Ethiopian Berbere

Description
Most of these spices can be found at an Indian or middle eastern market; hopefully there is one near you. The best way to grind those spices is with a coffee grinder. If you don't have one of those handy, using a blender set on "liquify" works pretty well too. I have tried grinding a batch of garam masala with a mortar and pestle, and i had to give up and resort to a blender because it would have taken me hours otherwise.

Ingredients

 * 10 dried red chiles
 * ½ tsp coriander seeds
 * 5 cloves
 * seeds from 6 green cardamom pods
 * ¼ tsp ajowan seeds
 * 8 allspice berries
 * ½ tsp black peppercorns
 * ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
 * 1 small piece of cinnamon
 * ½ tsp ground ginger

Directions

 * 1) Heat a heavy frying pan (without oil) and put in the chilies and other whole spices after 2–3 minutes.
 * 2) Dry roast over a medium heat until they darken, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
 * 3) Leave the spices to cool, then remove and discard the seeds from the chilies and crumble the chilies into the mixture.
 * 4) Grind everything, including the ginger, to a fine powder, and store in an airtight container for up to four months.