5.0 from 6 votes
Ethiopian Berbere Paste
This is a berbere paste mix. You can make this into a dry berbere spice mix by using only dry ingredients. The paste should be kept in a cool place, the spice mix in a dark place. Either way, it will last a year or so. This recipe makes about 1 cup.
Prep Time
20 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 48 teaspoons
Calories: 13 kcal
Course:
Condiments
Cuisine:
Ethiopian
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 12 whole cloves
- 12 cardamom pods
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil, such as peanut
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 3 tablespoons cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek
- Water (see below)
Instructions
- Toast all the whole spices in a dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant. Set them aside.
- In the same pan, heat the oil and sweat the shallots and garlic over medium heat. Do not let them color. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Grind your whole spices in a spice grinder, then mix them with the powdered spices. In a mortar and pestle, add the shallot-garlic mixture and add the ginger. Pound it well for a minute or two. Start adding the spice mixture, pounding and mixing all the way, until you have a clay-like, brick red mix. You now have berbere in its most preservable form.
- In the fridge, I've kept this for a year with nothing noticeable happening to it. But, this is tough to use. So if you want to use your berbere now, start adding some water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it out to the consistency you want.
- If you don't want to make berbere the old-fashioned way, you can put the wet ingredients in a food processor, add the spices and then drizzle in water or oil as you buzz it on low. Remember this stuff is ferocious. A little goes a long way.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Serving
1teaspoon
Calories
13kcal
(1%)
Carbohydrates
1g
(0%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Sodium
146mg
(6%)
Potassium
27mg
(1%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
274IU
(5%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
5mg
(1%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 48teaspoons
Amount Per Serving
Calories 13
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1teaspoon | |
| Calories | 13kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 146mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 27mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 274IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 5mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.