Niter Kibbeh Spice Blend
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- garlic
- ginger
- onion
- korarima
- fenugreek
- turmeric
- and Ethiopian basil
- simmered together with butter to clarify and infuse it
Method
- Melt butter with the aromatics and whole spices over low heat, simmering gently until the milk solids separate and the aromatics have fully infused, then strain.
- Not a dry-toast process; the aromatics are instead slowly infused into the simmering butterfat, functionally similar to toasting but via a liquid medium.
Origin: Ethiopia — the spice component of niter kibbeh, Ethiopian spiced clarified butter.
Use: The foundational cooking fat for the great majority of Ethiopian savory dishes, used in place of plain butter or oil.
Classic Dishes: Used as the base cooking fat for doro wat and virtually every other major Ethiopian wat.
Storage: Once strained and clarified, niter kibbeh keeps several months at room temperature or longer refrigerated, similar to other clarified butter preparations.
Variations: Household recipes vary in the specific aromatic ratio; besobela (Ethiopian basil) and korarima are generally considered the two most essential, non-negotiable components.
Substitutions: Plain ghee as a substitute, understanding the specific Ethiopian aromatic infusion is lost entirely.
- garlic
- ginger
- onion
- korarima
- fenugreek
- turmeric
- and Ethiopian basil
- simmered together with butter to clarify and infuse it
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