Recipes > Berbere Spice Blend
This authentic Ethiopian spice is traditionally the main flavor staple in many dishes in North Africa. With the array of spices, sweet and hot, it pairs great as a rub, in marinades or with lentils.
Chad Sarno
- Serves: 2 cups
- Active Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Views: 23,701
- Success Rating: 0% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Preparing the Spice Blend
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1⁄2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1⁄4 tsp whole allspice
- 6 white cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1⁄2 cup dried onion flakes
- 5 dried chiles de árbol (also known as 'bird's beak,' stemmed, seeded and broken into small pieces
- 3 tbsp paprika or smoked paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sea salt (optional)
Method
To prepare the spice blend, add all the ingredients into a spice grinder.
Blend thoroughly and store in a sealed container.
4 Comments
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This video says to use smoked paprika but the recipe calls for regular paprika. Since they have very different flavors, which should be used? -
Hi Julia and thanks so much for sharing - great question. So while regular (let's say sweet or Hungarian paprika) is not a "perfect" substitute for the smoky flavor of smoked paprika, you can definitely use regular sweet paprika in this recipe. At the end of the day, it really depends on what dish you pair this spice blend with. In my opinion, regular sweet paprika doesn't have a strong enough flavor to stand up well to heartier dishes - heavy stews, etc. For such dishes, I would stick with the smokier paprika. But for milder dishes - let's say just some steamed cauliflower for example, the regular paprika would be just fine. I hope this helps! Chef Kirk -
I am Executive chef from Ethiopia, I saw your Berbere Recipe video but its not the real recipe. I can share you the real one. -
Hi Brihanu, We always love sharing! Cheers, Sandy
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