8 Creative Ways to Use Ottolenghi Hawaij Paste

By Emily Patrikakos, Brand Executive at The Gourmet Pantry.

Hawaij (pronounced ha-WAY-ij) is a Yemeni spice blend built on ginger, cardamom and turmeric, warmed through with cinnamon and cloves. Ottolenghi's version comes ready-blended into a paste, so there's no grinding or measuring, just a spoonful stirred into whatever you're cooking. It's traditionally a soup spice in Yemen, but it earns its keep well beyond the pot. Here are eight ways to put a jar to work.

1. Hawaij Spiced Soup

Its original job. In Yemen, hawaij is stirred into soup as it simmers, so the ginger and turmeric properly infuse rather than sitting on top. Try a spoonful in chicken soup, red lentil soup, or a simple pumpkin soup, added early enough to cook out any rawness, then finish with a squeeze of lemon.

2. Hawaij Roast Chicken

Ottolenghi's own "Chicken A La King" uses it this way: chicken seared until golden, then simmered in a hawaij-spiced sauce of grated carrot, golden raisins, cherry tomatoes and cream. The paste goes in with the vegetables and gets a short fry before any liquid joins it, which wakes the spices up however you're using it.

3. Hawaij Roasted Vegetables

Toss carrots, pumpkin or cauliflower with a spoonful loosened in olive oil, then roast until charred at the edges. Root vegetables take to it particularly well, since their natural sweetness needs something warm and a little sharp to balance it.

4. Hawaij Butter

Beat a spoonful through softened butter and keep it in the fridge. Melt it over corn, flatbread or rice for an easy finishing touch, or use it to baste anything coming off the grill in its last few minutes.

5. Hawaij Braised Lamb or Beef

Stir into the base of a stew, frying it briefly in the pan before the meat and liquid go in, the way it's used at home in Yemen. It carries a long, slow cook well, mellowing rather than fading the way fresher spice mixes can.

6. Hawaij Snacking Potatoes

Ottolenghi's own version coats thick potato wedges in the paste twice, once before a covered bake and again near the end, so the spice builds into caramelised layers rather than washing off. Serve with a mix of soured cream and mayonnaise, and a scatter of chives.

7. Hawaij Hummus

Blend a spoonful into shop-bought or homemade hummus for a warming twist on a familiar dip. It also works swirled through yoghurt or labneh, since the fat carries the spice without letting it dominate.

8. Hawaij Chicken Sandwich

In Ottolenghi's version, chicken thighs marinate in hawaij and buttermilk for up to an hour, then get pan-fried and tossed through more paste and lemon juice before going into a flatbread with a quick slaw of cabbage, dill, parsley and mint. Wrap it tightly and it holds together like a burrito.

Try it in our Hawaij "Chicken A La King", or explore the full Ottolenghi range, with free shipping on orders over $100.

Images courtesy of Ottolenghi.co.uk.