Exotic Ethiopian Recipes | Work & Life (2024)

Timatim Selata
A fresh tomato, cucumber and onion salad with a tangy kick of lemon juice and vinegar.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: Four

Ingredients
400 gm cherry tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
300 gm cucumber, chopped
50 gm white onions, chopped
4 green chillies, deseeded and chopped fine
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp fruit or malt vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper powder
2 tsp olive oil

Method
Toss all ingredients, except olive oil, together. Drizzle over with olive oil and serve chilled.

Atkilt Alicha
A hearty vegetable stew.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: Four

Ingredients
For the berbere paste, dry roast and blend:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
4 cardamoms
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
8 peppercorns
2 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
6 dried red chillies
3 tbsp chopped onion
6 flakes garlic, crushed
1 tbsp deghi mirch powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp nutmeg powder
6 tbsp oil
3 tbsp water

For the stew
3 tbsp oil
200 g onions, chopped
150 g green bell peppers, diced
250 g potatoes, peeled & cubed
150 g carrots, diced
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
200 g tomatoes, puréed
½ cup water
1½ tbsp berbere paste
salt, to taste
400 g cabbage, cut into chunks

Method:
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and sauté onions well. Add vegetables, garlic and ginger, and stir on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomato purée, water, berbere powder and salt, and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in cabbage and bring the sauce to a boil. Remove from heat, check seasoning and serve hot.

Misir Wot
A warm peppery lentil stew that might be reminiscent in flavour and appearance to our very own dal.Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: Four

Ingredients:
100 gm onions, chopped
2 tsp minced ginger
4 flakes garlic, crushed
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp deghi mirch powder
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
400 gm whole red lentils
900 ml water
salt, to taste

Method:
Grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine purée. Add a little water if necessary. Heat the oil in a thick-bottom pot and add the onion purée, turmeric, deghi mirch, green chillies and black pepper, and stir over medium heat for five minutes till the raw smell disappears. Add in the lentils, water and salt, and simmer for about 40 minutes till the lentils are cooked through and almost falling apart and most of the liquid has been absorbed. The cooking time could be cut into less than half if you use a pressure cooker. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Shimbra Asa
Crispy, deep-fried dumplings simmered in a spicy fragrant tomato and onion sauce.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: Four

Ingredients
400 gm gram flour
salt, to taste
140 ml water + 200 ml extra
300 ml oil, to deep-fry
2 tbsp oil
100 gm chopped onions
100 gm tomatoes, puréed
2 tsp deghi mirch powder
3 tbsp berbere spice powder (blend as mentioned earlier without oil or water)

Method
Mix gram flour and salt with 140 ml water and knead to a thick dough. Roll until ¼-inch thick and cut into the desired shape. Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry until golden. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen napkins. Heat 2 tbsp oil in another pan and sauté onions till soft. Add tomato purée and cook on medium heat till thick. Add deghi mirch powder, berbere spice powder, salt and 200 ml water, and bring to a rapid boil for a minute. Reduce heat, add fried dumplings and simmer for 10 minutes till sauce coats the dumplings. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Gomen Wot
Traditionally made with gomen or collard greens (a harder version of spinach), this dish uses regular spinach.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Serves: Four

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
75 gm onions, chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp chopped green chillies
2 tsp chopped ginger
½ tsp turmeric powder
800 gm spinach leaves, cleaned and trimmed
salt, to taste
1 tsp cinnamon powder
juice of 2 lemons

Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry onions and garlic until onion turns soft. Add the green bell pepper, green chillies, ginger and turmeric powder, and stir on medium heat until the turmeric no longer smells raw. Add spinach, salt and cinnamon powder and stir-fry on high heat until spinach leaves have wilted. Remove from heat, sprinkle over with the lemon juice and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Anupa Shah