Miami-based chef Yaniv Cohen is known as “The Spice Detective,” and he has a food blog of the same name. He grew up in Israel in a Sephardic Jewish family of Middle Eastern and North African heritage and he says his fascination with herbs and spices started early in life.

“Our little apartment in Kiryat Malachi, in the southern district of Israel, always smelled of fresh garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, caraway, cilantro and onions, so you can pretty much say I was born into the magnificent world of spices,” Cohen writes in his first cookbook, “My Spiced Kitchen” (Page Street Publishing Co.)

Each of the book’s 15 chapters focuses on a spice or spice mix essential to Middle Eastern cuisine, and Cohen shares 70 recipes using those spices.

He says that his mother, grandmother and aunts all make different versions of this rice dish from the chapter on turmeric — and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.

KITCHRI WITH TUMERIC BASMATI RICE AND RED LENTILS

By Chef Yaniv Cohen

• 1/2 cup canola oil, or more as needed
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups orange lentils, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons EACH ground cumin, turmeric and coriander
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon caraway or cumin seeds, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and saute 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Add garlic and simmer 1 minute. Don’t let the garlic burn! Add rice and lentils and saute over low heat 8 minutes, or until fully covered in oil.

Add water, spices, salt and pepper. Stir; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. (In my family we put a kitchen towel over the lid to make sure we lock all the steam in, as it helps cook the rice.) Cook 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, another 15 minutes. Do not open lid as heat and moisture will escape.

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with caraway or cumin seeds. Serves 6 to 8.

Nutritional information unavailable.