Zoitsa Homely Produce would like to introduce you to our version of Ethiopian Berbere Spice Blend…
This recipe is one that I pulled out of my archives and let me say this straight up…it’s not for the faint of heart! It’s spicy! It’s peppery! And it’s HOT! Damn HOT!
I first made this blend many lifetimes ago when I was craving lentils. I found a recipe for Berbere Chicken with Lentils. The original recipe had nigella seeds in it, but I personally do no like the bitterness and the strong flavour of them in this recipe, so I came up with my own version.
Berbere is essentially a hot, fiery spice that has a lot of flavour and OOMPH. Berbere is a vital ingredient and base for a lot of Ethiopian cuisine. Every Ethiopian cook has their own version of this blend, and I would assume place to place and town to town would have their version. Some versions have Ajwain/Carom seeds, nigella seeds, korarima (which I found it almost impossible to find).
Our Ethiopian Berbere Spice Blend is truly a flavourful seasoning blend. That is fantastic as a seasoning in soups, stews, soups, rice, grains/legumes, vegetables but gorgeous as a rub for meat/faux meats, chicken, duck, and fish. Its ohhh so peppery, yet citrusy but ohh so vibrant, and extremely versatile to cook with.
Our Ethiopian Berbere Spice Blend is made from a combination of whole spices and ground spices. We start by dry roasting our whole spices. This is so that the natural oils, flavour, and aroma gets released. We then ground the whole spices whilst they are still hot. They are then added in with the ground spices and dry roasted again. We do this as it makes the seasoning blend full flavoured, and the maximum flavour is produced. It’s a long process but it is honestly worth all the work.
Our version has coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, green cardamon, dried chilli flakes, cloves, sweet paprika, a touch of salt, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric.
We hope you love it as much as we do.
መልካም ምግብ (mälkam məgəb)/ Good Feasting/ Bon Appetit
