as in my Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs dish - or sprinkled on something more plain - Greek yogurt for a veggie dip, a hard-boiled egg, scrambled eggs, on soft cheese, a roast turkey sandwich or wrap, salads, cucumber slices, cooked meats, veggies, on rice or quinoa… so many ways to add and enjoy a healthy and delicious flavour to your food!
You can buy Za’atar at many grocery stores, but why not make your own which will be fresher, tastier, much less expensive and made with many ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen!
The origins of Za’atar are from the Middle East. The blend of the ingredients that make up the spice mix varies from area to area. Below is my version of this amazing seasoning spice mix!
Sesame Seeds are a good source of plant-protein, healthy fat and fiber, they are rich in calcium, copper, containing selenium, phosphorous, zinc and iron, thiamine, niacin and vitamin B6, also vitamin E and magnesium to support heart health and cholesterol levels. These little seeds pack a big nutritional punch!
As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Homemade Za'atar Spice Mix goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep Time: 3 minutes / Cook Time: 2 minutes / Makes: ~ 2/3 Cup
Ingredients
2½ Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Sumac Powder
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Dried Thyme
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
½ teaspoon Turmeric
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Powder – optional for heat
How It’s Made
Over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds in a pan with no oil or water. Sitr constantly until they are golden in colour and smell amazing – about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the seeds cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the other ingredients together, then add the sesame seeds and give it a good stir to blend together.
Spoon the mixture into a small glass jar with a airtight lid, label the jar and store in your cupboard.
Enjoy!
P.S. This makes a great hostess or holiday gift!
