Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix) – Holy Cow Vegan

Maintain a jar of this smoky, spicy, extremely fragrant berbere available to make tasty Ethiopian recipes like Doro Wat and Misir Wat. This spice mix takes simply 10 minutes to make however has the mojo to magically rework greens and lentils into utter deliciousness.

I not too long ago got down to excellent shiro wat, considered one of my favourite Ethiopian stews and maybe one of many best Ethiopian recipes ever. However earlier than I share the shiro with you, I wish to offer you recipes for the 2 flavor-building blocks so important to a scrumptious shiro and so many different Ethiopian dishes, together with my vegan doro wot and misir wot: berbere and niter kibbeh.
Right now I’ve the berbere recipe for you. It takes simply 10 minutes or so to drag this spice mix collectively and it smells so good, you would possibly wish to eat it out of the jar😉.
What’s berbere?
Berbere (pronounced ber-ber-ay) is a conventional Ethiopian mix of spices used to season vegetable, meat and lentil dishes. It is the principal spice mix among the many many spice blends which can be a part of Ethiopian delicacies, and it provides a particular and extremely alluring aroma to something it is stirred into — the type that makes you hungry even when you’ve simply eaten!
Berbere is made by combining toasted entire spices, together with coriander seed, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek and allspice, with chile peppers, paprika, floor ginger, garlic and onion powder.
Making this spice mix could not be simpler and having it available opens up a world of scrumptious gastronomic adventures.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Fast and simple. Making a berbere spice recipe could not be simpler. You want below 5 minutes to toast the spices after which a couple of extra to mix them up. When you make Indian spice mixes like garam masala you possible have all of the substances you want available.
- Fragrant. It is a extremely aromatic spice mix that can work magic into nearly any Ethiopian recipe you make.
- Naturally vegan. Berbere is a vegan recipe to start with as a result of we’re working with simply spices and herbs. No substitutions wanted.
- Versatile. This Ethiopian spice mix is fantastic in Ethiopian dishes, in fact, however you need to use it to boost practically any considered one of your favourite lentil or bean stews, together with chili. Your creativeness is the restrict.
Components
- Spices: coriander seeds, inexperienced cardamom pods (as a substitute of korarima, an area cardamom, that an Ethiopian prepare dinner would use)), cloves, cinnamon sticks, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, allspice berries, nutmeg, dried pink chili peppers (like arbol peppers) and paprika.
- Herbs: ginger powder, garlic powder and onion flakes.
The way to make Ethiopian berbere spice mix

1. Place the coriander seeds, inexperienced cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a dry skillet or pan.

2. Toast over medium warmth till the spices turn into very aromatic, about 4-5 minutes. Flip off the warmth and stir within the pink chili peppers and nutmeg.

3. Take away the toasted spices to a bowl to chill. As soon as cooled, place in a spice grinder or blender bowl.

4. Add onion flakes to the spice grinder or blender. Mix right into a advantageous powder.

5. Take away the bottom spices to a bowl. Add paprika, ginger powder and garlic powder.

6. Combine properly to mix all of the spices. Retailer in an hermetic jar in a cool, darkish spot or within the fridge.

Recipe FAQ
The style of berbere is advanced: scorching, spicy, smoky and barely citrusy. It is extraordinarily fragrant and can stir that attractive aroma into no matter you add it to.
The peppercorns and pink chili peppers add a great little bit of spice to berbere however the spice mix itself is just not overwhelmingly spicy. Once you prepare dinner with berbere you may skip including any extra pepper to the recipe you’re making in case you are delicate to spice.
Berbere is fantastic in lots of Ethiopian vegetable aspect dishes and stews. You can even sprinkle it into soups, use it as a dry rub for tofu or tempeh or as a seasoning for any lentil and bean dish.
Storage instruction
- Retailer the berbere spice combine in an hermetic container in a cool, darkish cabinet or within the fridge. Use inside a 12 months for finest taste.
Extra worldwide spice mix recipes


Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
Maintain a jar of this smoky, spicy, extremely fragrant berbere spice combine available to make tasty Ethiopian recipes like Doro Wat and Misir Wat. It takes simply 10 minutes to make however has the mojo to magically rework greens and lentils into utter deliciousness.
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Servings: 16 tablespoons (approx)
Energy: 15kcal
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Directions
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Place the coriander seeds, inexperienced cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a dry skillet.
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Toast over medium warmth till the spices turn into very aromatic, about 4-5 minutes. Flip off the warmth and stir within the pink chili peppers and nutmeg.
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Take away the toasted spices to a bowl to chill. As soon as cooled, place in a spice grinder or blender bowl.
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Add onion flakes to the spice grinder or blender. Mix right into a advantageous powder.
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Take away the spice mix to a bowl. Add paprika, ginger powder and garlic powder.
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Combine properly to mix all of the spices. Retailer in an hermetic jar in a cool, darkish spot or within the fridge.
Recipe notes
- The peppercorns and pink chili peppers add a great little bit of spice to berbere however the spice mix itself is just not overwhelmingly spicy. Once you prepare dinner with berbere you may skip including any extra pepper to the recipe you’re making in case you are delicate to spice.
Storage directions:
- Retailer the berbere in a cool, darkish cabinet or within the fridge for as much as a 12 months.
Diet
Serving: 1tablespoon | Energy: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fats: 0.4g | Saturated Fats: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 0.1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 916IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg