Best Berbere Recipes

BERBERE (ETHIOPIAN SPICE)

Steps:

• Mix chili powder, paprika, salt, fenugreek, ginger, onion powder, coriander, cardamom, garlic powder, cloves, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

ETHIOPIAN SPICE MIX (BERBERE)

Steps:

• Finely grind fenugreek seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Stir together with remaining ingredients until combined well.

BERBERE SPICE BLEND

Steps:

• Place the ground chilies, paprika, and cayenne pepper into a bowl; stir. Add onion powder, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, fenugreek, garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Gently whisk together until thoroughly mixed.
• Store in an airtight container, preferably glass.

BERBERE SPICE MIX (ETHIOPIAN)

Steps:

• Combine and whisk together all ingredients.
• Store in airtight container.

ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW IN BERBERE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Melt butter on stove top in roasting pan.
• In the roasting pan, brown the stew meat for about 10 minutes. Add the onion for the last few minutes.
• Add the ginger, paprika, cayenne, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and allspice. Mix and cook for about one minute.
• Add tomatoes and wine.
• Cover, bring to a "medium" simmer.
• Place in oven for approximately 2 hours. Add water or broth 1/2 cup at a time if stew is drying out.
• Stew is done when meat can be easily pierced with a fork.

BERBERE SPICED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Season both sides of chicken breast with salt. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon berbere spice mix to coat both sides of chicken breast (see Cook's Note for recipe link).
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to turn brown. Immediately transfer chicken breast to skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a warm dish.
• Stir in lime juice, tomato paste, chicken broth, and coconut milk; stir to deglaze pan. Bring to a simmer while stirring. Add 1/2 teaspoon berbere spice and a pinch of salt. Transfer chicken breast back to skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce starts to reduce, basting chicken with pan juices as it cooks, 4 or 5 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with a drizzle of the pan sauce.

BERBERE-SPICED ROASTED CARROTS, CHICKPEAS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• For the carrots and onions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack. To cut the carrots, hold a carrot at a 45-degree angle on your cutting board and slice a 1-inch chunk off, rotate the carrot a quarter turn and slice off another chunk. Continue to the end of the carrot and cut all of the carrots this way. (This is a "roll" or "oblique cut," a good technique for cutting long vegetables to give lots of surface area for browning.) Toss the carrots in a large bowl with the onion, chickpeas, olive oil, berbere and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread on the preheated baking sheet and roast until the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized, about 25 minutes.
• For the awaze sauce: While the carrots and onions roast, place the berbere in a small bowl. Stir in the red wine, honey and 1 teaspoon salt. The sauce should be thick but still able to drizzle. (This makes more awaze than you'll need for the recipe, but it keeps for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container).
• Mound the carrots and onions on a serving platter and drizzle with a few tablespoons of awaze sauce. Serve warm.
• Combine all the spices in a small skillet. Toast over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely. This spice blend will keep, tightly sealed, in your pantry for several months. For longer storage, keep in the freezer. Makes about 1/2 cup.

BERBERE ROASTED CARROTS & FENNEL WITH ORANGES

Steps:

• Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the orange juice and berbere. Toss to combine and turn the heat to low. Add the orange segments and mint.
• Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and top additional berbere and mint leaves.
• Put the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and allspice berries into a small skillet over medium heat. Toast, swirling the skillet, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Pour the seeds into a spice grinder and cool. Add the onion flakes and chiles de arbol. Grind to a fine powder. Transfer the spice powder to a bowl and whisk in the paprika, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Store in a sealed jar, out of the light, for up to 6 months.

BERBERE SPICE CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, salt, cayenne, fenugreek, ginger, onion powder, cardamom, nutmeg, garlic powder, cloves cinnamon, and allspice. Mix well.
• Save two tablespoons of spice mix. Set aside.
• Add the chicken drumettes to the bowl with the spice mixture and toss to coat evenly. Marinate in the fridge at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the marinated chicken. Toss them until well-coated.
• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
• Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 30-40 minutes or chicken is slightly browned.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the reserved 2 tablespoons spice mix and stir to combine.
• Drizzle the spice butter mixture over the drumettes.
• Enjoy!

BEEF STEW IN BERBERE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Pulse the onion in a mini-chopper or blender until almost pureed.
• Melt butter in a heat proof Dutch oven and brown the stew meat, for about 10 minutes. Add the onion the last few minutes.
• Add the fresh ginger, paprika, cayenne, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and allspice. Stir mixture until fragrant, approximately 1 more minute.
• Add the tomatoes and wine. Cover, bring to a "medium" simmer and place in oven for approximately 2 hours. If stew looks like it may be drying out, add a little bit of water or broth, about 1/2 cup at a time. Stew is done when meat can be easily pierced with a fork.
• Just before serving, season with salt and pepper.

ETHIOPIAN BERBERE BEEF SAMBUSAS

Steps:

• 1. To a skillet add oil over medium heat, saute the cumin seeds and crushed bay leaves, until they become fragrant
• 2. Add the chopped onions until almost translucent. Add garlic, and ginger until flavors are released, being careful not to burn the garlic and ginger.
• 3. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomato juices have evaporated.
• 4. Add the beef and break up with a spoon.
• 5. Add the chilis, berber spice, salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary to your taste.
• 6. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and all the moisture has evaporated, about 15 minutes or so. (NOTE: It is important that the mixture is as dry as possible.)
• 7. Spoon a bit of filling onto the end of each sambusa wrapper. Do this in an equilateral triangle shape. Then gently fold the sambusa over, keeping the filling tightly wrapped inside. Use a water and flour mixture to help glue edges. Continue until you reach the end of the wrapper. For more detailed directions, follow Sambusa Dough method written below.
• 8. NOTE: Take care not to leave holes at the corners of the triangle because that will let in too much oil.
• 9. Fry in oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. (5-10 minutes). Remove Sambusa's and drain on paper towels. Best served when hot.
• 10. SAMBUSA DOUGH DIRECTIONS:
• 11. Mix all ingredients together and knead until smooth. Dough should be soft but not sticky where dough is just moistened and comes together in a ball. You may need to add more water or flour to achieve the right consistency.
• 12. Split the dough into equal size balls. Below are two different methods for rolling out the dough, one is using a pasta machine roller and the other is by hand. If you are using a dough machine, split them into 8 small balls and if you are going to work them by hand split the dough into 4-6 larger balls, according to the size baking pan you are going to use. Let the dough relax for about 30 minutes.
• 13. 1ST METHOD - USING A PASTA DOUGH MACHINE:
• 14. Take one of the small dough balls and coat it in flour. Turn on the dough machine and put the dough through on the thickest setting (On some dough machines, this setting is listed as 1).
• 15. Then change the setting to the next thickest setting, (number 2), and roll the dough through it again.
• 16. At this point, fold in both sides of dough in order to get the dough a bit more narrow and to fit better. Then place the dough back through settings number 1 and 2, and finally 3 and 4.
• 17. If the dough becomes too long or thin for you to work with, you can cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Also continue to coat the dough with flour while working with it so that it doesn't stick to the machine.
• 18. Cut the dough into 2 or 3 rectangle shaped pieces, about the right size for sambusa wrappers.
• 19. Trim the ends if they are uneven. Coat the dough very well with flour and place them on a baking sheet stacked about 3 high. (It's very important to make sure they are coated well with flour otherwise they will stick to each other and become unworkable).
• 20. Place these in a 200 F oven for about 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is partially dry and a bit more firm, being CAREFUL not to dry it too much so that it won't crack, but firm enough so it holds its shape when you are ready to work with it. The point is not to cook the dough, but just to get it firm and sturdy.
• 21. 2ND METHOD - WORKING IT BY HAND:
• 22. Take one of the large dough balls and coat it in flour.
• 23. Press the dough into a large circle on the table and then pick it up and stretch it between two fists gently until it grows larger.
• 24. Stretch the dough over the bottom of a flat baking sheet, trying your best to keep it even in thickness.
• 25. Let the dough relax for 5 minutes to prevent it from shrinking, then cut it into rectangle shapes, trimming off any excess to keep them as rectangle shapes.
• 26. Place the cut-outs on cookie sheets (not stacked) into a preheated 200-degree F oven for about 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is partially dry and a bit more firm, being CAREFUL not to dry it too much so that it won't crack, but firm enough so it holds its shape when you are ready to work with it. The point is not to cook the dough, but just to get it firm and sturdy.
• 27. Once you are done with the sambusa dough, coat well with flour and stack and place in plastic wrap for storage. You can leave it for a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer until you are ready to use it.
• 28. FOLDING INTO TRIANGLES:
• 29. Once you are ready to add the filling of your choice, ready up the Sambusa dough for cooking.
• 30. Cut a 60 degree angle on one end. Then place the filling down in the shape of an equilateral triangle.
• 31. Carefully fold the triangle over, so that whatever side was pointing down is now pointing up. Continue this movement until you reach the end of the dough. Trim off any excess and if the end is too dry you can add a bit of water or water/flour mix to help it stick together so it doesn't come apart during the frying.
• 32. Makes approximately 48 sambusas.

BERBERE -- ETHIOPIAN RED PEPPER AND SPICE PASTE

Steps:

• In a heavy frying pan, toast the ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice over a low heat for a minute or so.
• Stir constantly until they are heated through and then remove from the pan.
• Next you need to combine the toasted spices, onions, garlic, 1 tbsp of the salt and all of the wine together into a smooth paste.
• I prefer to do this in a mortar and pestle but if you have a blender that is good with small quantities that may work too.
• Next mix the paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and the rest of the salt in the frying pan and toast them over a low heat.
• Stir in the water 1/4 cup at a time and then add the spice and wine mixture.
• Stir vigorously and cook over the lowest possibly heat, stirring all the time, for an absolute minimum of 5 minutes and up to 10 or even 15 minutes if you can.
• Transfer the spice paste to a jar and pack it in tightly.
• Let the paste cool to room temperature and then cover with enough oil so it makes a film about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
• If you keep it covered with oil, the paste will last in the fridge for 5-6 months.

BERBERE

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the dried spices for a few minutes - stirring or shaking the skillet continuously to avoid scorching.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• If making dry berbere powder: grind the mixture in a spice grinder or blender, or use a mortar and pestle.
• Store the berbere powder in a tightly-sealed container.
• If making a berbere paste: combine the toasted spices with the fresh ginger, onions or shallots, garlic, and oil (water, or wine).
• Grind together in a blender or with a mortar and pestle.
• Store the berbere paste in a tightly-sealed container.

BERBERé (SPICY RED PEPPER PASTE)

Steps:

• Toast ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice in a heavy skillet for one to two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let spices cool.
• Combine toasted spices, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt and the wine in a food processor or blender and process until mixture is a smooth paste. You can also pound mixture together in a large mortar and pestle.
• Combine paprika, red pepper, black pepper and the other tablespoon of salt in the heavy skillet. Toast over low heat one minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir water into skillet slowly. Add the spice paste. Cook, stirring vigorously, over low heat for about 10 minutes.
• Store berberé in a jar or crock. After it has cooled to room temperature, cover with a thin layer of oil.
• This layer should be replenished after each use to help preserve the spice mixture. Store in refrigerator.

ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW IN SPICY BERBERE SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a food processor, pulse onions until very finely diced (almost puréed). 2. Melt butter in 4- to 5-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and stir until browned, about 10 minutes. 3. Add ginger, paprika, cayenne, cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and allspice; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, wine, and beef; bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender when pierced, about 2 hours. Add salt to taste. Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving. Ethiopian cooking 101: Berbere: This heady spice mixture is the basis for all Ethiopian cooking. It can feature clove, cayenne, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, among other spices. Ground fenugreek seeds, which add a mildly sweet flavor, are also typical. Buy them at Middle Eastern markets or from Penzeys Spices ($1.09 per 1/4-cup jar; www.penzeys.com). Injera: Authentic injera is made from fermented teff, a grain common in Ethiopia. The bread's spongy, bubbly texture is similar to that of a pancake. If authenticity is your aim, you can buy teff flour from Abyssinian Market ($25 for 5 lb.; www.abyssinianmarket.com). Tej: This Ethiopian honey wine is the traditional match for spicy stews, but few retailers in the United States carry authentic imported tej. You can buy a bottle at many Ethiopian restaurants, but an accessible alternative is off-dry Riesling, which pairs beautifully with the spicy beef stew. Our favorite: Spätlese Rieslings from Germany's Mosel region.

BERBERE

Steps:

• In a small frying pan, on medium-low heat, toast the cumin, whole cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, allspice, fenugreek, and coriander for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
• Discard the stems from the chiles.
• In a spice grinder or with a morter and pestle, finely grind together the toasted spices and the chiles.
• Mix in the remaining ingredients.
• Store Berebere refrigerated in a well-sealed jar or a tightly closed plastic bag.

SPICE PASTE (BERBERE)

Steps:

• In a cast-iron skillet, toast the ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice over low heat.
• Do not burn, this should only take a minute or so.
• Set aside to cool.
• Combine the spices, onions, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and 3 tablespoons water in a small jar of a blender and blend until smooth.
• Combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and the remaining tablespoon of salt in the skillet and toast over low heat for a minute or so.
• Stir in the water, 1/4 cup at a time.
• Then stir in the blended mixture.
• Stirring vigorously, cook over the lowest possible heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the berbere to a jar, packing it in tightly.
• Let the paste cook to room temperature, then cover with a film of oil.
• Store in the refrigerator between use.

BERBERE (ETHIOPIAN HOT PEPPER SEASONING)

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, toast the following ground spices together over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes: ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice.
• Shake or stir to prevent burning.
• Add the salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and fresh ground black pepper and continue toasting and stirring for 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Cool and store in tightly covered glass jar.

BERBERE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small frying pan, combine the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods, black pepper, allspice, fenugreek and Coriander seeds.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
• Place in a blender or coffee grinder used for spices, add shallots and whirl until finely ground.
• Discard stems and seeds from chilies. Break up the pods and process until ground.
• Combine with the toasted seasonings and the remaining spices.
• Refrigerate in a well-sealed jar or a tightly closed plastic bag.

BERBERE SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 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.