Authentic Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter)
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If you love Ethiopian food and just can’t quite figure out how to replicate that flavor at home, you may be missing the ultimate secret ingredient: Niter Kibbeh!
What is Niter Kibbeh?
Niter Kibbeh (Nit’ir Qibe) is an ingredient integral to Ethiopian cuisine and is made by clarifying butter that has been infused with herbs and spices. In the process of clarifying the spiced butter, the same process used to make ghee, the butterfat is separated from the milk solids and water and the result is a highly aromatic and flavorful cooking fat. This clarified butter has a higher smoke point and longer shelf life than regular butter.
How To Use Niter Kibbeh
While niter kibbeh is famously used in Ethiopia’s national dish, Doro Wat, it is highly versatile and used to bring life and flavor to a wide variety of dishes, including Sega Wat, Misir Wat and Gomen. Include a dollop in your favorite stews, your beans and lentils, sauces and gravies, add some to your vegetables and eggs, use it to brown your meat or chicken, spread some on your sandwich…and then sit back and savor your meal.
Ingredients
For a truly authentic niter kibbeh you would include two Ethiopian spices that are very difficult to find outside of Ethiopia: Besobela and Kosseret. Besobela is also known as Ethiopian sacred basil though it tastes nothing like basil. It’s also traditionally included in Berbere, the famous fiery hot Ethiopian spice blend. Kosseret is in the verbena family of plants and likewise has a very unique flavor. There are no adequate substitutes for either. If you can find them, use about a tablespoon of each. If you can’t, simply omit them. The resulting niter kibbeh will still be incredibly delicious without them.
Another central ingredient to niter kibbeh is cardamom. But it’s not the green cardamom that most of us are familiar with. Rather it’s a type of cardamom that’s much bigger in size and is brown in color, known as korarima, false cardamom and Ethiopian cardamom. And it’s tastes completely different than green cardamom.
The bad news is that it’s nearly impossible to find. The good news is that you can substitute Indian black cardamom (pictured below in comparison to the more commonly known green cardamom). It more closely resembles Ethiopian cardamom in flavor than does green cardamom and is an absolutely vital spice in Ethiopian cooking.
Niter kibbeh is a wonderful and uniquely delicious clarified butter that you will fall in love with. And absolutely nothing compares to homemade niter kibbeh. Once you’ve made it (it’s super easy) and tried it (it’s incredible) you’ll make it again and again!
Authentic Niter Kibbeh Recipe
Let’s get started!
Toast the whole spices over medium heat in a dry skillet for a few minutes until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will become bitter.
Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring it to an extremely low simmer. Continue to simmer over low for at least one hour or up to 90 minutes. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN THE BUTTER. If it burns it will be bitter and there is no salvaging it.
Pour everything through a fine-mesh cheesecloth. (No need to skim off the foam, everything will be removed during straining.)
Pour the niter kibbeh into a jar, let it cool, cover so it is airtight. It will keep at room temperature for a few weeks, in the fridge for a few months, and even longer in the freezer (it will be hard in the fridge and freezer, let it come to room temp for easy scooping). Makes about 2 cups.
Enjoy!
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Authentic Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter)
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 BLACK cardamom pods (not the green cardamom variety)
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon besobela ,if you can find it, otherwise omit (see blog post)
- 1 tablespoon kosseret ,if you can find it, otherwise omit (see blog post)
Instructions
- Toast the whole spices over medium heat in a dry skillet for a few minutes until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will become bitter. Set aside.
- Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring it to an extremely low simmer. Continue to simmer over low for at least one hour or up to 90 minutes. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN THE BUTTER. If it burns it will be bitter and there is no salvaging it.
- Pour everything through a fine-mesh cheesecloth. (No need to skim off the foam, everything will be removed during straining.) Pour the niter kibbeh into a jar, let it cool, and cover so that it is airtight. It will keep at room temperature for several weeks, in the fridge for a few months, and even longer in the freezer (it will be hard in the fridge and freezer, let it come to room temp for easy scooping). Makes about 2 cups.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I made this recipe two years ago with coconut oil, instead of butter. I’m just about to finish the jar. It’s still very fragrant! Thank you for this offering.
Fantastic, Fa, thank you so much!
Hey, do you think I can do this with vegan butter?
Hi Paula, absolutely!
So rich and so delicious!! I made this spiced butter using other recipes though this one is better. Makes a great gift for myself and others! Tough to share though.
Thank you so much, Suzie, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
I’m going to try this.
I can get korarima (also spelled “korerima” for those who want to search). How much should I use?
This is the second time I’ve made this and I’m finding I’m adding it to everything! Whether I’m scrambling eggs, frying a burger, or sauteeing veggies, it makes everything taste better.
That’s fantastic, Chad, I’m so happy you enjoyed it and that it’s becoming a regular, thank you!
Hi! Instead of unsalted butter can I use ghee to add all
The spices
Yes you can, Shreya!
I just made a small batch of this and oh my word it is so good! It elevated all of the dishes we made with it, but the Doro Wat in particular was stellar. I know that it says there is not substitute for the besobela and kosseret, but I had some bolting Thai basil that I thought could be close to the Ethiopian basil. Adding that and a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves worked well!
Thank you, Jen, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it and nice call on the Thai basil and fenugreek leaves!
Brilliant substitutions! I’ll keep notes on this, since the kosseret and besobela are so hard to find. (I bought a couple hundred grams of each, off Amazon a couple years ago and I’m still going through them now).
As an Ethiopian, I can say you DEFINITELY nailed the recipe and manner of doing it! That’s awesome and there are many ways of doing Nitr Qibe in Ethiopia (it differs from family to family) and so it’s an art you cultivate because the Qibe makes the dish (if it’s not good, then the whole dish won’t be good). My family’s way is pretty much similar to yours except we don’t use the cinnamon stick, whole cloves and nutmeg (probably because the first two are used when cooking the Qey Wot – red sauces with berbere, be it doro wot or siga wot – and the nutmeg is used in any Alicha Wot – yellow sauces.
Thank you, Messeret, I really appreciate the compliment and the feedback! :)