Berbere spice blend

This North African spice mix is used in the cuisine of Ethiopia, where some of the constituent ingredients grow wild. It compliments chicken particularly well but we’ve also tried it with potatoes to great success.

You’ll appreciate the benefit of making your own spice blend when the smell wafts from the kitchen.

Time

20 minutes total: 5 minutes attended, 15 minutes unattended

Storage notes

keeps for several months in an air-tight container out of direct sunlight

Difficulty

very easy

Special requirements

spice grinder

Yield

14 g (servings 2 )

Ingredients

Weight

Volume

Procedure

Coriander seeds

6.3 g

1¼ tbsp

Cumin seeds

5.3 g

2½ tsp

Black peppercorns

0.6 g

6 dash

Cloves, whole

0.5 g

Fenugreek seeds

0.9 g

Preheat oven to 170°C / 338°F.

Roast whole spices in an oven-safe non-stick pan until lightly colored and aromatic, about 10–15 minutes. Agitate the pan every 3 minutes and check the spices are not burning.

Transfer to a space grinder.

Thyme, dried

0.7 g

Ginger, dried

0.9 g

Nutmeg, finely grated

0.6 g

Chili powder

0.7 g

Ajwain, ground (optional)

0.2 g

Salt

3 g

7½ dash

Add to grinder.

Grind to fine powder.

Notes

Connoisseurs will tell you that spice blends are better when made fresh, and we’ve found this to be case, too, though the benefit is marginal. In the context of a full menu, there is no doubt that making your spice blends ahead of time is a significant advantage. Of course, the freshness of the spices you use will also impact the result. Regardless of this, making your own blend will always be better than those you buy and is worth the effort.

Making ahead

Spice blends can be made ahead of time and stored.

Food pairings

chicken, potatoes, lentils

Nutrition

Serving size 7 g; calories 19.6 kcal, kilojoules 81.9 kJ, protein 0.8 g, carbohydrates 1.5 g, sugar 0.1 g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, unsaturated fat 1.2 g, trans fat 0 g, fiber 1.6 g, cholesterol 0 mg,

Type spice blend

Author bhsimon

Yield

Servings

Serving size 7 g

Serve	Per serve
Energy (kcal)	19.6
Energy (kJ)	81.9
Protein (g)	0.8
Fat (g)	1
Carbs (g)	1.5
Sugars (g)	0.1
Fiber (g)	1.6
Sodium (mg)	422.2
Cholesterol (mg)	0

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