Berbere is a spice blend used in Ethiopian cooking. There's no set recipe for berbere. Do a Google search and you'll find many variations. My 'recipe' is the result of much experimentation and research. An authentic berbere has many spices. Clearly, the recipes you see online that only call for three or four spices aren't even close to the real deal. My recipe, like many online, is not so much a straight berbere as it is a child of both berbere and mitmita. Real berbere contains quite a few spices you either can't get outside Ethiopia or, if you can, will have a tough time doing so. Berbere can be used as either a dry seasoning or made into a paste with shallots, garlic and ginger. Obviously you can use it in Ethiopian cooking, but it can be used for other purposes too. Experiment.
Ingredients:
8 green cardamom pods
4 pieces timiz*
1 small whole piece nutmeg
1 tbs chilli flakes
1 tbs white peppercorns
2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
2 tsp whole kororima seeds*
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole ajwain seeds
1 tsp whole nigella seeds
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kosoret*
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pour everything into a small, non-stick fry pan and roast over a low flame until very pungent. Still occasionally. Note that you don't need oil or ghee. When spices are roasted, pour carefully into a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder and grind until fine. Store in a jar, tin or zip lock bag. This stuff won't keep its flavour forever, so try and use it within a few weeks. That being said, it's best to make berbere and other spice blends a day or two before you need them. It gives the flavours and the aromas of the different spices time to get to know each other.
* I picked up timiz, kororima and kosoret at an Ethiopian grocer. I've never seen them anywhere else. Then again, I haven't looked anywhere other than the local South Asian and oriental supermarkets. If you can't find them in your local area, don't stress. Your berbere will still be ogod. Kororima is one of the most important spices in a traditional berbere. Still, don't worry if you can't find it. Just substitute the two teaspoons of kororima seeds with two teaspoons of coriander seeds. Kororima is a variety of coriander. The seeds are a slightly different shape and darker. Timiz, on the other hand, looks like a small pine cone. Kosoret is a small, crumbly, dried leaf.
Showing posts with label spice tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spice tips. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Ghee and oil
With some curries, I'll call for ghee. Ghee is clarified butter and is used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking in place or alongside oil. The Ethiopians make two similar products--a spiced clarified butter known as nitter kebbeh and a vegetarian product with an Amharic name that translates to 'vegetable ghee'. This 'vegetable ghee' is spiced like nitter kebbeh, but is healthier than any ghee made from butter (at least according to the packaging and the woman who runs the Ethiopian grocer I go to). Any ghee--be it Indian or Ethiopian--will suffice for curry-making. You can buy South Asian ghee in South Asian grocers and many supermarkets. You can use oil instead of ghee.
Meat and curries
In westernised Thai curries, you'll often see breast and thigh meat used. Or fillet steak. And that's lovely. These curries require thin slices of tender cuts as they cook in a short time. For other curries, though, forget these premium cuts. Go for the cheap, flavoursome cuts like lamb shanks, goat shoulder, chicken marylands (the legs) and chuck steak. These cuts are tough, yes. They are unsuitable for pan-frying, yes. You may be reluctant to use them because a voice in your head is insisting that no, Chris is wrong, the Indians are wrong, the Nepalese are wrong, the South Africans are wrong, that you should use breast instead. Using fillet steak in a beef curry is a waste of money. Meat curries typically take a while to cook. Those cheap and tough cuts of meat tenderise when simmering in a gravy over the course of a hour or two. Too, these bony cuts are gelatinous. As they cook, they thicken the gravy. I know that bony pieces of meat are hard to eat with a fork, so try eating your curry the proper way--with Indian breads. Many cultures worldwide, including the Indians, believe that food eaten with the hands tastes better. I'm not sure about that, but I do know it's much easier to manage to a goat curry if you get your hands in there. The rule of cooking on the bone also applies to seafood. Crabs and lobsters should be cooked in the shell or, if a recipe instructs you to remove the meat from the shell (and it probably shouldn't), you should still throw the shell into the gravy after giving it a quick rinse. Yeah, just like you're making a seafood stock. It'll add a lot of flavour to the gravy.
Finally, marinades. I said you should use tougher cuts of meat. If you want to tenderise these cuts somewhat before cooking, marinate the meat in something acidic like fresh citrus juice. You can also use grated ginger, as it contains an enzyme that will tenderise meat. Some Indians use the pulp of papaya to achieve similar results. You should only marinate the meat for a few hours. Leave it too long and you'll end up making the outer layer of the piece of meat soggy.
Finally, marinades. I said you should use tougher cuts of meat. If you want to tenderise these cuts somewhat before cooking, marinate the meat in something acidic like fresh citrus juice. You can also use grated ginger, as it contains an enzyme that will tenderise meat. Some Indians use the pulp of papaya to achieve similar results. You should only marinate the meat for a few hours. Leave it too long and you'll end up making the outer layer of the piece of meat soggy.
Spices
Curries might have a primary ingredient of meat, seafood, lentils, vegetables or even fruit, but surely what defines this style of cooking in the eyes of many is the combination of spices.
For those just getting into curry-making, know that you're going to have to buy many spices. Of course, you should only buy spices as you encounter recipes that ask for those specific spices. Buy small packets until you know what spices you like and what spices you most frequently use. For instance, I go through large amounts of both coriander seeds and cumin seeds. It makes sense for me to buy large bags of them. Conversely, I rarely use nigella, so I only have a small packet sitting in the cupboard. Large packets are cheaper, yes, but spices don't have an unlimited shelf life. They lose flavour and pungency over time. It's no good saving a few cents on a bag of spice if, by the time you get around to finishing it, it has long since lost its potency.
I buy most of my spices at an Indian grocer. What I can't get there I'll get at either an oriental grocer, a Middle Eastern grocer or an Ethiopian grocer. The latter I've only had to use for some really obscure spices. I don't call for these in my recipes, though, so don't worry too much if you don't have the faintest idea where the nearest Ethiopian grocer is. Incidentally, if you live in Melbourne, you can find a number of Ethiopian grocers in Footscray. An increasing number of Ethiopian and Sudanese grocers are opening in the south eastern suburbs, too. But I digress. I've found Indian grocers to have the best place to shop. Their prices are usually reasonable and their turnover is high. Classy food stores like The Essential Ingredient and Simon Johnson also stock a good range of spices, although expect to may significantly more than you would at the local South Asian place.
Always buy your spices whole. Chilli powder is okay, but about everything else--from pepper to cardamom to cumin--should be bought whole. Sure, with pre-ground spices you save a little bit of time, but the flavour and aroma is inferior. Too, whole spices have a longer shelf life. They're also easier to identify by sight. This is especially relevant in my pantry where a good half of my spice collection is unlabelled.
To maximise the flavour and aroma of spices, you should roast them before grinding them. To do this, heat a small, non-stick fry pan over a low flame. Don't use any oil or ghee. Add the whole spices. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning. You'll know the spices are roasted when a strong and pleasant aroma fills your kitchen. Working with spices is all about using your senses.
Many recipes that use curry powder--not a spice in itself, but a blend of spices--often call for you to roast curry powder. If they don't ask you to do it, do it anyway. If the recipe calls for you to fry up some onions, add the curry powder just as the onions begin to soften and roast for a few minutes before adding the next ingredient. If you're supposed to add the curry powder to a liquid, you can roast it on its own in a small fry pan.
To grind spices, use either a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder. I use the former. If a recipe calls for you to grind fresh garlic, ginger or chillies, add a little coarse sea salt to the mortar (the bowl). The salt acts as an abrasive, making your job significantly easier. Too, if a recipe calls for many spices to blended together, grind them all in one go. They'll combine as you grind.
When using a mortar and pestle, there's absolutely no need to be forceful. With a granite mortar and pestle like the one I use, the pestle is quite heavy. If you're too forceful, light, round spices such as peppercorns and coriander seeds are liable to bounce out of the mortar and make a mess.
Get to know the properties of the spices in your collection. Try and reach a point where you can recognise them by sight and smell and taste. A good reference book is Ian Hemphill's Spice Notes and Recipes--it's very extensive, although I have a few spices that aren't mentioned in it. Some curry books feature decent appendices on spices. But book or no book, you should learn the properties of spices for yourself. Some spices have a strong flavour or aroma and could, if used carelessly, overpower everything else in your dish. Others you can be more generous with. Understand that not all spices are hot. Some are used to add colour to a dish. Some are sweet. Some are sour. In Indian cuisine, different curries employ different combinations of spices. Some curries are hot. Some curries are sour.
Remember that dried spices often taste different to the fresh ingredients from which they are derived. Dried chilli has a different flavour to fresh chilli. Dried garlic tastes different to fresh garlic. Dried ginger is quite distinct from fresh ginger. If you substitute the fresh for the dry or the other way round, expect a different end result.
How you store your spices is very important. Mistreat your spices and they will lose pungency and flavour. Keep them somewhere cool, dry and dark. Store them in jars or tins or thick zip-lock bags. Some South Asian grocers already sell them in the latter.
For those just getting into curry-making, know that you're going to have to buy many spices. Of course, you should only buy spices as you encounter recipes that ask for those specific spices. Buy small packets until you know what spices you like and what spices you most frequently use. For instance, I go through large amounts of both coriander seeds and cumin seeds. It makes sense for me to buy large bags of them. Conversely, I rarely use nigella, so I only have a small packet sitting in the cupboard. Large packets are cheaper, yes, but spices don't have an unlimited shelf life. They lose flavour and pungency over time. It's no good saving a few cents on a bag of spice if, by the time you get around to finishing it, it has long since lost its potency.
I buy most of my spices at an Indian grocer. What I can't get there I'll get at either an oriental grocer, a Middle Eastern grocer or an Ethiopian grocer. The latter I've only had to use for some really obscure spices. I don't call for these in my recipes, though, so don't worry too much if you don't have the faintest idea where the nearest Ethiopian grocer is. Incidentally, if you live in Melbourne, you can find a number of Ethiopian grocers in Footscray. An increasing number of Ethiopian and Sudanese grocers are opening in the south eastern suburbs, too. But I digress. I've found Indian grocers to have the best place to shop. Their prices are usually reasonable and their turnover is high. Classy food stores like The Essential Ingredient and Simon Johnson also stock a good range of spices, although expect to may significantly more than you would at the local South Asian place.
Always buy your spices whole. Chilli powder is okay, but about everything else--from pepper to cardamom to cumin--should be bought whole. Sure, with pre-ground spices you save a little bit of time, but the flavour and aroma is inferior. Too, whole spices have a longer shelf life. They're also easier to identify by sight. This is especially relevant in my pantry where a good half of my spice collection is unlabelled.
To maximise the flavour and aroma of spices, you should roast them before grinding them. To do this, heat a small, non-stick fry pan over a low flame. Don't use any oil or ghee. Add the whole spices. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning. You'll know the spices are roasted when a strong and pleasant aroma fills your kitchen. Working with spices is all about using your senses.
Many recipes that use curry powder--not a spice in itself, but a blend of spices--often call for you to roast curry powder. If they don't ask you to do it, do it anyway. If the recipe calls for you to fry up some onions, add the curry powder just as the onions begin to soften and roast for a few minutes before adding the next ingredient. If you're supposed to add the curry powder to a liquid, you can roast it on its own in a small fry pan.
To grind spices, use either a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder. I use the former. If a recipe calls for you to grind fresh garlic, ginger or chillies, add a little coarse sea salt to the mortar (the bowl). The salt acts as an abrasive, making your job significantly easier. Too, if a recipe calls for many spices to blended together, grind them all in one go. They'll combine as you grind.
When using a mortar and pestle, there's absolutely no need to be forceful. With a granite mortar and pestle like the one I use, the pestle is quite heavy. If you're too forceful, light, round spices such as peppercorns and coriander seeds are liable to bounce out of the mortar and make a mess.
Get to know the properties of the spices in your collection. Try and reach a point where you can recognise them by sight and smell and taste. A good reference book is Ian Hemphill's Spice Notes and Recipes--it's very extensive, although I have a few spices that aren't mentioned in it. Some curry books feature decent appendices on spices. But book or no book, you should learn the properties of spices for yourself. Some spices have a strong flavour or aroma and could, if used carelessly, overpower everything else in your dish. Others you can be more generous with. Understand that not all spices are hot. Some are used to add colour to a dish. Some are sweet. Some are sour. In Indian cuisine, different curries employ different combinations of spices. Some curries are hot. Some curries are sour.
Remember that dried spices often taste different to the fresh ingredients from which they are derived. Dried chilli has a different flavour to fresh chilli. Dried garlic tastes different to fresh garlic. Dried ginger is quite distinct from fresh ginger. If you substitute the fresh for the dry or the other way round, expect a different end result.
How you store your spices is very important. Mistreat your spices and they will lose pungency and flavour. Keep them somewhere cool, dry and dark. Store them in jars or tins or thick zip-lock bags. Some South Asian grocers already sell them in the latter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
