Learn how to make berbere, the fiery red spice blend at the heart of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking, from scratch with toasted whole spices.
Berbere is the fiery, fragrant spice blend at the very heart of the cuisines of the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia). Deep red and warming, giving intense complex flavour, berbere is integral to dishes like zigni, doro wat and misir wat. It is also great sprinkled over roasted vegetables, rubbed onto chicken and stirred through lentils.
Making berbere yourself is much better than buying it ready-made as it might have been sitting on the shelves for weeks. A homemade batch is fresher and more aromatic, plus you can control how hot to make it.
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What is berbere?
Berbere means 'hot' in Amharic as the spice mix contains a good amount of red chilli powder and hot paprika, but also has a complex layering of flavours from aromatic spices such as fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, korarima, cinnamon, cloves and black peppercorns. When added to stews or roasts, the result is deliciously spicy, earthy, sweet and citrusy.
Every household has its own version of berbere spice mix which has been passed down and adjusted over generations. Traditional blends include korarima which is commonly grown in East Africa.
The recipe below uses ingredients available from most supermarkets and spice shops with notes on the more unusual ones.
Key ingredients
Dried chilli / paprika - the base and reason for berbere's deep red colour and heat.
Fenugreek - this is essential and one of the defining flavours of berbere. It brings a slightly bitter, maple/citrus note that carries the other flavours well.
Cumin seeds - for earthy and subtle citrus flavour.
Cardamom - korarima seeds are used in the traditional berbere recipe. It is an Ethiopian cardamom but may be difficult to find. Green cardamom seeds are a good widely available substitute for traditional korarima, but they are a little stronger in flavour so, if substituting, use the amount in the recipe card below.
Warm spices - cinnamon, cloves and black pepper all add depth and warmth.
How to make berbere
The most aromatic and flavoursome berbere starts with whole spices which are gently toasted in a warm pan to release their oils and then ground. This gives the blend far more depth compared with pre-ground spices and it is worth the few extra minutes.
Freshly toast and grind as many of these spices in their whole form as you can. For the remaining spices, use them in their pre-ground form and mix them in later.
Toast the whole spices - in a dry pan on medium-low heat, toast the whole spices, swirling constantly, until fragrant, for around 3 - 4 minutes. Take care not to let the pan get too hot as cumin seeds will turn bitter if they burn.
Cool completely - tip the toasted spices onto a plate and let them cool. Grinding them warm can make the blend sticky.
Grind - the toasted spices to a fine powder in a spice grinder - you could use a pestle and mortar but this would take much longer and the mix won't be as smooth. Please don't use a coffee bean grinder or your coffee will take on the flavour of spices the next time you use it - and yes, even after thorough washing!
Combine - mix the freshly ground spices with any pre-ground ingredients you might be using and stir thoroughly so the blend is even.
Transfer - the spice mix to a jar and seal. Label and date the jar, then store in a cool area and use within a month for best flavour.
Adjusting the heat
Berbere is traditionally a hot spice mix, but the level of heat is entirely in your control. It comes from the red chilli pepper and hot paprika so increase or reduce those according to your taste and keep the aromatic spices the same.
For a milder and more fragrant blend, use sweet paprika and lower the amount of red chilli pepper, to make it fiery, increase the amount of red chilli pepper.
How to use berbere
Berbere is used fairly generously in Ethiopian, Eritrean, Djiboutian and Somali cooking, often by the tablespoon but sometimes more. Try it in:
- Stews - this is where it is traditionally used, as in zigni, doro wat (chicken) and misir wat (lentils).
- Roasted vegetables - sprinkle over cauliflower, squash or potatoes, season and drizzle with a little oil before roasting.
- Meat and fish - use as a dry rub for chicken, lamb or white fish.
- Lentils and pulses - stir into dals and bean stews for spicy depth.
- Eggs - sprinkled over fried or scrambled eggs for extra flavour.
- Niter kibbeh - stirred into this spiced clarified butter that can be used in so many dishes for more flavour.
Storing
Store berbere spice mix in a sealed jar and keep in a cool, dark cupboard away from heat and light. Use within a month for best flavour.
Like all ground spices the flavour will fade over time as the oils evaporate or oxidize, so for the freshest flavour make smaller batches as you need it rather than one large amount.
Top Tip
Storing the spices whole and fresh grinding extends its life further and gives best flavour.
FAQ
Berbere is hot, but layered and complex rather than simply fiery. It is earthy, warming and aromatic with a maple - citrus flavour from the fenugreek and sweetness from cinnamon.
It can be if you are using store bought but for homemade, you control the heat when you make it yourself. Reduce the chilli and use sweet paprika for a milder, more fragrant blend.
Berbere is the base of Ethiopian and Eritrean stews like zigni and doro wat. It also works as a rub for meat and fish, a seasoning for roasted vegetables and lentils or stirred into butter or eggs.
You can, and it's quicker - but toasting and grinding whole spices gives a noticeably deeper, fresher flavour. If using pre-ground, simply mix everything together and skip the toasting step.
It will last up to 1 month in a sealed jar kept away from heat and light and will gradually lose potency after that rather than spoiling.
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Recipe
Berbere: Ethiopian & Eritrean Spice Blend
Ingredients
- cumin seeds 2 teaspoon
- korarima seeds - or ¼ teaspoon ground green cardamom ½ teaspoon
- fenugreek seeds 2 teaspoon
- cloves 3 whole
- black peppercorns 10 whole
- ground red chilli pepper 2 teaspoon
- hot paprika powder 1 tablespoon
- ground coriander 2 teaspoon
- ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon
- ground nutmeg a pinch
Instructions
- Toast the whole spices. In a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon korarima seeds2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 3 whole cloves, 10 whole black peppercorns swirling constantly until fragrant for about 3-4 minutes. Adjust the heat so they don't get too hot and burn and keep them moving. Tip into a small bowl to cool before grinding.
- Grind the whole spices in a spice grinder to a smooth powder and pour into a bowl. Combine with 2 teaspoon ground red chilli pepper, 1 tablespoon hot paprika powder, 2 teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch ground nutmeg and mix well. Transfer to a sealed container and keep for up to a month.
Notes
Only you will see your notes and you can edit them anytime.
Nutrition
Nutritional information calculated automatically per serving, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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