Ethiopian: Berbere Spice Mix (Master Recipe)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(makes about ½ cup)

Ingredients (A):

• 10 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole allspice
• 1 star anise

Ingredients (B):

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (optional)*
• 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)*

Procedure:

1. Toast spice mix A in a frying pan for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly
2. Let the spice mix cool
3. Blend spice mix A and B in a food processor and grind until the texture is like salt
4. Store refrigerated in a well-sealed jar

* Note: Both cayenne pepper and paprika are essential ingredients in a Berbere spice mix, but I prefer to add these two spices later for these reasons:

• Berbere dishes are supposed to be spicy, but I prefer to control the exact amount of hotness when I cook each individual dish
• Paprika gives Berbere dishes its wonderful color, so I prefer to adjust the amount I use depending on the desired visual appeal of each dish

If you want to save time, this bottled spice mix (left) is a very good alternative and is available locally from World Harvest in Urbana.