Author: RickKoken

Misir Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Red Lentils)

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons niter kibbeh, divided
  • Homemade Niter Kibbeh (strongly recommended)
  • 1 large yellow onion, very finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Roma tomato, very finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons bebere , divided
  • Homemade Berbere (strongly recommended)
  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 2 1/2 cups Aneto All-Natural Chicken Brothvegetarians: use Aneto Vegetable Broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons of the niter kibbeh in a medium stock pot.  Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.  Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of the berbere and cook for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed to prevent burning.Add the broth and salt, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer the lentils, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes (adding more broth if needed) or until the lentils are soft.Stir in the remaining tablespoon of niter kibbeh and berbere. Simmer for a couple more minutes. Add salt to taste.Serve with Ethiopian injera.

Remarks

Kik Alicha (Ethiopian Split Pea stew)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (36.25 g) dry split yellow peas soak overnight or 2 hours
  • 1/4 cup (36.25 g) dry split green peas soak overnight or 2 hours
  • 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1/2 (0.5 ) red onion chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger minced
  • 1/3 teaspoon (0.33 teaspoon) turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt or to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Variations

  • Add a 1/2 teaspoon berbere spice blend for a spicier Wat version
  • Add a chopped Serrano pepper.

Instructions

Soak the split peas overnight or at least 2 hours in warm water, drain and rinse.

In a deep pan, add oil, add onions, ginger and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent.(add chopped Serrano or Jalapeno if using)

Add the turmeric and mix well.

Add rinsed split peas, salt, pepper and water. Mix, cover and bring to a boil on medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for 35-45 minutes or until peas have softened to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and spice if needed.

Or use a Pressure cooker: Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high and then on low for 15 minutes. ( Pressure cook for 8 to 10 minutes after the pressure is reached for electric pressure cooker, then natural release). The pictures are of the pressure cooked stew.

Mash the peas if desired. Add some lemon juice if desired and serve. Tastes best with a sour flat bread like Injera.

Remarks

Shiro Wat

Ingredients

  • ½ cup oil
  • ½ cup chickpea flour
  • 2 medium onions pureed
  • 1 roma tomato pureed
  • 4 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 2 tablespoons niter kibbeh Ethiopian spiced clarified butter
  • 2 to 2 ½ cups of water
  • 3 tablespoons berbere spice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 jalepeno chopped (optional)

Instructions

Bring a heavy bottom stockpot to medium heat. Add pureed onions to the dry pan, and saute until they become dry and start to take on color- about 4-5 minutes. Add the oil and berbere spice. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Next add tomato and chopped garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes more.

Now start whisking in about half of the chickpea flour. Gradually start to add about 1 cup of water. Whisk in the remaining chickpea flour and an additional 1 cup of water. Whisk until mixture is very smooth. Add remaining ½ cup of water if you prefer your shiro a little thinner.

Heat until the shiro begins to pop (simmer). Then add the niter kibbeh, garlic powder, sugar, and salt to taste, stirring until combined.

Simmer for about 5-10 minutes over low heat until the flavors combine and the oil separates slightly from the shiro.

Garnish with jalepeno, if desired.

Serve with fresh injera.

Remarks

Beef Tibs

The sauce in this dish gets its kick from berbere, an Ethiopian chili powder fragrant with cardamom, fenugreek, and clove. Use it once and you’ll see why a good chunk of Ethiopian cuisine is built on it.

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons niter kibbeh, or plain unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, chopped medium (about 2 cups)
  • 3 inch knob ginger, minced, about 2 tablespoons
  • 6 medium cloves garlic, minced, about 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons berbere
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes, trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

Melt niter kibbeh or butter in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, then add onions, ginger, garlic, and berbere. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are dark, ruddy, and golden, about 30 minutes. 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. 2.

Season beef on all sides generously with kosher salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet 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. For rare meat, transfer to saucepan immediately. For medium, cook an additional one to two minutes before transferring to saucepan. For well done, cook up to five more minutes before transferring to saucepan. 3.

Toss beef with warm sauce, stir in lemon juice, and serve immediately.

Remarks

Apricot, Pistachio, and Lemon Coffee Cake

Ingredients

  • 227 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
  • 347 g granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 30 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 227 g plain yogurt
  • 405 g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 160 g chopped dried apricots
  • 85 g shelled unsalted pistachios

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Butter and flour a 25 cm Bundt or tube pan.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and yogurt until just combined. (The mixture may look like it’s curdled. Don’t worry, it will smooth out when dry ingredients are added.)

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until blended. The batter will be thick. Stir in the apricots and nuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then unmold the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely prior to slicing.

Remarks

2021\04 Ethiopië

Ethiopian food is typically various spicy stews/curries (called wats) made of different meats or legumes, that are served on top of a large circle of Ethiopian sourdough flat-bread called injera.  Injera is critical to any authentic Ethiopian meal.  It basically serves as both the “platter” for your meal as well as your utensil, because you don’t use spoons or forks when eating Ethiopian. You pick everything up with your right hand, preferably with a small amount of injera as a vehicle.

  • Date: 15-4-2021
  • At: Esther & Melike
  • Theme: Ethiopia

Iranian Cucumber Salad

Would you like to create a mosaic in a bowl? Capture the beauty of Iran in a bite? This bright, crunchy, sour Iranian side dish is at once cooling and hydrating – perfect for these dog days of summer. Also, it tastes a heck of a lot like a quick pickle. If you add the big bits of coarse ground pepper, you’ll be bitten by a teasing taste of heat.

Recipe adapted from The Silk Road Gourmet by Laura Kelley. You can find more recipes and fascinating history on her blog Silk Road Gourmet.

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and cut into small pieces
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 14-16 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 lime juiced (about 2 Tbsp)
  • salt
  • coarsely cracked pepper
  • Ground sumac (garnish)

Instructions

The beauty of this salad is how easy it is.

Simply cut everything up, and toss together.

Cucumber salad, left

Cover and place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Let yourself drift off and dream the day away. When you awake, sprinkle the cucumber salad with sumac and take a giant bite of pickled goodness.

Thanks, Iran. That was easy!

Remarks

Smoked aubergine and pepper salad with pomegranate molasses

Sabrina Ghayour’s recipe for sweet and smokey vegan aubergine salad would make the perfect addition to a generous sharing spread. Infused with the flavours of Persia, it’s a little bit of middle-Eastern magic for you and your friends to enjoy

Ingredients

  • aubergine 4 large
  • red pepper 3 large
  • flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, roughly chopped (hold some back for the garnish
  • garlic 2 cloves, crushed
  • olive oil 6 tbsp
  • lemon 1/2, juiced
  • ground cinnamon a pinch
  • pomegranate molasses 75ml
  • pomegranate seeds 100g
Aubergine salad, in the front

Instructions

Blister and char the skins of the aubergines and peppers either on a BBQ, under the grill or on the hob, until they crisp and are completely charred. This will take about 20 minutes under a hot grill.

Once done, put the aubergines on to a heatproof surface or tray and allow to cool for about 20 minutes until they’re just warm and you’re able to handle them.

Put the peppers into a plastic bag and close with a tie allowing them to sweat for about 20 minutes. Once done, the blackened, charred skin should slide easily off the peppers until you’re left with just the roasted flesh. Remove and discard the seeds and stalk, roughly chop the peppers and put into a bowl.

Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the flesh of the aubergines and drain off any juice, discarding the charred skin. Chop the flesh into smallish chunks, put in the pepper bowl and mix gently.

Add the parsley, crushed garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt and pepper and give all the ingredients a good mix until they’re evenly combined. Serve the aubergine on a wide, flat platter and spread it out. Drizzle generously with pomegranate molasses, scatter with the remaining parsley and finally the pomegranate seeds.

Remarks

  • Serves: 6
  • Total time: 1 uur
  • Line the hob with foil to prevent a heavy clean-up as the juices can be messy when charring the aubergine and peppers.