• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
✮ The Food Dictator ✮

The Hirshon Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Curried Clarified Butter) – ንጥር ቅቤ

January 1, 2015 by The Generalissimo 4 Comments

135
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditWhatsappYummly
Light Dark Dark Light
()
Picture Used Under Creative Commons License From www.savorylotus.com
Niter Kibbeh Image Used Under Creative Commons License From savorylotus.com

Citizens, Ethiopian food has slowly gained more popularity in the United States and remains one of my all-time favorite cuisines.

Combining a rarefied understanding of spice blends, Ethiopian food is a magnificent melting pot of African, Indian and Arabian influences that is well worth seeking out. It is now possible to find Ethiopian restaurants in most major metro areas in the United States and I hope you choose to seek them out!

Ethiopians are very fond of Niter Kibbeh, which is basically clarified butter infused with herbs and spices. Everyone in Ethiopia has their own version of this recipe – this is mine and it is relentlessly authentic.

Niter kibbeh, or niter qibe (Ge’ez ንጥር ቅቤ niṭer ḳibē), also called tesmi (in Tigrinya), is a seasoned, clarified butter used in Ethiopian cuisine.

Its preparation is similar to that of ghee, but niter kibbeh is simmered with spices such as koseret, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg before straining, imparting a distinct, spicy aroma. The version using vegetable oil instead of butter is called “yeqimem zeyet”.

By cooking the butter along with these various spices, the resulting stable oil becomes an absolutely essential flavoring ingredient throughout the cuisine.

Remember that during fast days this ingredient could not be used.  As a result, Ethiopians also make a vegan version based upon vegetable oils such as Niger Seed, which was initially domesticated in the highlands, or various mustards.

As noted on fassica.com:

Houston’s newer Ethiopian restaurant Lucy is looking to change this perception by offering inexpensive, accessible food in a modern, attractive setting. Even its name calls attention to the positive aspects of Ethiopia, which is where the 3.2 million year-old skeletal remains of Lucy — an Australopithecus afarensis and one of our earliest ancestors — was found.

The rest of the world is slowly discovering Ethiopian food too, thanks in no small part to people like Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef who owns the renowned Red Rooster in Harlem and to the large Ethiopian diaspora in cities such as Washington D.C., where the cuisine is as popular as Indian food is in Houston.

You’ll notice that there’s no pork or shellfish of any kind served in Ethiopian restaurants. This is due to the major religions that have influenced the country over thousands of years: Judaism, Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Yes — Christianity. The Kingdom of Aksum, now known as Ethiopia and Eritrea, was one of the first Christian countries in the world, having officially adopted Christianity in the 4th century. Today, nearly 50 percent of Ethiopians identify as Orthodox Christians, while 34 percent are Muslim and 19 percent are Protestant.

This also means that you will find stimulants in Ethiopian restaurants, in particular coffee and alcohol. And if you look around, you’ll probably also find at least one icon of Saint George slaying a dragon. Ethiopia shares this patron saint with Greece, and it’s just one reminder that the country has shared such a fascinating history with Western culture over the years.

Citizens, feel free to modify or leave out ingredients in your version of niter kibbeh, as you see fit, just as the Ethiopians would. Use it anywhere in savory recipes you would butter and set your taste buds to DEFCON 3. 🙂 You can buy the rare Ethiopian spices for niter kibbeh at Brundo, the premier supplier of all Ethiopian cooking ingredients in the U.S.!

Citizens- niter kibbeh is one of my all-time favorite cooking co foments and it’s delicious on virtually everything – try it spread on a bagel, or use it to create a curried butter sauce for your protein of choice!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

The Hirshon Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Curried Clarified Butter)


★★★★★

4.3 from 3 reviews

  • Total Time: 0 hours
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound unsalted butter, preferably from grass-fed cows
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, pounded
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tablespoons ground korerima
  • 1 tablespoon dried kosseret
  • 2 tablespoons dried besobela
  • 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon mace (or increase nutmeg by 1/4 teaspoon if unavailable)

Instructions

  1. Combine ginger, onion, and garlic, and pound to a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
  2. Toast whole spices in a medium hot dry frying pan until fragrant, remove and lightly crack spices to release flavor and aroma.
  3. Melt the butter over low heat, stirring constantly, taking care that it does not darken. Skim off the foam as it rises and continue cooking until all the foam is gone.
  4. Add the paste and all remaining ingredients to the butter and simmer, uncovered, at the lowest possible heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour off the transparent top layer and reserve it, leaving behind as much of the milk solids and spices as possible. Strain the transparent layer through several layers of cheesecloth.
  6. The butter will usually be an oil at room temperature and will solidify in the refrigerator, where it can be kept, covered, for 3 or 4 months.
  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thefooddictator on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook and hashtag it #TFD

 

How useful was this post, Citizen?

Click to rate My Recipe, Citizen - 5 hearts are ALWAYS appreciated!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media, Citizen!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Related posts:

The Hirshon Belarus Zrazy
The Hirshon Sudanese Spicy Yogurt Dip – مش
The Hirshon Chinese Dim Sum Radish Cakes - 蘿蔔糕
The Hirshon Anhui Fried And Poached Chicken - 符離集燒雞
The Hirshon Ojibwe Gourmet Turkey And Wild Rice Soup - Gichi-Bine Manoomin Naboob
The Hirshon Jewish Deli Rolled Beef - ראָולד רינדערנס
The Hirshon Anchoïade Provençale
The Hirshon Uruguay Tarta Pascualina

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Condiments

About The Generalissimo

The myth of the Generalissimo is far more interesting than the reality.

Previous Post: « Macanese “African Chicken” – Galinha à Africana
Next Post: The Hirshon New England Clam Chowder »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. beejay45

    January 2, 2018 at 2:38 PM

    Once you’ve done the melting and skimming, could you move this to a slow cooker and let it do its thing? I’m thinking of making a large batch, so that would be a reasonable vessel. Thanks

    Reply
    • The Generalissimo

      January 2, 2018 at 2:45 PM

      That should work out very well indeed! 😀

      Reply
  2. James Smith

    August 25, 2021 at 4:24 PM

    So how do the oil-soluble compounds come out if they’re in the water layer with the watery onion, garlic and milk solids? Unless you boil those off, the spices are stuck down there in the water….

    Reply
    • The Generalissimo

      August 26, 2021 at 8:09 AM

      They do emulsify by the end!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

➤ Citizens – Please Support TFD Nation!

Donate to Help TFD!

⇔ Search, And Ye Shall Assuredly Find!

✮ Citizens ✮

TFD currently has a total of 1,363 posts and 1,159,134 words written since December of 2014! Add your voice to My 50,000+ dedicated readers, comment on My recipes and thus become an active member of TFD Nation! Looking for a particular recipe? Search for it in the box above or via the category tags below - there are THOUSANDS of the finest in world and historic recipes here!

❧ TREMBLE Before Our Categoric Zeal!

Appetizers (145)Beef (143)Beverages (24)Bread (111)Cheese (64)Chicken (132)Chinese (121)Chocolate (16)Condiments (262)Dessert (166)Drinks (23)Duck (20)Egg (47)Fish (56)French (56)Game (30)Georgian (34)Indian (60)Italian (58)Jewish (84)Lamb (73)Manifestos (1)Pasta (90)Pork (147)Salad (40)Sandwich (42)Seafood (84)Shrimp (53)Soup (109)Spices (12)Tofu (7)Turkey (15)Veal (18)Vegetables (108)

✺ Click to Follow Us Across Social Media!

Facebook   

    instagram

☥ TFD SPEAKS!!!

https://www.thefooddictator.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TFD-Avatar-Cold-Open-FINAL.mp4

 Enjoy TFD’s Mellifluous Podcasts, Citizen!

Listen on Apple Podcasts

© 2023 · The Food Dictator is abjectly served by WORDPRESS

✮ The Food Dictator ✮
Manage Cookie Consent
Citizens!

Be advised that as an enlightened Dictatorship here at TFD, we are indeed on the side of right when it comes to protecting the privacy of TFD Nation!

We do use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access device information, solely to improve your browsing experience and to show personalized ads.

Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions - trust us, we really ARE on your side!

YOUR LOYALTY IS NOTED! 🎖️
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
135
SHARES
FacebookTwitterPinterestRedditMailYummly