Ethiopia

The 13th country in our Eating Around the World Adventure is Ethiopia.

From what I have found, Ethiopian food is based on spicy stews/curries called wats. The food I have tried is packed full of flavour from the spices they add to their food. Meat is really only eaten on special occasions, most meals are vegetable or legume based.

I never tried injera bread which is the traditional bread to eat wats with. It is bread that is thicker than a crepe but thinner than a pancake. They don't use utensils in Ethiopia, so the bread is the vessel used to pick up the stews. Instead I served it with flat bread, I'm sure not the same, but it worked, I just wasn't sure about following the recipes I found for injera, so I didn't make it. Maybe one day. 

What I love about Ethiopian food is that it feeds a crowd, even the way Ethiopian food is served, on a communal platter, is designed for sharing food with each other. Food is not meant to be eaten alone in Ethiopian culture. 

I was pleasantly surprised with Ethiopian food, and doing this little adventure with my family has been great. We have tried flavours that if we didn't do this, we may never have tried. I do love that my family have given everything I cooked a chance. They have tried all the new flavours they have been introduced to.

Visiting Ethiopia on our food journey is something I have loved and many dishes I will make again and again.

Here is what I made

Berbere Spice
Niter Kibbeh-Spiced Butter
​Doro Wat-Chicken Stew
​Sik Sik Wat-Beef Stew
​Beef Tibs
Lentil Stew
Lentil and Tomato Soup
Eggplant and Tomato Salad
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Berbere Spice: Berbere means hot, so this is a spice mix that adds flavour and heat to your dish. It is not crazy hot, it just adds a lovely heat to a dish. Now I have tried two versions of this spice mix, one I loved and used with my doro wat and lentil stew, and one I hated, that I used to make the lentil and tomato soup. The one I am sharing today was delicious, it adds a lovely flavour to your wat, it's easy to make and you can use it in all the dishes I specify berbere spice is needed.

​Here is how I made it:

3 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoon ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 tablespoon or more Hot Chilli powder or cayenne pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or jar, stir until well mixed, to combine.
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Niter Kibbeh-Spiced Butter: This is a spice-infused clarified butter that is ever- present in Ethiopian cooking with an great depth of flavor. Now the first time I made this clarified butter I used a recipe, won't do that again, the method used took forever to remove the milk solids from the butter. So I have modified this recipe only in how I clarify butter, after that I followed the original recipe. This butter smells great and adds such a lovely flavour to a wat.

Here is how I made it:

This makes more than you need for any one recipe, but it stores well in the refrigerator for up to a month.

450g unsalted butter
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
5-6 fresh basil leaves

Here is a video for the process to clarify butter, that I prefer.

To clarify butter:
Place the butter over a very low heat in a medium sized saucepan. Bring it slowly to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Skim off any white foamy bits that have come to the surface.

Leave to cool slightly so that the milk solids drop to the surface of the saucepan. Once this happens, slowly pour the clear yellow clarified butter from the top into a clean small saucepan, stop when you have nearly reached the white milk solids.

Now to the clarified butter add the onion, garlic, cardamon, fenugreek, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, oregano, turmeric and basil leaves. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl or jar, and it is ready to use.

Doro Wat: Chicken Stew: This was delicious. This is not an everyday dish in Ethiopia, this is special occasion food. I really loved these flavours. It was an easy recipe to follow. You first had to make the berebere spice mix and the spiced butter, both recipes are above this recipe. Now I served it with pita bread as I did not find a recipe for Ethiopian bread that I was willing to try, but it worked well, and again, it was easy, but I know, not traditional. I would definitely eat this again.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 6

Make the berbere spice mix.
Make the niter kibbeh.

1 x 1.5kg whole chicken, you could use marylands or just thighs, if you prefer
3 tablespoons spiced butter 
3 medium onions, sliced
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons Berbere Spice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried basil
6 large soft boiled eggs
1-2 Lemons, freshly squeezed (adjust to taste)
​1 tablespoon plain flour, if needed to thicken the sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut up the chicken into 8 pieces, season with salt and pepper.

In a large pot, over medium heat, heat until hot. Add the spiced butter and onions. Sauté onions, stirring frequently, for about 7 -10 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown.

After the onions are caramelized, add the oil, then add the berebere spice , garlic and ginger.

Stir for about 2-3 minutes, for the flavors to blossom and the mixture has a deep rich brown color. Be careful not to let it burn.

Add the tomato paste, stir through for 30 seconds. Then add the chicken pieces, give it a quick stir through. Then add about 2-3 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken. Add the paprika and basil. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, simmer for about 40 minutes.

In the meantime, soft boil your eggs. Peel the eggs.

Once the 40 minutes has passed, if your sauce looks to thin at this stage add in a little plain flour mixed with water to thicken it, if it is too thick, you can add a little extra water.

Add in the eggs and lemon juice; thoroughly mix to ensure that the eggs are immersed in the sauce. 

Continue cooking until chicken is tender about 10 minutes.

Serve warm.
Enjoy!
​

Sik Sik Wat-Beef Stew-Like the chicken version above this was delicious. This is not an everyday dish in Ethiopia, this is special occasion food. I really loved these flavours. It was an easy recipe to follow. You first had to make the berebere spice mix and the spiced butter, both recipes are above this recipe. Now I served it with pita bread as I did not find a recipe for Ethiopian bread that I was willing to try, but it worked well, and again, it was easy, but I know, not traditional. I would definitely eat this again.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 4-6

900g chuck steak
1 lemon, juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
¼ cup niter kibbeh, recipe above
2 tablespoons ground paprika
¼ - ½ cup berbere paste made by combining 3 tablespoons berbere spice mixed with  1 tablespoon red wine and 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
¾ cup water or stock
¼ cup red wine
1 teaspoon  cayenne pepper, depending on taste
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 hard boiled eggs

​Rub stew beef with salt and lemon juice. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Melt down niter kibbeh in a large pan. Add paprika to colour the oil.

Add berbere paste and cook for 3 minutes, making sure not to burn.

Add onions, garlic and ginger, cooking for 10 minutes until soft and most moisture is evaporated

Add beef, water, wine and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes until beef is tender and sauce has thickened. Add water as necessary to keep sauce a thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Hard boil eggs if using and peel them.

Add eggs to the wat and simmer for 15 more minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Beef Tibs: This was one of my favourite dishes. It's super easy to make and one my family were surprised they would love, but they all really did love it. They ate it so quickly. This is definitely something I would make again. 

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 2-3

​5 tablespoons niter kibbeh, recipe above
2 medium onions, chopped medium 
7cm knob ginger, minced, about 2 tablespoons
6 medium cloves garlic, minced, about 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons berbere spice, recipe above
salt, to taste
455g beef sirloin, cut into 2cm cubes, trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice, to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Rice, to serve

Melt niter kibbeh in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, then add onions, ginger, garlic, and berbere spice. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, the onions will darken from the spices, but do not burn them. Onions should be at a low sizzle during cooking process. Adjust heat accordingly. Transfer to food processor and blend until not quite a purée. Return to saucepan, season to taste with salt, and keep warm.

Season beef on all sides generously with salt. Heat oil in a 30cm frying pan over high heat high until lightly smoking. Add beef in a single layer, leaving plenty of open space in the pan (brown in batches if you don't have a large enough skillet). Cook without moving until well-seared on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip meat cubes with tongs and cook on second side until well seared. Continue to cook meat, stirring and flipping occasionally until desired level of doneness is reached.

Toss beef with warm sauce, stir in lemon juice, and serve immediately with fresh coriander and rice.
Enjoy!

Lentil Stew: I really liked this, my kids said it reminded them of an Indian curry. The spice mix was lovely, I served it with bread, as I didn't make injera bread. It wasn't the same I would imagine, but it was still delicious. Because of the amount of flavour in this dish, I didn't even miss the meat. I would definitely eat this again and again.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 4

1 cup dry lentils, soaked for 2 hours
1-2 tablespoons niter kibbeh
¼ cup canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons berbere spice
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon coriander or cumin
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Soak lentils in cold water for  hours.

Heat up a large sauce-pan over medium heat, add the spiced butter and oil, then add onion, berbere spice, garlic, ginger, coriander or cumin and smoked paprika, stir occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent.

Then add drained lentils and tomato paste, stir and sauté for about 2-3 more minutes. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper.
​
Bring to a boil and let it simmer until sauce thickens, it might take about 30-40 minutes, depending on how you like your lentils. You may need to add more stock or water, if needed, if it thickens too much before the lentils are cooked through, add in 1/2 cup at time, until it has a stew consistency and the lentils are cooked.
 
Add in some parsley or coriander, taste, for seasoning.

Serve warm.
Enjoy!
​

Lentil and Tomato Soup: This soup is a strange one. My husband and one of my sons, absolutely loved it, my other son and my daughter thought it was nice. I on the other hand, absolutely hated it. My whole family loved the spice mix in it, I could not stand it. I will share the recipe here with you today, as my family loved it, but in all honesty if I was ever going to cook this again for me, I would change the berebere spice mix to the one I posted above. But I will one day also make this for my family like this, as they really enjoyed it.

Here is how I made it: 

Serves 6

185g (1 cup) brown lentils, soaked for 2 hours
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons berbere spice mix
400g tin crushed tomatoes
2 litres (8 cups) vegetable stock
1-2 potatoes, diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Berbere Spice Mix:
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons hot paprika
1 tablespoon sweet paprika

Zesty Yoghurt Topping:
90g (1/3 cup) plain yoghurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, zested

Combine all the Berbere spice mix ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Set aside in a small airtight container.

Soak the lentils in cold water for 2 hours.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. If the vegetables begin to stick and brown before they are softened, add a tablespoon of water.

Add the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the berebere spice mix and cook, stirring, for a further minute, or until fragrant.

Stir in the tomatoes, drained lentils and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30–40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Add the potato and cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
​
Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with a spoonful of the zesty yoghurt on top.
Enjoy!
​

Eggplant and Tomato Salad: This makes quite a large salad, but what I love is that it keeps well in the refrigerator for days. I served it with different meats, beef, chicken etc, it's a lovely salad to go with a barbecue. I also enjoyed it with some flatbread as a light lunch.

This is how I made it: 

Serves 6-8

4 eggplants
2 large zucchinis
1 red onion, sliced
2 green capsicums, chopped
6tomatoes, chopped
2 long green chillies, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
80ml olive oil
Cos lettuce leaves, red chilli and lime wedges, to serve

Preheat oven to 180C. Place eggplants and zucchinis on a large oven tray. Prick all over with a skewer and roast for 1 hour or until skin is blackened and wrinkled, and the flesh is very tender.
When cool enough to handle, halve the eggplants and zucchinis, and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skins. Chop flesh and place in a large bowl with the onion, capsicums, tomatoes, chillies and parsley.
Whisk together lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Season salad with salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter, top with eggplant and tomato salad, and serve with chilli and lime wedges.
Enjoy!

Now to add another sticker to my world map.

Next stop Benin