Belazu launches three new convenient cooking pastes to its range of chef-grade ingredients

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food brand Belazu has launched three new convenient cooking pastes to its range of chef-grade ingredients.

Designed as chefs’ shortcuts to a variety of classic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired home-cooked dishes, the new Shakshuka, Shawarma, and Chargrilled Pepper pastes provide the perfect kitchen companion for busy home cooks looking to create flavourful dishes in less time and with minimal added ingredients.

Belazu was born to inspire and serve chefs in every kitchen – from everyday home cooks to culinary experts in the UKs top restaurants. This starts by sourcing the highest-quality ingredients from across the world, before their in-house team of development chefs meticulously craft each product to save busy home cooks the time and effort it takes to develop deep, rich flavours in their dishes.

The new range is comprised of a Shakshuka Paste, Shawarma Paste, and Chargrilled Pepper Paste (each rsp: £2.95/130g jar) which are available at Waitrose from mid-July.

The Shakshuka Paste delivers a chef’s shortcut to a classic shakshuka in as little as 20 minutes, featuring Belazu’s signature Harissa.

This versatile paste combines punchy red pepper and sweet onion with deliciously tangy sundried tomatoes, garlic and a subtle kick of chilli, gently spiced with Middle Eastern and North African-inspired flavours such as cumin, cardamom, ginger, turmeric and paprika.

Beyond shakshuka, the paste can be mixed with tinned tomatoes and served as a sauce for lamb meatballs; used to spice up butterbeans or chickpeas for a Middle Eastern-inspired stew; or loosened with some oil and drizzled over thick yoghurt to serve with sweet roasted carrots. For a twist on the classic, try swapping out the eggs for sautéed spinach and grilled halloumi.

Tried and tested by the Belazu development chefs, the Shawarma Paste has been designed as an easy-to-use timesaving hack to the classic flavours of shawarma, requiring minimal additional ingredients.

Inspired by the flavours made popular by Levantine cuisine, this paste delivers warming flavours of cinnamon and turmeric balanced with subtle spicing from the pepper and chilli, finishing with a lasting aromatic ginger bite.

Use to make a traditional chicken shawarma served with chopped salad on warm flatbreads; to coat slow cooked meats such as lamb; or as a convenient marinade for chicken and vegetable kebabs.

Beyond traditional shawarma this paste is incredibly versatile. Try spreading onto warm pita or tossing through roasted vegetables; brushing over a whole cauliflower before baking; spooning over shawarma prawns served with fluffy rice; or stirring into root vegetable soup for added warmth and rich spice.

Inspired by Turkish Biber Salcasi - a core ingredient in Turkish cooking - the convenient Chargrilled Pepper Paste can be used much like a tomato puree, adding instant depth and flavour to dishes, but instead of tomato notes, it brings the sweet and pleasant bitterness of red peppers.

To create a versatile paste that’s packed with layers of flavour, the Belazu development chefs have used a masterful combination of chargrilled peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika and a touch of balsamic vinegar. You’ll find notes of sweet pepper alongside subtle smokey undertones from the chargrilled peppers and smoked paprika. The balsamic vinegar adds tart-acidity resulting in a well-rounded paste that balances complex umami-rich depth with peppery-sweetness, bringing chefs and home cooks an easy-to-use authentic shortcut to intense flavour.

Traditionally Chargrilled Pepper Paste would be used for pilafs, soups, salads and börek, but use like you would a tomato paste, adding to enrich grains and pulses with a mellow umami depth; to enhance soups, stews and savoury pastries; or to bring sweetness to dips and dressings.

Alternatively, try it as a base for vegetable or lentil koftes; spread into sandwiches; stirred into pasta or baked into bread to add instant depth of flavour and a subtle smokiness.

Belazu’s Head of Product Innovation, Andrew Ritchie, says:

“We’ve proudly supplied a huge range of top-quality ingredients to chefs in the UKs best restaurants for years, and we’re excited to continue sharing them with consumers through their local supermarket, allowing home cooks to replicate restaurant-quality dishes in their own kitchens.

This new range focusses on chefs shortcuts to some of our favourite Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired dishes, making these pastes a quick and convenient hack to full-on flavour for busy home cooks.”