no products in the cart
as an arab chef, i think it goes without saying that spices are central to my cooking and how i view and think about cooking. the use of spices in the arab levantine kitchen is more than just about flavor - it’s about history, culture, and a connection to the land. these spices have shaped the way we cook, and over centuries, they’ve become the backbone of our cuisine.
a brief history of spice for arabs
these powerful, aromatic ingredients and how they've evolved with our cooking has a pretty rich history. the middle east is often considered the cradle of spice cultivation, with many of our beloved spices being grown in the fertile lands stretching from morocco to syria, lebanon, jordan, and beyond. spices like cardamom, cumin, coriander, and allspice have been prized for thousands of years; not only for their flavor, but for their medicinal properties as well. they travel with us through time from the ancient trade routes that brought them to our tables, and to our kitchens of today.
these spices are more than just components of a dish; they are a way of life. each one carries with it a story and a journey from seed to spice rack. cardamom, with its sweet, aromatic warmth, is hand-harvested from the jungles of india and sri Lanka, while cumin - earthy and peppery - is native to the eastern mediterranean. coriander brings a refreshing citrusy zing, often grown in syria and egypt, and allspice, with its rich, slightly sweet flavor, hails from the caribbean but finds a special place in our levantine dishes.
as our region’s culinary traditions have evolved, so too has the way we use these spices. over the centuries, we’ve adapted them to our environment, using them to create simple, hearty dishes as well as complex, layered flavors. from stews and meats to fresh salads and savory pastries, these spices can transform a humble dish into something extraordinary.
that’s where our spice boxes come in
as the person that does most of the cooking at home, i know how busy dinners and planning for dinners can be; especially when you're hosting a lot. now that i'm a parent, a whole other layer of busy has been added to that understanding.
so planning ahead for meals is a good way to take off some of that stress so that we're a little more focused and really making the most of our day. what's even better is having everything (or almost everything) you'd need to make a variety of meals from a single package. my colleagues and family will tell you that i'm all about trying to be as efficient as possible, so i’m really happy to share this new drop that i hope will help those of us that struggle with the juggling like i did (and still do to some extent).
firstly, and what i'm most excited about, is this new spice collection i've been thinking and working on that's meant to honor the arab grandmother. my teta (grandmother) was such a big influence on me and my cooking that i wanted to come up with a set that really brings together some of the main elements that represent her kitchen, so i put together this teta spice box to honor all tetas and what they've done for their children (including grandchildren).
more importantly, as happy as i am to have the teta spice box finally be a reality, the addition of this product to our line of spices is what's most fulfilling. i'm proud that our series of spice collection boxes is at a stage of development that appropriately reflects the richness of our culinary heritage, and that it gives you all access to bring those flavors to your own kitchens.
here's our collections so far:
spice blend box
we started our spice product journey with this box. it is our collection of essential spice blends, which is the heart of all shawarmaji recipes. from our most popular chicken spice that started it all and can season almost anything, to our meat-lover's dream lamb spice, alongside our earthy and grain-friendly falafel spice, and finishing with our everyday, citrusy aleppo salt. these aren't blends that can be purchased at any grocery store. we carefully source our ingredients and masterfully curate blends of only the best spices from all over the world.
single spice custom box
when we saw that our spice blends were received well by all of you, the most natural next step was to share the actual spices that we use to make them. our single spice custom box features any combination of four from our foundational spices: cardamom, cumin, coriander, and allspice. these are the building blocks of levantine cuisine. whether you’re preparing a comforting lamb stew, a fragrant chicken dish, or simply making a batch of falafel, i believe these spices are the only place to start.
teta spice box
this is the heart of jordanian cooking. an evenly curated set that diversely holds blends for everyday cooking needs, that celebrate traditional meals, and that fulfill almost all garnishing possibilities. our zaatar and sumac are of the highest quality from the mountains of ajloun in jordan, and our qidreh and shami spice blends are my own that i developed in-house. this set really embodies a teta's most trusted pantry favorites.
our team has also made a spice blend custom box available for you to put together any combination of four house blends of your liking. you can choose four from all of our signature spice blends, which include spices that you find in both the spice blend box and the teta spice box. these blends bring together complex, aromatic profiles that make it easy to recreate traditional dishes or experiment with new creations.
when curating these blends and essential spices, i wanted you all to have direct access to this amazing culinary heritage of ours. whether you’re just beginning to explore the rich flavors of middle eastern cuisine or you’re an experienced cook looking to expand your spice collection, i’m confident these collections will help you create unforgettable meals that tell the story of our ancient, vibrant culture.
i’ve spent years trying to perfect these meals and trying, at the very least, to come close to how i remember my grandmother making food, so i want to share how a few of these products really lend themselves to everyday cooking. i don't want to share too much and potentially kill your creativity though, because i would love for you to experiment and have fun with them, but i am sharing a few recipes below for everyday meals that are simple but hearty and really hit the spot.
weekday dinner recipes
before diving into the recipes, there's one tip i'd give that's really important, which is pairing either of the recipes below with a simple, fresh salad for palate balance. arabs often do this, and some meals are experienced by taking a bite of salad with a bite of the main course and eating them at the same time, instead of starting with a salad as the appetizer and then moving onto the main like you generally would with a spread or when ordering at a table-service restaurant.
having said, a really easy spice (technically a berry) to use that brightens salads up would be our ajlouni sumac, which isn't a run-of-the-mill sumac, but the highest quality of sumac you can find in jordan. one of my favorite ways to use it is to sprinkle it over fattoush (a lebanese-style salad), which couldn't be easier, and it completely changes the game. we served a fattoush when our other restaurant, teta nahla, was briefly operational. and i would often say at the time that it was one of our sleeper menu items. keep this in mind when planning to use either of the recipes below. i also love garnishing grilled chicken or lamb (iraqi lamb kabab is famous for this), or even sprinkling it over yogurt for a refreshing dip.
another dish we served at teta nahla was mujaddara, which is a cozy and comforting dish of lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. this is another one of those meals that has a home in all levantine countries. it's a regular staple because its ingredients are very affordable, it's nutritious, it keeps well, and can be served at any temperature - although uncommon, i even have a friend that'll eat mujaddara right out of the fridge (not my preference at all though). it's made year-round, and it's a go-to in ramadan, but i personally love making it in the winter. when making mujaddara, shami spice is my secret ingredient. the shami spice layers the dish with its warm, aromatic notes. this is true arab soul food!
1. jordanian-style mujaddara
ingredients (serves 4–6)
1 cup brown or green lentils
¾ cup short-grain white rice or fine bulgur
2 large onions, thinly sliced
¼–⅓ cup olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
½–¾ tsp shami spice
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
water (about 4–5 cups total)
optional:
extra caramelized onions for serving
½ tsp black pepper (shami already contains pepper)
laban (yogurt) on the side
prep
1. cook the lentils
rinse the lentils and place them in a pot with about 3 cups of water.
bring to a boil, then simmer until just tender, not falling apart (15–20 minutes).
do not drain completely and reserve the cooking liquid.
2. caramelize the onions
heat your olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. add onions with a pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring often, until deeply caramelized. they should be soft, dark, and fragrant (20–30 minutes). then remove half the onions and set aside for topping. leave the rest in the pan.
3. bloom the spices
to the onions still in the pan, add the ground cumin, shami spice, and your black pepper if you decided to include that option. stir gently for 20–30 seconds max, just until the fragrance of the spices hits your nose. make sure not to toast and dry out your spices.
4. combine everything
now add the lentils with their liquid to the pan. then add ¾ cup rice with about 1 cup water, or ¾ cup bulgur with about ½–¾ cup water. now salt it, stir and combine well, and bring to a gentle boil.
5. simmer, rest, and serve
after it comes to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender or the bulgur is soft and fluffy (15–20 minutes total). the final texture should be soft and cohesive, and not soupy. now, turn off heat and let it sit, covered, for about 10 minutes before fluffing gently when you're going to serve. when serving, top with the reserved caramelized onions, a final drizzle of olive oil, and pair with yogurt, salad, and/or pickles.
if you're trying mujaddara for the first time, you'll immediately get the umami from the onions first, then earthiness from the lentils to ground it, and then a rounded spice background, that isn't sweet or perfumed, to complete it. it's so simple, but still layered and complex with texture and flavor profiles. mujaddara is probably, hands down, one of my top 10 jordanian meals.
here's an even easier recipe that you can make with very minimal ingredients, and if you're tired or in a rush but still want to make something for your family:
2. sumac and shami spiced grilled chicken
ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
2 tbsp shami spice
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp ajlouni sumac
salt and pepper to taste
prep:
1. combine ingredients
in a bowl, mix the shami spice, olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pepper.
2. marinate your chicken
rub the chicken thighs with this marinade and let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for best results).
3. grill time
preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side until fully cooked and golden brown.
4. serve and enjoy
plate with a side of rice or a fresh salad (like fattoush!) topped with more sumac.
i really hope you enjoy these meals as much as i have my whole life, because they're healing and delicious, and that's why we call it soul food.
thank you to every one of you who continually support our small family business, allow me to share my musings, and give me the opportunity to live my dream by serving our community the food that i love (and live) to eat.
peace, love, and toum,
chef mohammad abutaha
