The composition and calorie content of the baharat mixture. The benefits and harms of this spice for the body. Cooking recipes that highlight the amazing taste of the spice. Interesting facts about her. In addition, thanks to allspice, you will find a large amount of vitamin B9 and copper in the spice mixture, black pepper fills it with vitamin B5 and fluoride, red ground pepper - vitamin B2 and zinc. Sweet pepper saturates baharat with vitamin PP, NE and chlorine, nutmeg - with vitamin B2 and selenium, coriander - with vitamins A, B1 and iodine. Clove fills with vitamin K, cumin with vitamin B6, cinnamon with vitamin B5, and cardamom with magnesium.
Useful properties of baharat
It is quite natural that such a quantity of useful components has a positive effect on the human body. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to look for specific medicinal recipes. It is enough just to use the spice mixture in food, as an additive to your favorite dishes.
Thanks to the regular use of baharat in cooking, you will get the following effects:
- Boost immunity … This is especially important in the autumn-winter and spring periods, when a huge number of people are sick with acute respiratory and viral diseases, as well as the flu. True, after consumption during working hours, it will not hurt to use chewing gum or eat a couple of parsley sprigs - this will remove the pungent smell of spice, which may be unpleasant for colleagues. It is eliminated on its own within 30-40 minutes.
- Prevention of stroke, heart attack, migraine headaches and normalization of blood pressure … Positive dynamics can be achieved by removing toxins from the vessels and removing the spasmodic effect from them, cleaning them from cholesterol plaques, dissolving blood clots, and normalizing blood pressure.
- Improving vision … With the advent of gadgets such as smartphones and tablets in our lives, this problem has reached enormous proportions. The load on the vessels of the eyes leads to a thinning of the vessels of the brain, provoking the development of strokes, reducing visual acuity, causing cataracts and glaucoma. Regular intake of a mixture of spices baharat will relieve vascular tension, improve visual acuity, and allow you to forget about visits to an ophthalmologist for a long time.
- Prevention of cholecystitis, pancreatitis, gastroduodenitis, peptic ulcer, indigestion … The mixture of peppers, which is part of the baharat, improves the peristalsis of the stomach. Unlike enzymatic preparations, which we resort to when we feel heaviness in the stomach, pepper does not replace enzymes, but forces our body to produce them. Also has a good choleretic effect, prevents reflux.
- Normalization of the kidneys and bladder … This mixture has a strong diuretic effect. This will help avoid stagnation in the kidneys and bladder, remove small stones from them, and relieve swelling. At the same time, the components of baharat will not allow to remove useful substances from the bones and muscles, they will remove only excess, "empty" liquid from the body.
- Strengthening teeth and bones … This spice mixture contains components that form the basis of the body's foundation - the musculoskeletal system. Baharat will help strengthen teeth and bones, as well as protect against one of the most difficult and dangerous fractures - the femoral neck. This is especially important for people over 65. If the operation helps the young, then the elderly patients due to such an injury often remain paralyzed until the end of their days. A proper balanced diet will help to avoid this, necessarily including foods rich in all those components that are in the baharat mixture.
- Fight parasites, prevent the development of intestinal infections … In African countries, this spice is loved for its ability to disinfect the oral cavity, kill harmful bacteria that are full of food stored in improper conditions, remove parasites from the body, and resist intestinal infections.
- Increased activity … Improved metabolism makes the human body more resilient, reduces its ability to fatigue, stimulates the brain, improves memory. You will feel energized. At night, the body will recover faster than before, and during the day you can easily do much more useful things than before.
- Slimming … This is another pleasant bonus of accelerating the body's metabolic processes. The withdrawal of toxins, the assimilation of only useful components, the rejection of harmful ones will be most opportunely reflected in your figure. Regular consumption of spicy food makes this effect not short-term and situational, but permanent.
- Rejuvenating effect, improving skin condition … Normalization of metabolism contributes to the overall health of the body. It has a good effect on the condition of the skin of the face and body, hair and nails. Oriental women are famous for smooth skin without blemishes, luxurious, thick and shiny hair. An important role in this is played by the use of spicy food obtained thanks to the generous seasoning of dishes with mixtures of spices, including bakharat.
- Sexual power, solution of gynecological and urological problems … Pepper is a powerful aphrodisiac that has a positive effect on male strength and increases sexual desire. Also in women, hot spices help to normalize the menstrual cycle, cope with vaginitis and polycystic ovaries. And for men, this mixture will serve as a good prophylactic agent against prostatitis and adenoma.
Harm and contraindications to baharat
When introducing baharat into the diet, as with the use of any other product, you need to be guided by common sense. Add spice to food regularly, but in reasonable quantities, then there will be no harm.
Use spice carefully if you:
- Are in position … On the one hand, baharat can relieve puffiness, which is often observed in pregnant women, on the other hand, it can provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases due to reduced immunity. Therefore, in this matter, it is better to consult a doctor. It is believed that if you regularly took any food before pregnancy, you can eat it in position, but in smaller quantities.
- Breastfeeding … The pepper, which is part of the mixture, can provoke inflammation of the stomach and intestines in the baby. In addition, the spices change the taste of the milk, which can cause the baby to abandon the breast.
- Are prone to hypotension … As we noted above, spicy food, due to the cleaning of blood vessels and the removal of toxins from the body, lowers blood pressure. Therefore, it is better for those suffering from low blood pressure to refrain from using a mixture of spices.
- Suffer from gastrointestinal diseases in the acute stage, large stones in the gall or bladder, kidneys … The same natural ability of a product can provoke both positive and negative effects. For example, a diuretic. The ability of the components of the mixture to remove small stones from the kidneys and bladder can do a disservice to those with large formations. Stuck stones in the ducts can cause urgent surgery. This also applies to cholecystitis. A strong choleretic effect can remove sand from the gallbladder, but large stones - alas.
- Prone to food allergies … Multi-component mixtures increase the risk of an allergic reaction. However, if you clearly know the list of foods that your body does not accept, replace them with others. Fortunately, there are a lot of recipes for cooking bakharat.
- Prepare meals for children … Like any hot spices, baharat is contraindicated in children under 12 years old. In a child's body that is not fully formed, there are not enough enzymes to digest most of the components of the mixture.
Bakharat recipes
Like any spice mixture, you can buy bakharat or you can cook it yourself. To do this, take 2 tablespoons each of black, red, allspice, sweet pepper and coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon each of cardamom and cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon each of grated nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
Grind all whole ingredients in a mill, mortar or coffee grinder, combine with other components. Then the mixture must be fried in a hot skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes. Some do it right away, some just before adding it to the dishes. If you prepare the seasoning yourself, the mixture will retain more nutrients, it will be much more aromatic than the store counterpart. Store it in a non-metallic container, sealed with a lid, in a dry, dark place.
Bakharat will be a great addition to such dishes:
- Marinated chicken … This recipe is perfect for marinating 1 kg of chicken in chunks. Take 0.5 cups of vegetable oil, add 2 teaspoons of baharat, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix all the ingredients, send the chicken pieces to them, mix thoroughly, let it brew for an hour at room temperature. Then remove the container with the marinated bird in the refrigerator overnight. This chicken is best cooked over an open fire in a grill rack. If this is an option not for a picnic, but for an urban kitchen - fry the chicken over high heat on both sides for 1-2 minutes, transfer to a baking sheet, bake in the oven at 220 ° C until tender - about 20-25 minutes.
- Pilaf with lamb … Pour 50 ml of vegetable oil into a deep, thick cast iron. Send to him 500 g of lamb, cut into pieces, on the bone. When the meat is slightly fried over high heat, add 2 large onions, cut into half rings, and two carrots, cut into cubes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 500 g of washed long rice to the contents of the cast iron, stir. Salt, season with 1 teaspoon of baharat and 1 tablespoon of barberry fruit. Pour in hot water so that it covers the rice with vegetables and meat on two fingers, stir. Let the pilaf boil. Mix everything well again, stick the head of garlic, peeled to the peel of the cloves, into the middle of the pilaf. Simmer for 40-50 minutes over low heat.
- Grilled fish … Take 4 small fish carcasses. Gut, remove the heads. Make 3-4 shallow cuts on each side, and place the fish in a glass or plastic container. Mix the juice of 1 lemon and its zest with 100 ml of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of baharat. Fill the fish with this marinade, send it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cook fish on a wire rack, turning over and over with lemon juice. Cooking will take 15-20 minutes. Serve with grilled vegetables, fresh thyme, rosemary or chopped parsley.
- Vegetarian couscous … Boil 400 g of couscous. While it is cooking, wash and disassemble 200 g of broccoli into inflorescences, chop the asparagus green beans, remove the stems from the spinach. Heat 50 ml of olive oil in a frying pan, send the finely chopped onion to it, fry until transparent. Add the asparagus beans to the onion, pour in 100 ml of vegetable broth and simmer covered over medium heat for 10 minutes. Send broccoli to a skillet, simmer for another 5 minutes. Then toss the spinach over the vegetables, simmer for another 5 minutes. Open the lid, increase the heat, let the excess liquid evaporate. Combine vegetables with couscous, salt and add 1 teaspoon of baharat. Stir, simmer for 1-2 minutes, serve hot.
- Yeast Pie with Cabbage … Make a brew. To do this, combine 300 ml of warm milk, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 6 tablespoons of flour and 20 g of live yeast. Mix the ingredients well, cover the dough with a towel, put in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, until it doubles 2-3 times. Prepare the filling. To do this, save a medium-sized onion finely chopped with grated large carrots in a cast iron in vegetable oil. Add 300 g of sauerkraut and 1 teaspoon of baharat to golden vegetables. Stir well, cover, simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until cabbage is tender. After that, be sure to cool it down. Pour two eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon of salt, 100 ml of vegetable oil and 4 glasses of flour into the matched dough. Roll the kneaded dough into a ball, put in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until it doubles in size again. When the dough is ready, take a baking sheet, cast-iron frying pan or a special baking dish, brush with vegetable oil, distribute 2/3 of the suitable dough over the bottom. Lay out the cooled filling, cover it with the remaining dough. Cover the cake with a towel, let it rise a little again. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 180 ° C. Serve warm. Especially tasty if you add sour cream.
- Drunk dessert … Take 3-4 dense pears, put on a barrel in a small saucepan, pour syrup made from 300 ml of hot water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let the pears simmer under a closed lid for 10 minutes over low heat. Then pour 300 ml of any dessert wine into a saucepan, boil for another 10 minutes. Add a pinch of baharat, turn off the heat, leave to cool. Serve with a scoop of ice cream.
Interesting facts about baharat
Baharat is considered the most popular spice blend in tourist hotels in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. Chefs add these spices to almost all dishes, changing only their quantity. Therefore, if you have never bought baharat, but you have had a chance to relax in hotels with all-inclusive food, you should certainly be familiar with this taste.
It is interesting that the culinary experts of these and many other countries often argue where exactly this mixture was born, considering it their national product, which the neighbors borrowed. It has not yet been possible to reliably study its origin.
Some spice merchants add salt to baharat, which significantly reduces its beneficial qualities, but makes it more versatile due to its milder taste.
Watch a video about baharat:
Which of the options, concentrated or diluted, to give preference is up to you. Try both. Moreover, baharat can often be found in Russian supermarkets and specialized stores. The taste qualities of this spice mixture will delight you, and with regular use, the healing effect will not keep you waiting long.