Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Blend) Recipe
Keep a jar of this smoky, spicy, highly aromatic berbere spice mix on hand to make tasty Ethiopian recipes like Doro Wat and Misir Wat. It takes just 10 minutes to make but has the mojo to magically transform vegetables and lentils into utter deliciousness.
Servings: 16 tablespoons (approx)
Calories: 15kcal
Equipment
- Skillet
- Spice grinder or blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom pods (about 12 pods)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds or methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 1-inch pieces cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries (about 10 berries)
- ½ teaspoon cloves (about 10 cloves)
- 6 arbol chili peppers (or any spicy dry red chili peppers)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons paprika
Instructions
- Place the coriander seeds, green cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a dry skillet.
- Toast over medium heat until the spices become very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the red chili peppers and nutmeg.
- Remove the toasted spices to a bowl to cool. Once cooled, place in a spice grinder or blender bowl.
- Add onion flakes to the spice grinder or blender. Blend into a fine powder.
- Remove the spice blend to a bowl. Add paprika, ginger powder and garlic powder.
- Mix well to blend all the spices. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark spot or in the refrigerator.
Notes
- The peppercorns and red chili peppers add a good bit of spice to berbere but the spice blend itself is not overwhelmingly spicy. When you cook with berbere you can skip adding any more pepper to the recipe you are making if you are sensitive to spice.
- Store the berbere in a cool, dark cupboard or in the refrigerator for up to a year.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 916IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg