Iran · 10 min · Vegan · Pantry staple · For beginners
Advieh
For 10 servings · US units
Persian spice blend of rose petals, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin
Advieh is the spice blend that gives so many Persian dishes their warm, faintly floral undertone: rose petals, cinnamon and cardamom set against the earthy depth of cumin and turmeric. It goes into rice dishes, stews and kebabs, and there are separate blends depending on what it is meant for. This one is an all-purpose base blend, ground in ten minutes and good to keep in the cupboard for half a year.
Ingredients
- 1 tbspfinely groundDried petals of the Damask rose, fragrant and slightly tart.Substitute: A few drops of rose water give the scent, but neither the colour nor the petals as a visible ingredient. Use rose water sparingly, or it quickly tastes soapy.Read more
- 1 tbspcinnamonground, or stick broken up and ground
- 1 tbspcuminground
- 2 tspseeds, groundGreen cardamom pods, whose small black seeds give a strong, floral, resinous aroma.Substitute: Ground cardamom will do at a pinch, about a quarter teaspoon for three or four pods, but tastes flatter; black cardamom is no substitute, as it is smoky rather than floral.Read more
- 2 tspgroundThe fresh leaves and tender stems of the coriander plant (called cilantro in North America), with a fresh, citrusy aroma.Substitute: There is no true substitute. Flat-leaf parsley gives the same green freshness, but the citrusy aroma will be missing.Read more
- 1 tspturmericground
- 1 tspblack pepperfreshly ground
- ½ tspclovesground
- ½ tspnutmegfreshly grated
- ½ tspseeds removed, ground (optional)Whole limes sun-dried until hard, hollow and brown to black; they give stews a sharp, almost smoky sourness.Substitute: There is no truly good substitute. Fresh lime juice with a little grated zest, added towards the end, supplies the sourness but not the fermented, slightly bitter depth that defines the dish; a little sumac comes somewhat closer to the tart character but is milder.Read more
- 1 tspground; do not toast (optional)Ground seeds of Persian hogweed, a typically Iranian spice that is bitter, resinous and faintly lemony.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because no common spice has this combination of bitterness and resinous aroma. A pinch of ground celery seed or a little cumin adds an earthy note, but the dish will taste noticeably different; when in doubt, it is better to leave golpar out.Read more
- 1 pinchground with the spices (optional)Dried stigmas of a crocus that turn food golden yellow and give it a bittersweet, floral aroma.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because the aroma is unique. Turmeric or safflower give only the colour, not the flavour; it is better to use a little less saffron than to replace it.Read more
Method
- Break up the cinnamonIf you are not using ground cinnamon, break a cinnamon stick into small pieces so that it grinds evenly.
- Grind the whole spicesGrind the whole spices (cinnamon, cumin, green cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper and cloves) to a fine powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Leave them untoasted, as toasting is not usual for advieh.
- Grind lime and saffronIf you are using dried lime, remove the seeds and grind it finely. If you are using saffron, grind the pinch in as well.
- Grind the rose petals separatelyCrumble the dried rose petals separately and grind them finely, so that their delicate scent is kept and they blend smoothly with the other spices.
- Add nutmeg, ready the turmericGrate in the nutmeg fresh, and have the turmeric ready, along with the ground golpar if you are using it. Golpar is not toasted either.
- Mix the spices togetherCombine all the ground spices with the rose petals in a bowl and mix thoroughly, until the blend is an even colour throughout.
- Jar and store the adviehSpoon the advieh into an airtight jar and store it somewhere dry and dark. It will keep for about 6 months.
Tips and variations
For a simple rose spice, rose petals, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin are all you need. A pinch of sugar, saffron and a piece of star anise make the blend sweeter, and if you are not fond of cloves and nutmeg, use allspice in their place. For stews, add ginger, golpar and shah jeera; for kebabs, garlic powder, chilli flakes, dried fenugreek leaves and salt. For pickles, use whole anise, nigella and celery seeds with dried herbs and chilli flakes. If you want a more intense flavour, toast the spices one at a time, without the rose petals or the golpar, before grinding, even though this is not usual for advieh. The blend suits rice dishes, stews and kebabs.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
