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Awaze Spice Mixture

The Quirky Foodster Team

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About 1/2 cup paste
Servings

Ingredients

  • Dried chile powder (a mix of mild and hot varieties) — 1/4 cup
  • Paprika — 2 tbsp
  • Fenugreek seed — 1 tbsp
  • Ginger — 1 tbsp
  • Korarima (Ethiopian cardamom) — 1 tsp
  • Black pepper — 1 tsp
  • Coriander seed — 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp
  • Cloves — 1/2 tsp
  • Nutmeg — 1/2 tsp
  • Salt — 1 tsp
  • Built primarily from berbere or mitmita, combined with Ethiopian honey wine (tej) or water and sometimes niter kibbeh to form a thick paste

Method

  1. Combine the dry spice blend (berbere or mitmita) with liquid (tej, water, or a mix) to form a spreadable, dip-consistency paste.
  2. Not applicable to the paste-forming step itself; the underlying berbere or mitmita components are prepared per their own entries.

Origin: Ethiopia — the dry spice component of awaze, a spiced paste/sauce condiment.

Use: A condiment and marinade, used as a dip or rubbed onto meat before cooking.

Classic Dishes: Served as a table condiment for dipping meat and injera; also used as a marinade base.

Storage: Keeps 1-2 weeks refrigerated given its wet paste form.

Variations: Essentially a wet, ready-to-eat preparation built from the drier berbere or mitmita blends rather than an independently formulated spice mix.

Substitutions: Berbere or mitmita mixed with a small amount of water or wine.