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I am not ethnically Ethiopian, but I am lucky to live in a community with many Ethiopian restaurants, and have become a devotee of the cuisine. For years I delighted in dining at these restaurants, but it never once occurred to me that I could make these delicacies at home.
Then one day, a heavy pour from the bulk bin at my local health foods store left me with a glut of yellow split peas, and a one-track mind on how I wanted to prepare them. A quick read of this article by Jennifer Bain of The Star was all I needed. I made a few modifications to these recipes to keep my meals oil-free. I also used some short-cut methods to keep kitchen-time down to one hour and to adapt to the ingredients I had on-hand.
I always assumed that these dishes would be hard to make, but as it turns out, they’re really easy, and the only specialty ingredients you may need are Injara (the trademark staple of Ethiopian cuisine, which is similar to a sourdough pancake) and Berbere spice blend. If you don’t have access to a store that sells these ingredients, the stews are delicious even without the Injara, and Berbere spice can be made at home rather simply with some widely available dried spices. Here is a Berbere Spice Mix recipe from Immaculate Bites. This has become such a go-to dinner for me now though that I like to keep a jar of berbere spice on-hand for a quick Ethiopian feast.
This platter features Misir Wot, Kik Alicha, Roasted Sweet Potato, some diced avacado, and a salad that I whipped up, inspired by the Tomato salads typically served in Ethiopian restaurants. While not the most traditional Ethiopian meal, it was truly satisfying!
Roasted Sweet Potato
2 large sweet potatoes
pinch of salt
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and place both sweet potatoes on the liner. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife or fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Slice in half, and the skins should easily peel off. You may dice the potatoes, or serve them in halves.
Misir Wot, Beeteater Style
aka Berbere Lentils
1 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup berbere spice blend, or to taste
1 tbsp dried ginger
4 cloves fresh peeled garlic
1 cup dried red lentils, washed
3 cups water + more if needed
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
In medium saucepan, add all ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often and adding water if needed, until lentils disintegrate and mixture is a thick stew, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.
Makes about 4 cups.
Kik Alicha, Beeteater Style
AKA: YELLOW SPLIT PEAS WITH TURMERIC SAUCE (YEKIK ALICHA)
1 cup dried yellow split peas, washed
1 large yellow onions, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp dried ginger
4 cloves garlic (or to taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 cups water + more if needed
3/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
Thinly sliced jalapeños with seeds
In medium saucepan, add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until split peas are very soft and stew is thick, about 30 minutes. Serve garnished with jalapenos and bell peppers.
Makes about 3 cups.
Ethiopian Green Salad, Beeteater Style
Veggies:
1 small white onion (or 1/2 large onion)
1 carrot, sliced into medallions
1 large tomato, diced
1-2 sliced pickled jalapeños (about 2 Tbps., or to taste)
1 cup fresh arugula (or green of your choice)
Dressing:
2 Tbsps. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsps. Brine from Pickled Jalapenos (or white distilled vinegar)
2 cloves fresh peeled garlic
1 tsp. dried ginger
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Then add the vegetables and toss to evenly coat.
Makes about 3 cups of salad.
