Bami goreng has been one of the most popular Asian dishes in the Netherlands for years. The combination of fried noodles, crunchy vegetables, fragrant spices and a savory sauce makes for a meal that is quick to put on the table and that almost everyone enjoys. Although many people choose a ready-made meal or a takeaway version, bami goreng is surprisingly simple to make yourself. With the right vegetables and a good spice blend you can make a dish in half an hour that is at least as tasty as that from your favorite takeaway restaurant.

In this blog you will discover which vegetables are traditionally used in bami goreng, which spices give the characteristic flavor and how to easily make a delicious pan of bami yourself. Prefer nasi? Then also read our blog Nasi Goreng Recipe: How to Make It and Which Vegetables to Use, in which we explain how to prepare the perfect fried rice.

What is bami goreng actually?

The name bami goreng comes from Indonesian. "Bami" refers to noodles and "goreng"

Nasi goreng has for years been one of the most popular dishes from Asian cuisine. Almost everyone has their own favorite variant: with chicken, shrimp, vegetarian or extra spicy. Still, a good nasi always starts with the same base: the right vegetables. But which vegetables actually belong in nasi?

There is no definitive answer to that. In Indonesia a recipe varies from region to region and even from family to family. However, there are a number of vegetables that you see in most nasi dishes. Together they provide the recognizable flavor, a nice balance between sweet and savory, and sufficient bite.

The classic base of nasi

When you think of nasi vegetables, you quickly land on onion, leek and bell pepper. These three ingredients have formed the base of many Dutch nasi recipes for years and are also found in many professional vegetable mixes.

Onion gives nasi its full, savory flavor. During frying the onion softens and becomes slightly sweet, making it a perfect match with rice, spices

Mace may be less well known than nutmeg, but it absolutely deserves a permanent place in your spice cabinet. The spice has a warm, slightly sweet and refined flavor that pairs well with creamy sauces, potato dishes, soups, stews and even baked goods. Because mace is more subtle than nutmeg, it adds extra depth to dishes without overpowering them.

Looking for inspiration? Below you will find ten delicious recipes in which mace really shines. Read more about "the differences between nutmeg and mace"

1. Creamy mashed potatoes with mace

A pinch of mace elevates simple mashed potatoes to a higher level. The warm, spicy flavor combines perfectly with butter, milk and potatoes. Add the mace only at the end so the aroma is well preserved.

2. Pumpkin soup with mace and ginger

Mace enhances the natural sweetness of pumpkin and, together with ginger, makes a delicious combination. Finish the soup with roasted pumpkin seeds and a splash of cream.

3. Homemade béchamel sauce

Mace has been used for

Everything Bagel Seasoning is one of the most popular spice blends right now. Originally the blend was used as a topping for the famous New York Everything Bagel, but you now see it everywhere: from avocado toast and eggs to hummus, salads and airfryer potatoes.

Want to know where the spice blend comes from, how it originated and what you can use it for? First read our extensive blog 'What is Everything Bagel Seasoning?'. In this article we show how to make the spice blend yourself and how to easily adjust it to your taste.

Which ingredients do you need?

A classic Everything Bagel Seasoning consists of just a handful of ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons dried onion granules
• 2 tablespoons dried garlic (granules)
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Mix all the ingredients well and store the spice blend in an airtight jar. Kept in a cool, dry place it will remain flavorful for months.

How do you use Everything

Everything Bagel Seasoning has in a short time grown into one of the most popular seasoning blends in the world. Where the blend was once used exclusively as a topping for the well-known New York bagel, you now see it on avocado toast, eggs, hummus, vegetables, potatoes and even popcorn. The combination of crunchy seeds, aromatic garlic and onion makes almost any dish just a bit more flavorful.

But what exactly is Everything Bagel Seasoning? Where does the spice mix come from and how do you use it? In this guide you will discover everything you need to know.

What is Everything Bagel Seasoning?

Everything Bagel Seasoning is a savory spice blend that was originally developed as a topping for the Everything Bagel. This is a bagel that is generously sprinkled with various seeds and spices before it is baked.

The classic mix consists of:

• sesame seeds
• nigella seeds
• dried onion
• dried garlic
• sea salt

It is precisely the combination of nutty, savory and lightly roasted flavors that makes this

Hamburgers may be the most well-known BBQ dish in the world, but the secret to a truly flavorful burger often isn’t in the meat, but in the spices. With a homemade hamburger spice mix you control the flavor, the heat level, and how much salt you add. Whether you make a classic beef burger, choose chicken, turkey or a vegetarian burger: a good spice mix makes the difference.

In this blog you will discover how to make hamburger spices yourself, which spices are best to use and how to apply the mix for the BBQ, pan and airfryer. We also explain why at Natural Spices we deliberately develop our spice mixes without added salt.

Why make hamburger spices yourself?

In many ready-made hamburger spice mixes, salt is the main ingredient. That of course adds flavor, but it also means you use relatively few herbs and spices.

When you make a spice mix yourself, the emphasis is on the flavorings. You taste the smoked paprika, the garlic, pepper and herbs much more prominently. Moreover, you can determine

More and more people are choosing to make their own salt-free spice mixes. Not only because they want to cook more consciously, but above all because they discover how much flavor herbs and spices have on their own. Whereas many ready-made spice mixes from the supermarket largely consist of salt, a homemade spice mix focuses on pure flavor. Paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic, pepper and dozens of other herbs come together to form a rich base you can vary endlessly.

Whether you want to make a Mexican spice mix, gyros seasoning or an Italian blend, a salt-free spice mix gives you the freedom to decide what goes into your dish. In this guide you will read how to get started, which herbs pair well together and where to find inspiration for popular spice mixes.

Why choose a salt-free spice mix?

Many people think a spice mix is mainly intended to make a dish salty. In reality it is the herbs and spices that provide aroma, depth and character. Salt enhances those flavors, but it does not need to

Making hummus yourself is much easier than many people think. With a few pure ingredients you can put a creamy dip on the table in less than ten minutes that often tastes much better than a ready-made version. Besides, you decide yourself how much garlic, lemon, tahini and spices you use. That way you make hummus exactly the way you like it.

In this guide you will read how to make classic hummus, how to make it extra creamy, which spices go best and how you can vary endlessly.

What is hummus?

Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dip that is mainly made from chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. The dip has been eaten for centuries as part of a mezze, but is now popular worldwide as a bread spread, dip or part of a lunch or barbecue.

Precisely because the base is so simple, the quality of the ingredients and the right spices determine the final taste.

Making hummus yourself

Ingredients

• 400 grams chickpeas (drained)

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• juice of 1 lemon

Leek may not be the most conspicuous vegetable in the kitchen, but it is one of the most versatile. The soft, slightly sweet onion flavor makes leek suitable for everything: from creamy soups and mashed dishes to casseroles, curries and roasted vegetables from the oven or airfryer. With the right herbs you can bring even more flavor out of this everyday vegetable.

In this article you will discover which herbs pair best with leek and which herb blends from Natural Spices can help you with that.

Why leek pairs so well with herbs

When frying or roasting, leek becomes softer and slightly sweeter in flavor. That makes it a great base for both fresh green herbs and warm spices. Which combination works best depends mainly on the dish you are making.

Are you going for a classic casserole or creamy leek soup? Then you choose very different flavors than when you make a spicy curry or traybake.

The tastiest herbs with leek

A few herbs have been favorites for years in combination with leek.

Thyme