Some like it hot

It has been another kitchen day. There is a large lasagne cooling on the bench as I type. That too will be sliced for the freezer later on, for more Mima Ready Meals.

I got all the spices I need from the cupboard to make a batch of Berbere and set to making my favourite of all mixtures.

Berbere is a spice mix originating from Ethiopia. Some of the ingredients aren't native to the African continent, so presumably it has been adapted and developed since chillies (for instance) arrived from the Americas. It is nevertheless apparently central to Ethiopian cuisine.

It is known as a fiery mix, but making my own means I can dial down the chilli a bit, allowing my tastebuds to appreciate the complexity of the combination of other spices. I still like it hot, but not so hot as to burn my ears from the inside.

I first came across it at a stall at the weekly Eumundi Farmers' Markets when I lived on the Sunshine Coast in Australia 20 years ago. 

For months I bought little paper bags filled with its deliciousness, until the (rather wonderful) stallholder - and maker of the Berbere - slipped the recipe inside my bag and suggested that I should make my own. He told me he felt bad about charging me 'tourist prices' for something very easy and cheap to make. I have made it ever since.

I mix it into soups and casseroles, and spiced meat or vegetable dishes. It gives an unexpected kick to risottos. It is wonderful stirred into a raw carrot salad, or through mashed potato. Friends use it as a rub on barbecued meat, and others add it to marinades. 

The recipe is below.

I listened to this as I made Berbere. When will we learn, and will it be in time?

Berbere
1 teaspoon chilli flakes (more or less according to your preference)
1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Mix it all up and you're ready to go.