We are so lucky at Commonsense Organics to have access to some of the best Ethiopian food around! So lucky in fact- that we have decided to share the recipes, that have been shared with us, by our awesome staff.
Ethiopian Recipes
Traditionally Ethiopian food is served on a huge piece of injera (Injera is the pancake-like sourdough bread), with the kaiwot (meat dish) in the centre and the alecha (vegetable stews) around the outside. You tear a piece out of the injera and use it to scoop up the kaiwot or alecha. In New Zealand, injera is made in individual portions (about the size of a dinner plate), and the food is still eaten using the injera instead of knives and forks.
Injera
Ingera is the staple of Ethiopian meals and would usually be made with Teff flour. Teff flour is hard to get and although we have recently started to sell it- this recipe uses rice and wheat flour.
- 3kg rice flour
- 1kg Kialla flour
- 1 tsp fresh yeast mixed to a thin paste with water
Mix yeast to a thin paste with a little tepid water. Mix rice flour and wheat flour and knead with tepid water until it makes a thin paste. Add yeast mixture and leave to rise for 2 days.
After 2 days the dough will have risen, but some will have settled. Mix well by hand to get rid of any lumps. Add 1 and a half cups cold water to the dough. Boil 2 and a half cups of water in a pot and add one cup of dough drop by drop and then very slowly, stirring all the time – it makes a paste like school glue. Heat on high until it thickens stirring all the time – about 2 minutes. Cool until it is hot enough to hold your finger in without burning. Add very slowly to Injera dough. Leave for one day.
If water has collected on top of the dough, scoop it off. Add water to make a pancake consistency (very runny). Cook like pancakes. Cool before adding next Injera to the pile.
Alecha with split peas
- 475g yellow split peas
- 250ml water
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup light olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 heaped tsp fresh ginger, chopped or blended
- 1 green capsicum, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 chilli (green or red)
- salt to taste
Cover split peas with water, bring to boil and simmer until cooked. Fry onions with no oil. Add one cup light olive oil when onion is hot (about 1 minute). Add turmeric, water and 2 tsp salt. Stir for 2minutes. Add capsicum. Add ginger, garlic and chilli. Add mixture to split peas and fold through. Serves 6.
Kaiwot
- 4 finely chopped onions
- 1dsp berbere (chilli paste)
- three quarters of a cup light olive oil
- 200g tomato paste
- salt and ground pepper to taste
- 700g chicken, frying beef or lamb, finely chopped
- large knob of ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Fry onions in oil until golden brown. Add berbere and mix well. Add tomato paste and cook on high for up to 10 minutes. The longer you cook the berbere, the milder the chilli – add water to stop the mixture sticking. Add meat and ginger. Cook until meat is cooked – c 20 minutes. 5 minutes before meat is cooked add salt and ground black pepper and coriander.
Fasuliya
- 250g green beans
- half cup olive oil
- 6 carrots –cut into 4cm strips with centre of carrot removed
- 1 onion
- 1dsp chopped garlic
- 1-2 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
- salt to taste
Top and tail beans and break in half. Heat oil and fry beans in oil for 5 minutes. Remove beans. Fry carrots and remove. Fry onion and garlic. Add carrots and beans. Add chilli and salt to taste.
Alecha with potatoes
- 1 onion, sliced
- half cup sunflower oil
- 1tsp turmeric
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cabbage, chopped
- 2 red chilli, sliced
- 2 and a half tsp salt
- 5 potatoes, cut into wedges
Fry onion in oil. Add all other ingredients and stir until cooked – about 10-15 minutes. Serves 6.
Lettuce salad
Mix 4 tomatoes, 1 lettuce chopped, half capsicum, juice of 2 limes, half onion sliced and 1 tsp salt.
Vegetable salad
- 2 beetroot
- 2 carrots
- 2 potatoes
- half onion, chopped
- green chilli
- 2dsp olive oil
- 1 lettuce
- small green capsicum
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt to taste
Boil beetroot and peel, then chop. Boil carrots and potatoes, then chop. Mix carrots, potatoes, onion and beetroot. Add all other ingredients and mix.
Sudanese chilli sauce dip
- 1 dsp berbere (Ethiopian chilli paste)
- 2 limes or lemons
- 1 dsp peanut butter
- salt to taste
Mix all ingredients. Use as side dish with any of the above dishes or as nibbles with corn chips.
Spice Tea
- 2g whole cloves
- 2g green cardamom pods
- 3 cinnamon quills
Blend. Pour jugful of boiling water on spices and leave to draw for 2-3 minutes.
More interesting links on Ethiopian dishes
A gluten free Injera bread recipe
A fantastic Al Brown recipe with a full list of ingredients to make your own Berbere!
Keen on making your own?
