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berbere spice mix

(2 ratings)
BabyKato avatar
Recipe by
Baby Kato
@BabyKato
Beautiful Shore Country, NB

Berbere is a wonderful all purpose seasoning mix full of flavor and heat. It varies with each cook and is used to season many Ethiopian dishes. There are several key spices that are common to all variations resulting in a fiery, bright red, highly aromatic and flavorful seasoning blend. You will find many uses for this wonderful spice mix, try it as a rub for meat, poultry, or fish. Add it to liven up soups, stews, grains and vegetables.

(2 ratings)
yield 1 cup
prep time 15 Min
method No-Cook or Other

Ingredients For berbere spice mix

  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 cup ground dried new mexico chiles
  • 1/4 cup sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1/4 tsp smokey cumin seeds (or ground)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 whole allspice berries
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns

How To Make berbere spice mix

  • 1
    In a cast iron skillet over high heat, toast the fenugreek seeds, chilies, cardamom pods, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, allspice berries and the black peppercorns. Shake the pan frequently to keep from sticking and burning. Keep doing this until the spices become fragrant (2 - 3 minutes). Then place into a small bowl to cool completely before grinding.
  • 2
    You can grind the cooled spices in a spice or coffee grinder or you can use a mortar and pestle. Making sure to grind fine. Next, add the remaining ground spices and salt and grind everything together until well combined. This spice blend will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
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