Make the best Ethiopian food with this recipe for my delicious Niter Kibbeh infused with great fragrance and flavor!
There's really no legitimate way to cook Ethiopian food without two essentials mixes and blends. One is berbere, and the other is Niter Kibbeh. Think ghee, except a lot more fragrant. Niter Kibbeh is made my adding aromatics and spices to butter, and clarifying it while also infusing it with great fragrance and flavor. A tablespoon or two of this goes such a long way to flavor your food.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (453.59 g) Butter, (use 14-16 ounce coconut oil for vegan version)
- 4 cloves (4 cloves) Garlic, minced
- 1 (1 ) Onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Minced Ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Cardamom Seeds
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Fenugreek Seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cumin seeds
- 1-2 sticks (1 sticks) Cinnamon
- 4 (4 ) Whole Cloves
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. It is done when the bubbles that rise on top appear clear, and the mixture is no longer milky.
- Place a strainer over a heat-proof jar ( I used a 2 cup mason jar). Strain with cheesecloth or a mesh strainer.
- Store covered in the refrigerator or freeze.
Naomi
Hi there! Is it possible to infuse ghee I already have with some of these flavors? If so, how would I go about doing that? I only need enough to make the doro wat recipe you posted!
Marianne Sephton
I made your Niter Kibbeh to saute the onions for Doro Wat (I used Penzey's berbere because I got some free). The dish was a surprise for two Ethiopian friends - and were they ever surprised that this German girl girl could cook Ethiopian!! They said the flavor was dead on authentic, if on the milder side, and was delicious. Your recipe(s) made three families quite full and happy. Thank you Urvashi!!!
john
How long will this keep if it's refrigerated in a mason jar?
URVASHI PITRE
I’m embarrassed to tell you that I’ve had mine for more than 6 months and it’s still doing fine!