For the stew
- Heat a large pot to medium and add the onions. Sauté them for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and brown slightly. Add a few tablespoons of water if they begin to stick.
- Add the garlic and 1-2 Tbsp. of the berbere spice mix and stir for 30 seconds until everything is mixed.
- Add the tomatoes. Use the back of a spoon to mash them if necessary.
- Mix in a cup of water and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes. Cover the pot so that the tomatoes don’t splatter.
- Add the green beans, potatoes, and kidney beans. Bring the pot to simmer, cover, and cook the stew for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Taste and add more berbere or salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve over rice if desired.
For the berbere spice mix
- Break the red chilis and shake the seeds out if you want your berbere less hot. Break the cinnamon stick.
- Add the whole spices (red chilies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns to a heavy bottom skillet or pan. Heat the seeds over medium heat and toast them for 1-2 minutes. Stir them continuously to keep them from burning.
- Transfer the whole spices to a spice grinder and grind the spices until they are broken down into a fine powder.
- Add the spices from the grinder and the ground spices (ginger, nutmeg, smoked and sweet paprika, turmeric, and sea salt to a small bowl or jar. Mix well.