Fendisha Be’Kibbeh
ፈንዲሻ በቅቤ·(fen-dee-sha beh-kib-beh)
Buna in the Suburbs: The Weekend Coffee Ceremony
Sunday afternoon, washed beans hit the roasting pan, a metal lid rattles, the kernels pop, and popcorn isn't for the movies—it's the crucial savory counterpunch to dark, bitter coffee during the Buna ceremony. The secret is the Niter Kibbeh, a deeply infused clarified butter simmering with besobela, korarima, and fenugreek. The bowl hits the table, fingertips turn yellow, and the coffee keeps pouring.
Before you start
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
This forms the base of your Niter Kibbeh. Use European-style, high-fat butter if you can get it.
Add the aromatics and drop the heat.
Once bubbling slightly, add the onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, fenugreek, turmeric, and oregano. Reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting.
Simmer gently for an hour without stirring.
The butter should barely quiver. Do not agitate it, and do not let the milk solids at the bottom brown, or the butter will turn hopelessly bitter.
Strain and store the liquid gold.
Pour the hot butter through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar, discarding the solids. Let it cool; it will keep in the fridge for up to six months.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter1 lb
- red onion1/2 med
- garlic4 clove
- fresh ginger2 inch
- cinnamon stick1
- whole cloves5
- green cardamom pods10
- whole fenugreek seeds1 tsp
- ground turmeric1/2 tsp
- dried oregano1 tsp
- neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
- popcorn kernels1/2 cup
- fine sea salt1 tsp
- berbere1 pinch
Method
- 01
Heat the oil and three test kernels in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
Place over medium-high heat and cover. We use neutral oil here because Niter Kibbeh, despite being clarified, can still scorch at the high temperatures required to pop corn.
- 02
Wait for the test kernels to pop, then pull from the heat.
Once all three pop, the oil has hit exactly 350°F. Immediately remove the pot from the heat, fish out the test kernels, and pour in the remaining half cup of popcorn kernels.
- 03
Cover and wait exactly thirty seconds off the heat.
This old-school grandmother trick equalizes the temperature of the kernels so they all pop at the exact same time, preventing burnt stragglers.
- 04
Return to the heat and pop the corn.
Keep the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape, ensuring crispy Fendisha. Gently shake the pot back and forth over the burner until the popping slows to 2 to 3 seconds between pops, then immediately remove from heat.
- 05
Toss aggressively with the infused butter.
Melt 3 to 4 tablespoons of your prepared Niter Kibbeh and drizzle it over the hot popcorn. Toss until every single kernel is coated, then season with sea salt and an optional pinch of berbere.
Notes
The Suburbs Herb Hack.
Authentic Niter Kibbeh relies on indigenous Ethiopian herbs like kosseret and besobela. We use dried oregano in the infusion to flawlessly mimic that sharp, earthy astringency with an ingredient you already have in the pantry.