Berbere spice
This berbere recipe can be used in countless Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, and is very much a cornerstone ingredient in these cuisines. It adds a heady depth of flavour to any dish it's added to, so once you've whipped up a big batch, use it in this zigni berbere recipe, misir wot or these lentil sambusas. Berbere is also used to make the fiery awaze spice paste, great for marinating and barbecuing meat.
Berbere is a fiery spice blend integral to Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. The real deal includes some lesser known spices such as korarima, rue and ajwain, which can be hard to track down, so feel free to omit. While the blend can be found pre-made in specialist stores, you can't beat the aromatic freshness of this homemade version.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Berbere spice
- 2 tbsp of dried bird's eye chillies
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp cardamom pod
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Method
- 2 tbsp of bird's eye chillies, dried
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp cardamom pod
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
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