Niter kibbeh, also known as Ethiopian spiced clarified butter, is a fantastic substitute for regular butter. It has a delicious out-of-this-world flavor you will fall in love with!
Why you'll love this recipe
This niter kibbeh recipe is so easy to prepare; all you need is a bit of time. As it simmers on low heat, you can attend to other things or even put your feet up for a minute.
You can use niter kibbeh instead of butter in your recipes. Why settle for plain butter when you can spread this deliciousness over everything?
Niter kibbeh is made with Ethiopian herbs and spices, primarily seeds and roots of plants. So it's fragrant, delicious, and chock full of healthy nutrients and minerals too!
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What is Niter Kibbeh?
Niter kibbeh is a tasty spiced butter that is an essential ingredient in many Ethiopian dishes. This delicacy is added to many of their dishes, and with good reason. It has an incomparable flavor and is a bit similar to Indian ghee in texture.
Niter kibbeh is also a staple in Eritrean cuisine. It contains various spices infused to add aroma and a rich, robust taste. Also spelled 'niter qibe,' this fragrantly spiced clarified butter effortlessly improves whatever it's added to.
Ingredients Used
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- Unsalted butter: With unsalted butter, it'll be easy to monitor how much salt goes into the recipe.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger: These add flavor to the spiced butter.
- Spices: Turmeric, ground cumin, fenugreek, ground cardamom, cinnamon stick, dried oregano, and salt.
How To Make This Recipe
- Melt some good quality butter on medium heat in a small saucepan or skillet.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes on the lowest possible heat.
- Stir every few minutes.
- Sieve using a cheesecloth to remove the solids. Store in an airtight container.
Storing and Reheating
Store your delicious ready-to-use niter kibbeh in sealable glass jars at room temperature for a week. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a month or two.
To preserve it for longer, you can freeze it. Put it in a freezer-safe container and in the freezer. It will keep well for months.
To defrost, just pop it in the fridge overnight or for some hours till it has thawed enough for you to scoop.
What can I eat this recipe with?
Niter kibbeh is versatile and can be used in almost any dish. Use it in place of your cooking oil to drastically transform your meals into extraordinary! I use this spiced butter to make Ethiopian Beef Tibs which is another must-try recipe.
Slather it over your chicken, fish, and veggie dishes before grilling for the most delicious and crispiest results. You can replace it with regular oil and make scrambled eggs for a pleasant surprise.
Tips on making this recipe
- Strain the butter over a heat-proof bowl to avoid it melting.
- I recommend straining it as many times as needed to get clear butter without any residue.
- You will know your niter kibbeh is done clarifying when the milk solids sink to the bottom and it's a clear liquid on top.
- Ethiopian cooks usually simmer the butter and spices for up to an hour. The longer you simmer the butter and spices, the more flavorful it turns out.
- Let the niter kibbeh cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing it.
Recipe variations
- Make vegan niter kibbeh by replacing butter with coconut oil or vegan butter (for a vegan option).
- Roast the spices over medium to high heat until fragrant before adding the butter to simmer. This will make your niter kibbeh even more irresistibly flavorful!
- Add black pepper, cumin seeds, or other spices to customize it to your taste.
Frequently asked questions
Niter kibbeh is not the same as ghee. Ghee is clarified butter that's unflavored and unspiced. On the other hand, niter kibbeh, also known as Ethiopia's national dish, is a flavored, spiced clarified butter. Ghee originated from India, while niter kibbeh can be found in Ethiopian cooking.
Even though niter kibbeh doesn't have an exact substitute regarding its taste, you can use ghee instead. Ghee is also clarified butter, although it is unflavored. You might have to add additional spices to your dish if you use ghee instead of it.
Nitter kibbeh is a popular condiment that features in Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine. These countries in East Africa invented and popularized this condiment which lends a depth of flavor to dishes. The clarified butter is cooked with a particular combination of spices that make Ethiopian recipes very unique. Ethiopian restaurants have a typical, traditional niter kibbeh recipe, so the food tastes the same wherever you go.
Related Recipes
Use your Etiopian spiced butter with these recipes!
📖 Recipe
Niter Kibbeh - Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsalted butter
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt butter on low heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
- Stir every few minutes.
- Sieve using a cheesecloth to remove the solids.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Strain the butter over a heat-proof bowl to avoid it melting.
- I recommend straining it as many times as needed to get clear butter without any residue.
- You will know your niter kibbeh is done clarifying when the milk solids sink to the bottom and it's a clear liquid on top.
- Ethiopian cooks usually simmer the butter and spices for up to an hour. The longer you simmer the butter and spices, the more flavorful it turns out.
- Let the niter kibbeh cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing it.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
This sounds delicious and I can't wait to make it. Thank you for sharing so many keto recipes originating on the African continent! I've always believed food (and music) are great ways to explore culture (both regional variations of my own Mexican roots and those of other peoples). I'm looking forward to making many of your recipes!
Blessings,
Tere
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Tere. It made my day!
Can you cook this in a crockpot on low for several hours?
It's possible, but I haven't tried.
In y0ur written recipe, it calls for cardamom seeds. In all your photos, it shows powdered. Which to use or does it matter?
You can use either.