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Mekelesha
Warm finishing spice blend
Mekelesha (መከለሻ): a chilli-free warm spice blend of cardamom, cinnamon, clove and pepper, stirred into wats at the end
Berbere builds the heat and colour of a wat; mekelesha is what Ethiopian cooks add in the last few minutes to make it smell wonderful. It contains no chilli at all, only warm, aromatic spices: korerima (Ethiopian cardamom), cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and a little cumin and nutmeg, toasted and ground fine. A pinch goes into doro wat, key wat or misir wat just before serving, a little like garam masala in an Indian curry, and market spice sellers in Addis Ababa sell it in small twists of paper beside the berbere sacks. Korerima has a smoky, camphor-like note; if you cannot find it, mix green and black cardamom. The common mistake is adding it at the start of cooking, where long simmering dulls its perfume; stir it in at the end. Chef's tip: grind small batches and keep them in a dark jar, as the aroma fades after about two months.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp korerima (Ethiopian cardamom) seedsor 1 tbsp green cardamom seeds plus 2 black cardamom pods, seeds only
- 1 cinnamon stickabout 6 cm, broken up
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 2 tbsp korerima (Ethiopian cardamom) seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp whole cloves, 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 1 tsp cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and the cumin is a shade darker. Do not let anything smoke.
4 minStep 2: Tip the spices onto a plate and leave to cool completely, about 10 minutes, so they grind to a fine powder rather than a damp paste.
10 minStep 3: Grind in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar until fine, then stir in ½ tsp ground nutmeg. Sift if you want it silky, and grind the bits left in the sieve again.
Step 4: Store in a small airtight jar away from light. Use ½–1 teaspoon per pot of wat for 4, stirred in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 8 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mekelesha take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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