Berbere Paste

Name: Berbere Paste (A Spicy Red-Chile Seasoning Blend)
Yield: Makes ¾ cup
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Ingredients: ¾ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds; 8 whole cloves; ½ teaspoon whole nigella seeds (optional); 2 tablespoons organic canola oil; ⅓ cup minced onion; 6 cloves garlic, pressed or grated (1 tablespoon); 2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger; ¼ teaspoon whole ajwain seeds (optional); ¼ teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds; ¼ teaspoon husked green cardamom seeds; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 8 large fresh basil leaves; ½ cup water; 1 tablespoon mild paprika; ½ teaspoon cayenne, plus more if desired; ¼ cup New Mexico chile powder (see sidebar); 2 tablespoons granulated onion

A Spicy Red-Chile Seasoning Blend

Preparation info

Makes
¾ cup

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Teff Love

By Kittee Berns

Published 2015

About

This recipe produces a berbere paste rather than a ground powder and uses moderately hot New Mexico chiles and a little bit of cayenne for heat. If you’re a fan of milder flavors, start with a small amount of cayenne and increase it if desired. I find that one and a half teaspoons will make a moderately hot paste that’s similar to the heat of imported ground berbere. Be careful when adding more than one teaspoon of cayenne, since the kay wot recipes generally call for s