Niter Kibbeh፡ንጥር ቅቤ

Ingredients

• 500 g unsalted butter
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 tbsp dried koseret
• 1 tbsp dried besobela (Ethiopian sacred basil)
• 2 tsp korerima pods, cracked open
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp tikur azmud (nigella seeds)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 small piece cinnamon bark
• 4 cloves

Method

1. 1

   Melt the butter over the lowest heat you can hold. It should never sizzle

2. 2

   As white foam rises, skim it off and discard it

3. 3

   Once the foam stops, add the onion, garlic, ginger and all the spices

4. 4

   Leave it at a bare simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. The milk solids will sink and slowly turn golden, and the butter above them will go clear

5. 5

   Do not stir once the solids have settled — you want them on the bottom, not back in the fat

6. 6

   It is ready when the butter is completely transparent and smells nutty rather than milky

7. 7

   Strain through muslin or a fine sieve into a clean jar, leaving the solids behind

8. 8

   Cool uncovered, then seal