Our spiced butter, called niter kebbeh, at the Ethiopian restaurant I worked at absolutely required four things (other than butter): minced shallots, toasted cardamom, fenugreek and turmeric. Oh, and one other thing -- time. Slow cooking is essential to this concoction.
Recipe by Hank Shaw on February 23, 2022
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT40M
Rating
5 stars (3 reviews)
Keywords
butter
Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter
2 minced shallots, (about 1/4 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
12 to 15 crushed cardamom pods
5 whole cloves
1 piece cinnamon stick, (about an inch long)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
Categories
Condiment
Cuisine
Ethiopian
Steps
Toast the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a dry pan over medium heat until they are aromatic, about a minute.
Cut the butter into cubes.
Toss everything into a heavy pot and turn the heat on low. Let this come to a bare simmer and cook gently for at least 30 minutes. We cooked ours at least an hour. It is vital that the milk solids do not burn. If they do, you have ruined the butter. Watch for browning, and when you see it, turn off the heat.
Strain through cheesecloth and store in a clean glass jar. It'll last 6 months in the fridge, at least a week on the counter, and forever in the freezer.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 214 kcal
Carbohydrates: 2 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 23 g
Saturated Fat: 15 g
Cholesterol: 61 mg
Sodium: 4 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Daniel Gerzina on 2022-07-14 (5 stars): I've had a jar of this lurking in the fridge for a while and realized I forgot to review it when I first made it. It's really, really good stuff! I like to toss in a few spoonfuls whenever I make curry or when I need to slather some butter on fresh naan, and of course, it gets used every time I make tibs (which is not as often as I *should* make tibs, but still). I will be making sure to always have a jar ready in my refrigerator from now on.
