Niter Kibbeh (Nit'r qibe) is a spiced, clarified butter that builds amazing flavor in Ethiopian dishes like shiro wat and doro wat. This vegan Niter Kibbeh is made with olive oil and it is not only just as flavorful but it's also healthier!
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What is Niter Kibbeh?
Niter kibbeh is an aromatic spice- and herb-infused butter that adds to the allure of Ethiopian cuisine. It is made by heating butter, much like you'd make ghee, but the butter is infused with a bunch of spices and herbs.
In Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine you will often find this spiced butter being used alongside spice mixes like berbere and mekelesha. Just like these blends, it is addictively aromatic and quite indispensable if you want an authentic Ethiopian food experience.
Learning how to make niter kibbeh is essential if you want to cook authentic tasting Ethiopian food. I love the aroma and flavor it adds to dishes like vegan doro wot, Ethiopian lentil stew, shiro wot and tikil gomen, a spiced cabbage-potato dish. But you can also use it to add spice and flavor to just about any curry or soup or stew.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil or any neutral vegetable oil, including grape seed oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil.
- Spices: Black or brown cardamom, black peppercorns, allspice berries, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, cloves, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
- Herbs: Onion, garlic and ginger.
How to make niter kibbeh
1. In a mortar and pestle, or a blender, crush the spices lightly to break them up. Do not powder them.
2. Place the spices in a skillet and toast lightly over low heat for five minutes.
3. Place olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the toasted spices, onions, ginger and garlic to the saucepan.
4. Bring the olive oil up to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn the heat down until the oil simmers lightly, with a few small bubbles rising from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for an hour.
5. Five minutes before you turn off the heat add the turmeric and stir it in.
6. Let the infused oil cool completely before straining. Use a cheesecloth, if possible, or a fine mesh strainer.
Storage instructions
- Store the vegan niter kibbeh in an airtight container or jar in a cool, dark spot for several weeks at room temperature. For longer storage keep it in the fridge. You can also store the oil in the freezer.
Helpful tips
- In Ethiopia, an authentic niter kibbeh would include two herbs, koseret and besobela (an herb related to holy basil). I didn't add these because they may not be easily accessible to everyone. They are available online so if you can source them, add a teaspoon of each along with the other spices.
- Don't rush the niter kibbeh by turning up the heat. The spices need time to infuse their flavor into the oil.
- Add turmeric only in the last five minutes. Powdered spices burn quickly in hot oil, so don't simmer it too long.
- Don't throw away those wonderful spices after straining them. Store them in the refrigerator and use them in spice pastes for curries and stews.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but you don't really get much of a benefit because vegan butter won't taste or perform like dairy butter and you will also be using a highly processed product. Olive oil gives amazing flavor and it is much better for you.
Try and use them all if possible, but if you don't have one or two it won't ruin your niter kibbeh.
As wonderful as niter kibbeh is in Ethiopian stews, you can use it as a condiment to spice up nearly any recipe. Use it as a marinade for tofu or tempeh, use it to add flavor to roasted veggies, drizzle it over pasta or rice dishes, dip a crusty hunk of bread in it, or use it as a salad dressing, among many possibilities.
More vegan oils and condiments
If you loved this niter kibbeh recipe, check out more of our how-to recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Vegan Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Oil)
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 3 black cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (if starting with whole nutmeg, break off a small piece and toast it with the other spices. If using powdered nutmeg, add it later along with the turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cloves (around six cloves)
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon allspice berries (about five)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or any neutral oil, including avocado oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil or safflower oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (crushed or passed through a garlic press)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, or a blender, crush the spices lightly to break them up. Do not powder them. This includes the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, allspice and peppercorns. If using whole nutmeg, break off a piece and toast it with the other spices. If using powdered nutmeg, reserve and add it along with the turmeric in step 5.
- Place the spices in a skillet and toast lightly over low heat for five minutes until very aromatic.
- Place olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the toasted spices, onions, ginger and garlic to the saucepan.
- Bring the olive oil up to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat down until the oil simmers lightly, with a few small bubbles rising from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for an hour.
- Five minutes before you turn off the heat add the turmeric to the oil and stir it in. If using powdered nutmeg add it at this time as well.
- Let the oil cool completely before straining. Use a cheesecloth, if possible, or a fine mesh strainer.
Recipe notes
- Authentic niter kibbeh contains two herbs, koseret and besobela. I didn't include these because they may not be easily accessible to everyone. They are available online so if you can source them, add a teaspoon of each to the niter kibbeh along with the other spices.
- Don't rush the niter kibbeh by turning up the heat. The spices need time to infuse their flavor into the oil.
- Add turmeric only in the last five minutes. Powdered spices burn quickly in hot oil, so don't simmer it too long.
- Don't throw away those wonderful spices after straining them. Store them in the refrigerator and use them in spice pastes for curries and stews.
RoseAnne
Vaishali, I'd love to make your Ethiopian Shiro Wot (which led me to this recipe for Niter Kibbeh) and am wondering if aquafaba could replace oil. (I'm strictly oil- and butter-free.) What do you think?
Vaishali
Hi Roseanne, the aquafaba would not help draw out the flavor of the spices. If you are oil-free, just make the shiro wat without the niter kibbeh and perhaps taste and add more berbere to your liking.
RoseAnne
Excellent work-around, Vaishali. Thank you for your response.
Roslyn
If I wanted to use the Levo infuser to make this oil would I toast the spices first and then infuse? For about how long do you think and at what temperature?
Vaishali
Hi Roslyn, I have never used an infuser so I don’t really know. Let’s see if another reader has a suggestion. Sorry!
Laura
I don't see the amount of tumeric listed in ingredients. How much is recommended?
Vaishali
1 tsp! Added.