ethiopian dinner!

[bikingandbaking]

So the main thing I wanted to successfully make sourdough starter to make at home was injera, sourdough Ethiopian flatbread.

This was only slightly successful in the first attempt; it was both rubbery and still pasty in the middle, although the flavor was correct. So I would not necessarily recommend the recipe below, although most of the problem was probably in the cooking, not the recipe itself.

The other things were all delicious, and very similar to restaurant food I've had. Slightly less oily, in general, but that's pretty much always true with home versions of these things. I used McCormick brand berbere spice mix rather than making my own; I will totally try DIY at some point, but that was one thing too many for today, especially since Wegman's had the blend on the shelf when we ventured out yesterday.

Vegetarian Ethiopian dinner (Atikilit Beyayinetu)

Sourdough Starter Shortcut Injera:

Reference recipes:
https://www.brewedandbrinedblog.com/recipe-injera-leavened-with-sourdough-starter/
https://unfussyepicure.com/2015/01/the-riddle-of-ethiopian-injera-is-sourdough-starter-the-answer.html

1 cup sourdough starter (unfed)
2 cups teff flour
2-3 cups water (to make pancake batter consistency)
1 tsp salt
Vegetable oil

Mix flour, starter, water. Let sit on counter overnight (24 hours). When ready to cook, add salt.
Oil cast-iron skillet and make like crepes - cook until bubbling and set, do not flip. (Add water or a little flour if batter is too thick/thin. Thinner than you think.)


looked okay, but then once I started making them thin enough to cook through without burning before the top was done, I got:


Ahead of time:
Make ginger/garlic paste in food processor with equal amounts of each. Freeze any extra, you will need about 12 Tbsp for all of the recipes below (using the "quick" spiced butter, which you will use all of. 2 heads garlic + equivalent amount ginger made about a cup, and I used that for everything. Some of the recipes below aren't quite equal amounts -- can use equal paste or could make the two pastes separately and combine.

Don't wash the food processor, you're going to grind onions in it next. 2 medium onions for the shiro wat, 1 for the Yekik Alicha, ~1/2 for the spiced butter. I had some small onions and so ground 5 and divided appropriately.

Niter Kibbeh (spiced butter), Quick Version:

Reference recipes:
https://www.daringgourmet.com/niter-kibbeh-ethiopian-spiced-clarified-butter/
https://www.africanbites.com/ethiopian-spiced-butter-niter-kibbeh/

Niter kibbeh is, traditionally, clarified spiced butter, that uses several spices I don't have and which the internet generally recommends just skipping rather than trying to sub for if you don't have them. I have ordered a couple for future experiments, but this was delicious as-is. All of this will be consumed by the recipes below.

1 stick (1/4 pound, 1/2 cup) butter (or coconut oil/vegetable oil/veggie spread for vegan version - this is the only sub needed for vegan versions)
1 small shallot or part of an onion, chopped or pureed
1 Tbsp garlic
1 Tbsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
dash each nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp black pepper

[Edit, after getting the missing spices: sub koremima/black cardamom for the green cardamom. Add 1/2 tsp each dried kosseret and besobela.]

Sautee onion/garlic/ginger in a few tablespoons of the butter, add ground spices and sautee until fragrant and onions are soft. Melt in remaining butter. Call it close enough.

Berbere paste

From the second time I made this, when I made my own berbere:

Makes ~1/2 cup (dried version) or a bit more paste, which this dinner will use most of:
1 3/4 oz dried medium chilis (guajillo, etc) or 1/4 cup ground medium chilis (korean, etc)
1/2 tsp nigella seeds
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ajwain seeds (if possible; if not, dried thyme + whole cumin)
1/2 tsp black cardamom/korerima seeds (or sub green)
1 tsp coriander seeds (optional)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (optional)
1/4 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp dried besobela (sub thai basil or basil)
Small chunk of whole cinnamon or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Either (for making dry spice blend in bulk):
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Or (fresh, use up immediately):
1/3 cup ground onion
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

Traditionally this would also have ~1 1/2 tsp salt, but I was using salted butter for the niter kibbeh and wanted more control on salting.

Using whole spices = better flavor but ground is OK too. I used coarse-ground gochugaru for the chilis, which are medium-heat and bright with a tiny bit of smokiness, not especially fruity.

Toast whole spices (including chiles, if using whole). May want to toast separately to avoid burning. Seed/vein chilis, and grind toasted spices with dried/ground herbs. If making all-dried, mix in ginger/onion/garlic. If making fresh, sautee onion and ginger/garlic together with a little oil, and mix, adding water to make mixable.

Shiro wot (ground chickpea stew)

Reference recipes:
https://afrogistmedia.com/how-to-prepare-a-tasty-shiro-wat-ethiopian-cuisine/
https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/simple-chickpea-flour-shiro-wat/
http://www.thegourmetgourmand.com/ethiopian-shiro-wat/

Note: I have tomato powder, because I got tired of having tomato paste go bad in the fridge. It's definitely an oddball ingredient but it's basically dried tomato paste, reconsitute by adding water. So that's what I used here.

2 Tbsp spiced butter
2 medium yellow onions, pureed
2 Tbsp tomato paste OR 2 Tbsp tomato powder OR 1 tomato, pureed
2-4 cloves (1 Tbsp) garlic, minced (or ginger/garlic combination)
3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
3 Tbsp berbere spice mix
salt (start with 1/2 tsp, add to taste), possibly a pinch sugar (I did not add any)

Sautee onion in dry pan until golden-colored (3-5 minutes). Add oil, spices, garlic, fresh tomato or paste, sautee until fragrant (3-4 more minutes). Turn heat off, and mix in chickpea flour (add tomato powder here if using that) until thoroughly mixed. Stir in ~2 cups of water and turn heat back on. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add additional water if too thick. Add spiced butter, salt and optional sugar to taste. (And additional cayenne if more heat is desired, your berbere may vary.)

Tikil gomen/Atakilt Wat (cabbage, potato, carrot)

Reference recipes:
https://www.veganricha.com/atakilt-wat-ethiopian-cabbage-potato/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/245497/tikil-gomen-ethiopian-cabbage/
https://thestayathomechef.com/tikel-gomen-ethiopian-cabbage-dish/
https://www.demandafrica.com/food/recipes/atakilt-wat-an-ethiopian-cabbage-dish/
https://foodjabi.com/2017/08/21/tikel-gomen-ethiopian-cabbage-dish/

1/2 head (5-6 cups) green cabbage, chopped
2-3 carrots (2 cups), large disks
4 small potatoes/3 medium/1-2 large (3 cups), peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves (1 tsp) garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp nigella seeds (optional)
Optional: green pepper, chopped -- add with onion if using. Can do spicy or bell pepper.
salt: start with 1 tsp, to taste

Sautee onion, garlic, spices in oil. Add water, carrots, potatoes. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done.



Yekik Alicha (turmeric yellow split peas)
Reference recipes:
http://walkingcookbook.blogspot.com/2012/11/ethiopian-feast-5-recipes-whew.html
https://www.veggiesbycandlelight.com/kik-alicha-ethiopian-yellow-split-pea-stew/

1 onion, either finely minced or pureed
1/2 lb (1 cup) yellow split peas, soaked overnight or quick-soaked (pour boiling water over, soak)
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp niter kibbeh + 2 Tbsp olive oil
salt: using water, start with 1 tsp; using broth, start with less

Reserve the 1 Tbsp niter kibbeh. Sautee onions and garlic/ginger in the olive oil until soft. Add turmeric and sautee a few seconds more. Add lentils and water and cook until done (30 min+). Add the reserved 1 Tbsp niter kibbeh.

Misir wot (spiced red lentils)

Reference recipes:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/misir-wot-spicy-red-lentils-3452190
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/misir-wot-ethiopian-spicy-lentils-1251827
https://spicecravings.com/ethiopian-red-lentil-stew-misir-wot
https://www.daringgourmet.com/misir-wat-ethiopian-spiced-red-lentils/
http://www.thegourmetgourmand.com/misir-wot-ethiopian-red-lentils/

2 cups red lentils, picked through and rinsed
2 onions (yellow or red), finely chopped
3-4 Tbsp niter kibbeh
2 tomatoes, finely chopped and/or 2 Tbsp tomato paste OR 2/3 cup canned chopped tomatoes (I used canned)
2-4 Tbsp berbere spice mix
1 Tbsp minced garlic (or ginger/garlic combination)
3-4 cups water or vegetable broth
salt: depends on your vegetable broth, I used maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp

Soak lentils for 1/2 hour or more. Reserve 2 Tbsp niter kibbeh and 1 Tbsp berbere. Sautee onions, tomatoes, & garlic in 2 Tbsp niter kibbeh with all but 1 Tbsp berbere until well-caramelized, adding water as needed not to stick (10+ min). Add lentils and water/broth and simmer until lentils are falling-apart soft, 30-40 min (or pressure cook 5 min at pressure + natural release). Add reserved spice mix and niter kibbeh.

Ye'abasha gomen (braised greens)

Reference recipes:
https://www.africanbites.com/ethiopian-collard-greens/
https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Yeabesha-Gomen-Ethiopian-Collard-Greens/

Traditionally collard, but will work with other greens; adjust cooking time as needed.

1 bunch (~2/3 of a pound) greens
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (~1 Tbsp) or ginger/garlic mix
3 Tbsp spiced butter
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne OR a few chopped fresh chilis
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Sautee onions and spices in spiced butter. Add greens and lemon juice, sautee until done. Salt to taste.