Recipe: Berbere Paste

Berbere Paste
From: The Whole Chile Pepper Book

14 dried piquin chiles, stems removed
2 tb ground cayenne
2 tb ground paprika
4 whole cardamom pods
2 ts cumin seeds
1/2 ts fenugreek seeds
1 sm onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 c water
1/2 ts ground ginger
1/4 ts ground allspice
1/4 ts ground nutmeg
1/4 ts ground cloves
3 tb oil

Berbere is the famous, or should we say, infamous, scorching Ethiopian hot sauce, as well as the official language of Ethiopia. This highly spiced sauce is used as an ingredient in a number of dishes, a coating when drying meats, and as a side dish or condiment.

Toast the cardamom, cumin, peppercorns and fenugreek in a hot skillet, shaking constantly, for a couple of minutes, until they start to crackle and pop. Grind these spices to form a fine powder. Combine the onions, garlic, and 1/2 cup water in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the chiles and the spices and continue to blend. Slowly add the remaining water and oil and blend until smooth. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes to blend the flavors annd thicken. Serve sparingly as a condiment with grilled meats and poultry or add to soups and stews.