Glossary & make-it-yourself

Uncommon ingredients and Thermomix terms in plain English, where to find them in Australia (supermarkets, Asian or Middle Eastern grocers, bulk food stores) and, where practical, how to make them in the Thermomix TM7.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

The first, cold-pressed oil from olives. Green, peppery and fruity. Recipes and labels often shorten it to EVOO. Use it for dressings, finishing and gentle frying; light olive oil or neutral oil is better for deep-frying.
Where to buy: Any supermarket (Coles, Woolworths, IGA). Australian brands like Cobram Estate are good value.

Ghee

Butter cooked until the water evaporates and the milk solids brown, then strained. Nutty, keeps for months, and takes high heat without burning. Used in Indian and Lebanese cooking.
Where to buy: Supermarket oil or Indian aisle, Indian grocers.

Make it yourself: Put 500 g unsalted butter, cubed, in the bowl. Melt and cook with the lid cap off, simmering basket on top to stop splashes: 25 min/100°C/speed 1, until the foam drops and the solids at the bottom turn golden. Pour through a fine sieve lined with paper towel into a clean jar. Makes about 400 g. Keeps 3 months in the pantry, longer in the fridge.

Toum

Lebanese garlic sauce: whipped raw garlic, lemon and oil, as thick and white as mayonnaise. Served with chicken, kafta and in wraps.
Where to buy: Lebanese bakeries and Middle Eastern grocers, in tubs.

Make it yourself: Put 8 cloves garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1 egg white in the bowl. Chop: 10 sec/speed 8, scrape down. Set 4 min/speed 4 and slowly drizzle ¾ cup (180 ml) neutral oil onto the closed lid (lid cap in) so it trickles in, alternating with ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice. Fridge 2 weeks.

Kammouneh

A southern Lebanese spice-and-herb mix for kibbeh: cumin with dried rose petals, marjoram, mint, allspice, cinnamon and pepper, often mixed with onion and fine bourghal.
Where to buy: Hard to find bought. Make it.

Make it yourself: Put 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tsp allspice berries (or ground) and 1 cinnamon stick, broken, in the bowl. Toast: 3 min/100°C/speed 1. Add 2 tbsp dried rose petals, 1 tbsp dried marjoram, 1 tbsp dried mint, 1 tsp salt. Grind: 30 sec/speed 10. Jar; keeps 3 months.

Lebanese 7-spice (baharat)

The everyday Lebanese spice blend: allspice, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander and cumin. Warm, not hot.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, some supermarkets (Herbie's or Hoyts).

Make it yourself: Put 2 tbsp allspice berries, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds in the bowl. Toast: 3 min/100°C/speed 1. Add ½ tsp grated nutmeg and 1 tsp ground ginger. Grind: 1 min/speed 10. Jar; keeps 6 months.

Sumac

Ground dried red berries with a sour, lemony taste. Sprinkled on salads, onions, kebabs and fattoush.
Where to buy: Supermarket spice aisle, Middle Eastern grocers.

Za'atar

A Levantine mix of wild thyme (or dried thyme and oregano), sumac, toasted sesame and salt. Mixed with olive oil on man'oushe.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, supermarkets.

Make it yourself: Toast 40 g sesame seeds in the bowl: 5 min/120°C/speed 1, tip out. Put 3 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp dried oregano and 2 tbsp sumac in the bowl. Grind briefly: 5 sec/speed 7. Mix in the sesame and 1 tsp salt by hand. Jar; keeps 3 months.

Pomegranate molasses

Pomegranate juice boiled down to a thick, sweet-sour syrup. Used in fattoush, lahm bi ajeen and marinades.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, supermarket international aisle.

Make it yourself: Put 4 cups (1 L) pure pomegranate juice (no added sugar), 1 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp lemon juice in the bowl. Reduce with the simmering basket on the lid instead of the lid cap: 60 min/Varoma/speed 1, then 15–20 min/100°C/speed 1 until about ⅓ cup (80–100 ml) is left and it coats a spoon. It thickens more as it cools. Fridge 3 months.

Mastic

Resin tears from a Greek island tree. Ground with a pinch of salt, it gives Lebanese ice cream (booza) and desserts its stretchy texture and pine-like scent. Use tiny amounts.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern or Greek grocers, online.

Orange blossom water

Water distilled from bitter-orange flowers. Floral; a few drops perfume desserts and syrups.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, supermarket baking aisle. Buy it: making it needs fresh orange blossoms and a still, which is not practical at home.

Rosewater

Fragrant water from rose petals, used in Lebanese, Persian and Indian desserts.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern and Indian grocers, supermarket baking aisle.

Make it yourself: Use spray-free, fragrant garden roses only (not florist roses). Put 2 cups (about 40 g) fresh petals, rinsed, and 2 cups (500 ml) distilled water in the bowl. Heat gently: 20 min/80°C/reverse/speed soft, lid cap in. Leave to cool with the lid on, then strain through a fine sieve. Makes about 1¾ cups (430 ml) of lighter, simmered rosewater. It's softer than bought distilled rosewater, so use about twice as much. Fridge 2 weeks in a sterilised jar.

Doubanjiang

Sichuan fermented broad bean and chilli paste. Salty, deep red, the base of mapo tofu. Look for Pixian on the label.
Where to buy: Asian grocers.

Gochujang

Korean fermented red chilli paste: sweet, savoury and spicy. Used in bibimbap, stews and glazes.
Where to buy: Asian grocers, some supermarkets.

Make it yourself: Real gochujang ferments for weeks to months. Quick no-ferment version (fridge 3 weeks): put 3 tbsp white miso, 4 tbsp gochugaru, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 cloves garlic and 2 tbsp water in the bowl. Blend: 20 sec/speed 6. Heat to thicken: 4 min/90°C/speed 2.

Gochugaru

Korean chilli flakes: bright red, fruity, medium heat. Needed for kimchi. Other chilli flakes are hotter and not the same.
Where to buy: Asian grocers.

Dashi

Japanese stock made from kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes (dried smoked tuna). Light, savoury and quick.
Where to buy: Instant dashi granules at Asian grocers. Fresh is easy.

Make it yourself: Put 4 cups (1 L) water and 10 g kombu in the bowl. Heat: 10 min/60°C/speed 1. Take out the kombu, add 15 g bonito flakes, heat 3 min/90°C/speed 1, steep 5 min and strain. Fridge 3 days, freezer 3 months.

Mirin

Japanese sweet rice wine for cooking. Gives the gloss in teriyaki and sauces. It has some natural sweetness and a little alcohol, most of which cooks off.
Where to buy: Supermarket Asian aisle, Asian grocers.

Sake (cooking)

Japanese rice wine. A splash in sauces and marinades adds depth. Cooking sake is fine.
Where to buy: Asian grocers, bottle shops.

Shaoxing wine

Chinese rice cooking wine. Adds the restaurant flavour to stir-fries, dumplings and char siu. Dry sherry is the closest swap.
Where to buy: Supermarket Asian aisle, Asian grocers.

Labneh

Yoghurt strained until thick and tangy, like cream cheese. Spread on man'oushe or rolled into balls in oil.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, some supermarkets.

Make it yourself: Mix 1 kg full-fat plain yoghurt with 1 tsp salt in the bowl: 10 sec/speed 3. Line the simmering basket with a clean cloth or muslin, pour in, set over a bowl and fridge 24 h (48 h for balls). Makes about 500 g. Fridge 1 week, or roll into balls and cover with extra virgin olive oil.

Lardons

Small batons of smoked, cured pork belly (thick bacon). Used in quiche Lorraine and French braises.
Where to buy: Butcher, supermarket deli. Or cut thick bacon.

Guanciale

Cured pork cheek, the traditional meat in carbonara. Richer and fattier than pancetta.
Where to buy: Italian delis, good butchers. Pancetta or lardons are the backup.

Bourghal (bulgur, burghul)

Wheat that is cracked, par-cooked and dried. Fine (#1) for kibbeh and tabbouleh, coarse for pilafs.
Where to buy: Bulk food stores, Middle Eastern grocers, supermarkets (coarse only, usually).

Tahini

Paste of ground sesame seeds. Used in hummus, dressings and halva.
Where to buy: Supermarkets, Middle Eastern grocers, bulk food stores.

Make it yourself: Toast 300 g hulled sesame seeds in the bowl: 8 min/120°C/speed 1, lid cap off, until pale gold. Cool 10 min. Grind: 1 min/speed 9, scrape down. Add 3 tbsp neutral or light olive oil and a pinch of salt and blend 2–3 min/speed 9, scraping down every minute, until runny. Jar; keeps 3 months.

Chilli oil

Oil infused with chilli flakes and aromatics. For dumplings, noodles and mapo tofu.
Where to buy: Asian grocers (Lao Gan Ma is a classic).

Make it yourself: Put 40 g chilli flakes, 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (ground), 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp sesame seeds in a heatproof jar. Put 1 cup (250 ml) neutral oil, 4 cloves garlic, 2 star anise and a cinnamon stick in the bowl: 10 min/120°C/speed 1, lid cap off. Strain the hot oil over the flakes. Pantry 1 month.

Teriyaki sauce

Glossy Japanese soy-mirin glaze. Shop versions use sugar; this one uses honey.
Where to buy: Supermarkets.

Make it yourself: Put ½ cup (125 ml) soy sauce, ½ cup (125 ml) mirin, ¼ cup (60 ml) sake, 3 tbsp honey, 2 cloves garlic and 10 g ginger in the bowl. Chop: 5 sec/speed 7. Reduce, lid cap off: 8 min/100°C/speed 1. Fridge 1 month.

Hoisin sauce

Thick, sweet-savoury Chinese sauce of fermented soybean, garlic and five-spice. Used in char siu and with Peking duck.
Where to buy: Supermarkets, Asian grocers.

Make it yourself: Hoisin-style (no sugar): put 4 tbsp white miso, 3 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp five-spice and 2 tbsp water in the bowl. Blend: 20 sec/speed 7. Warm to thicken: 3 min/90°C/speed 2. Fridge 3 weeks.

Japanese curry roux

Blocks of fat, flour and curry spice that thicken Japanese curry. Shop blocks contain sugar and additives.
Where to buy: Asian grocers (S&B Golden Curry, Vermont).

Make it yourself: Put 60 g butter in the bowl: 2 min/100°C/speed 1. Add 50 g plain flour and cook to biscuit-brown, lid cap off: 8 min/120°C/speed 2. Add 2 tbsp Japanese curry powder and 1 tsp garam masala: 30 sec/120°C/speed 2. Use straight away, or set in an ice-cube tray and freeze (3 months). Enough for one 2 L curry.

Stock concentrate

A salty vegetable paste that replaces stock cubes. 1 tsp in 1 cup (250 ml) water makes stock.
Where to buy: Bought powders (e.g. Vegeta) are at supermarkets.

Make it yourself: Put 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 1 zucchini, 4 cloves garlic, a handful of parsley and 2 tomatoes (about 1 kg total) in the bowl. Chop: 10 sec/speed 7. Add 150 g coarse salt and 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Cook with the simmering basket on the lid: 30 min/Varoma/speed 2. Blend smooth: 1 min/speed 10, increasing the speed gradually. Jars in the fridge 3 months; freezes without setting hard.

Cultured butter & buttermilk

Butter made from cream, ideally soured overnight with a little yoghurt for a deeper flavour. The liquid left over is buttermilk.
Where to buy: Supermarkets sell both.

Make it yourself: Stir 2 tbsp plain yoghurt into 600 ml pure cream and leave covered at room temperature 12–24 h (optional, gives cultured flavour). Chill 1 h. Put in the bowl: 2–4 min/speed 4, lid cap in, until the butter separates. Strain off the buttermilk and keep it. Add 1½ cups (375 ml) iced water, 10 sec/speed 2, drain; repeat until the water is clear. Squeeze, add ½ tsp salt if you like. Makes about 250 g. Fridge 2 weeks.

Fresh egg pasta

Silky pasta of flour and egg, as in Emilia-Romagna.
Where to buy: Supermarket fridge section.

Make it yourself: Put 400 g tipo 00 or plain flour and 4 eggs in the bowl. Knead: 2 min/dough mode. Wrap, rest 30 min. Roll thin with a pasta machine or rolling pin and cut. Cook 2–3 min in salted boiling water. Serves 4.

Flatbread (Lebanese bread, pita)

Thin wheat flatbread for wraps and dips.
Where to buy: Supermarkets, Lebanese bakeries.

Make it yourself: Put 1¼ cups (310 ml) warm water, 7 g dried yeast and 1 tsp honey in the bowl: 2 min/37°C/speed 2. Add 500 g bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil. Knead: 3 min/dough mode. Prove 1 h, divide into 8, roll 3 mm thin. Bake on a very hot tray at 250°C for 3–4 min until puffed. Makes 8.

Kimchi

Korean fermented cabbage with chilli, garlic and fish sauce. Sour and spicy.
Where to buy: Asian grocers, supermarket fridge.

Make it yourself: See the full Baechu Kimchi recipe in the Asian section.

Fish sauce

Salty, savoury sauce of fermented anchovies. The salt of Thai and Vietnamese cooking.
Where to buy: Supermarkets, Asian grocers.

Varoma

The Thermomix steamer that sits on top of the lid: a deep dish plus a tray. 'Varoma' is also a temperature setting, the hottest steam the machine makes (about 120°C).
Where to buy: Comes with the Thermomix.

Reverse

A Thermomix setting that turns the blade backwards so it stirs with the blunt side and doesn't chop. Use it to keep chunks of meat or veg whole.
Where to buy: —

Lid cap

The small plastic cup that plugs the hole in the Thermomix lid and doubles as a measuring cup. 'Lid cap off' lets steam escape; for long simmers put the simmering basket over the hole instead.
Where to buy: —

Speed soft

The slowest Thermomix speed, a gentle stir every few seconds. For stews and risotto.
Where to buy: —

Simmering basket

The basket that sits inside the Thermomix bowl for cooking rice or straining. Placed on the lid, it is a splash guard.
Where to buy: —

Dough mode

The Thermomix knead setting (ear-of-wheat icon). The blade alternates direction like hand kneading.
Where to buy: —

Thermoserver

An insulated serving bowl that keeps food hot while the Thermomix cooks the next part.
Where to buy: Thermomix accessory, or use any lidded bowl and a tea towel.

Asafoetida (hing)

A pungent resin powder used in Indian cooking, especially dal. It tastes like garlic and onion once fried in fat.
Where to buy: Indian grocers.

Aleppo pepper

Mild, fruity, oily Syrian chilli flakes.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, specialty spice shops.

Kishk

Lebanese powder of bourghal fermented with yoghurt and dried. Tangy; made into soup.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers.

Awarma

Lebanese preserved lamb: minced lamb cooked in its own fat and packed in jars.
Where to buy: Middle Eastern grocers, or use fried lamb mince.

Nagaimo

Japanese mountain yam. Grated raw, it makes okonomiyaki batter light and fluffy.
Where to buy: Asian grocers (fridge).

Kombu & bonito

Kombu is dried kelp; bonito flakes are shavings of dried, smoked tuna. Together they make dashi.
Where to buy: Asian grocers.

Potato starch

Fine starch that gives Asian fried foods a light, glassy crunch. Cornflour is the closest swap.
Where to buy: Asian grocers.

Cornichons

Small, sharp French pickled gherkins.
Where to buy: Supermarket pickle aisle.

Masa harina

Corn flour treated with lime (nixtamalised), the base of real corn tortillas.
Where to buy: Latin grocers, online, some supermarkets.

Chipotle in adobo

Smoked dried jalapeños in a tangy red sauce, sold in tins.
Where to buy: Supermarket Mexican aisle.