‘Herbs deserve to be used much more liberally’ – Yotam Ottolenghi
I made this Za’atar in class recently and fell in love with the fresh herb mix all over again.
The mix of ingredients plays with your taste buds, with zest from the sumac, depth from the sesame seeds and herbaciousness from the thyme.
I served this on its own with pitta chips, as a topping to elevate hummus and on a cauliflower steak. Mr B is honestly happy to eat it on its own!
Thyme is great for the Autumn. It is a grounding herb in taste and aroma, which is beneficial as the weather becomes more erratic. It is also a lung tonic as it contains Thymol (the synthetic version of which is used in cough mixture) and has Carvacrol a powerful compound found to increase levels of Dopamine and Serotonin, the neurotransmitters that regulate motivation and mood.
See specific Ayurvedic properties included below.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves (taken off stems)
- 2 tsp. Sumac
- ½ Sea salt
- 2 tbsp un-hulled sesame seeds
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Add to a mortar and pestle and grind or blend in a small blender
- Serve with pitta chips, on hummus as an herbal compliment to your main
