Ethiopian Hot Red Chili Pepper Powder (Berbere)

Ethiopian Hot Red Chili Pepper Powder (Berbere) usually is prepared well in advance and can be preserved for long time. Its preparation is extensive and demands labor.

Ingredients:

20 lbs Hot long red chili peppers
7 lbs Fresh cloves garlic
4 lbs Ginger roots
1½ cup Sacred basil (besobla)
½ cup Cardamom (korerima)
½ cup Cloves
½ cup Cinnamon
1 cup Bishop weed (netch azmud)
1½ lbs Shallot or red onion
1½ cup Salt
Water as required

Preparation:

1st Step: Rinse the peppers 3 to 4 times; dry under the sun until crunchy; pound the peppers;

2nd Step: Peel and chop the onion and ginger, peel the garlic; mix with bishop weed, scared basil; add the spices to the pepper and pound again.

3rd Step: Add to the spiced pepper two cups of water. Keep it tight in a container for a day.

4th Step: The next day, Put mixture under the sun to completely dry.

5th Step: Lightly warm and grind cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and salt.;

6th Step: Mix all ingredients together and take it to the mill house. Keep the chili powder in a tight container preferably in fridge.

Note: If preferred Abish (fenugreek)* is also added.

* You will find these spices in Ethiopian or Indian shop