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Ali’s Za’atar
Our good friend Ali kindly shared his grandmother, Teta’s recipe for za’atar with us. Za’atar translates as “thyme” in Arabic. Depending on the family and region the ratios and actual ingredients will vary, but as a general rule, it always has thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac. Flavours that need to be present are rich herbal, tangy/sour, nutty and salty.
Prep Time
10 minutes mins
Serves
makes 1 1/2 cups
Middle Eastern
Ingredients
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
1/2 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup dried thyme, leaves
1/4 cup sumac
1 tsp flaky sea salt
Method
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan and allow to cool completely.
Transfer to a mortar and pestle along with the remaining ingredients and grind to a coarse sand.
You can also pulse this in a spice grinder to speed things up, just make sure you keep it coarse.
Store in an airtight jar in the pantry for up to a month.
