Ingredients :

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• 1/2 kg whole grain barley (shi'eer bwajah)
• 1/4 kg cumin seeds (kammoon 'areedh)
• 1/4 kg corriander seeds (kuSber)
• 1 cup sweet cumin
• Olive oil
• Sugar or dates

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Method :

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• Boil the barley in water, drain and dry completely.
• Roast the dry barley (stir frequently in a hot, dry frying pan, for a few minutes, like you would do with coffee beans)
• Do the same with the other three ingredients
• Mill each ingredient and pass through a seive (gherbaal)
• Mix thoroughly and place in dry containers
• Label the containers (Z-mix) and date them - good for 2 yrs.

Serving the dish :

* Pour the desired amount of the Z-mix into a bowl, moisten slightly with sprinkles of water and some olive oil, and mix with finger tips. The mixture should be a little dry, loose and olive-brown in color.
* Traditionally, a handful of the mixture is squeezed into a stick shape ('abbood), and sweetened with sugar or eaten with dates.
For best results, zemmeetah is accompanied with a good size glass of genuine (full-strength) buttermilk, followed by a cup of undersweetened green tea. (the original formula).