Berbere

My understanding of it is that berbere is to Ethiopian food as garam masala is to Indian food. It is a ubiquitous spice blend found in many different dishes and every region, cook, and family probably has their own variation. I've seen many different berbere recipes with all sorts of different ingredients in various proportions. In the past I concocted a sort of recipe gestalt made from a handful of different berbere recipes. More recently though, I've just been using the recipe out of the tagine cookbook.

Berbere

From 150 Best Tagine Recipes

5 dried cayenne peppers

1 Tbsp. black peppercorns

2 tsp. allspice berries

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. cardamom seeds

1 tsp. fenugreek seeds

3 whole cloves

1 (1") piece of cinnamon

1. Using scissors, cut cayenne peppers into small pieces.

2. Combine all ingredients in small pan and toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Toast for 3-4 minutes. Spices may pop, but should not smoke or burn.

4. Transfer to plate to cool. (Don't leave in hot pan.)

5. Grind.