A Taste of Ethiopia

By

Deborah R. Turner

c. 2002

Known as the land of thirteen months of sunshine, Ethiopia is a country of many contrasts.  Mighty rivers rush down chasms cut in mountains towering to as high as 15,000 feet; serene lakes, some of them volcanic, are full of fish, birds, hippos and crocodiles; deep green forests climb the slopes of hills and mountains; the high, cool central plateaus and savannahs are full of game; and then there are sweltering deserts, some of which lie below sea level, where only the hardiest of man or beast survive.

     The capital, Addis Ababa (New Flower), sits in a high valley surrounded by the Entoto hills.  The city is cosmopolitan, full of restaurants, cafes, and international stores and businesses.  Addis Ababa is also host to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the International Labor Organization, and the Organization of African Unity, among others.

     The Merkato, in the center of the city, is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa.  A person can find just about anything the heart desires:  delicate gold and silver jewelry, crosses made of bronze, copper, and wood, gorgeous hand-carved statues, exquisitely woven basketwork, pottery, priceless silks, intricately embroidered cottons, tapestries,  and Swiss watches.  There are other areas where one can buy meat and basic household items like carved tables and stools, spices, grains, and cooking implements.  Everywhere there arises the babble of several languages spoken at once, the honks of cars or trucks, the buzz of flies, and the bleating of sheep and goats being driven to market.    

     The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic.  English and French are also spoken, especially in the large cities.  There are 83 other languages and 200 dialects spoken among the countrys 64.5 million people.

     Ethiopians are a marvelous people.  They are beautiful, brave, independent, hard-working, friendly, and generous.  Even the poorest of them will invite a guest into their house and share coffee, snacks or a meal.

     An Ethiopian meal is an absolute treat.  A formal meal starts with hand washing:  a metal or earthenware jug is brought and water is poured over the guests hands into a small basin.  The meal is served in round flat metal trays on which spoonfuls of sauce (wot) are artistically placed on top of the flat, spongy, sourdough pancake (injera) made of teff flour.

     Injera and wat is eaten with the fingers as the injera is fork, spoon and plate all in one.  The sauces are never pedestrian.  Even the simplest is an adventure of delicate, subtle spices and rich textures.

     There are two main types of sauces:  wats, made with a red pepper base, and alicha, made without red pepper, but spiced with turmeric, garlic, ginger, and green peppers.  The sauces can also be broken into vegetarian and meat.  Since many Ethiopians fast up to 200 days a year, there are myriad vegetarian recipes.  The meat wats are strong and robust, eaten every which way from raw to so hot it makes you sweat.

     The most famous of these wats is doro wat (chicken in sauce), which is served at every festive occasion.  The addition of hard-boiled eggs slit and steeped in the chicken sauce is heavenly.

     Beef and lamb are also favorite items in wats, as are potatoes, cabbage, carrots, split peas, lentils, spinach, and chick pea flour.

     Below are a few of the more popular recipes.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do.

     One of the first steps to real Ethiopian food is the clarified spiced butter.  This is the foundation for all the meat sauces.  It will keep for months in the refrigerator.

Nitir Qibe (Spiced Butter)

3 lbs butter

2 tsp. ginger, dried

1 T. garlic, minced

1 onion, minced

2 tsp. fenugreek, powdered

1 T. cardamom, powdered

½ tsp. white cumin, dried

1 tsp. sacred basil, dried

1 tsp. oregano, dried

½ tsp. turmeric

¼ tsp coriander, powdered

Chop onion and garlic.  Melt all butter over low heat, skimming foam until there is no more.  Add onion, garlic, and all the spices to the butter.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand till spices settle.  Strain through very fine sieve into large container.  Store in refrigerator until needed.

Doro Wat (Chicken in Sauce)

4 lbs chicken thighs

1/3 c. lime juice

1 c. spiced butter

3 c. onions, minced

¼ c. garlic, minced

3 T. ginger, minced

1/3 c. berbere *

1 tsp. black cumin **

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp fenugreek

1 tsp. dried mustard

1 tsp. mekellesha ***

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sacred basil

½ tsp turmeric

1 c. red wine

4-6 c. water

8 eggs, hard cooked and peeled.

Soak chicken thighs in lime juice for 30 minutes.  Melt the spiced butter in a large stockpot.  Add onions, garlic, and ginger; sauté till soft.  Add berbere and all spices except mekellesha.  Cook for 5-10 minutes.  Add wine and cook another 5 minutes.  Add chicken with the lime juice it was soaked in and the water.  Cook until chicken is very done.  Make slits in bard-cooked eggs and add them to the pot.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until wat has penetrated them well.  Add mekellesha the last five minutes of cooking.  Serve with injera.

* Berbere is a mix of red pepper and other spices and can be found in Ethiopian markets.

** Black cumin is a pungent spice found in Ethiopian markets

*** Mekellesha is a spice mix which can be made from 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp. cardamom, ½ tsp. cloves, ½ tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. allspice.

Atakilt Alicha (Vegetable Sauce)

3 T. oil

1 c. onions, minced

3 medium potatoes, cubed

3 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks

½ head of cabbage, chopped

1 Anaheim chili, sliced in half

1 T. garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ginger, minced

salt to taste

¼ tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. black cumin

1/8 tsp. turmeric

1/8 tsp. fenugreek

¼  tsp. cardamom

1 c. water

½ c. white wine

Cook onions, garlic and ginger in oil till tender.  Add carrots and potatoes to onions and cook a few minutes.  Add cabbage, water, wine, and spices.  Boil till sauce reduces.  Add the green peppers the last five minutes.  Serve with injera.

Kik Alicha (Split Pea Sauce)

1 lb. yellow split peas

6 c. water

2 c. onions, minced

3 T. oil

1 T. ginger, minced

2 T. Garlic, minced

¼ c. white wine

2 Anaheim chilies, sliced in half

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. fenugreek

¼ tsp. turmeric

¼ tsp. black cumin

½ tsp. cardamom

Wash split peas and boil until soft.  Drain.  Cook onions, garlic, and ginger in oil until soft.  Add peas; stir.  Add spices and a little water; simmer 30 minutes.  Slice green peppers and add to sauce.  Serve hot with injera.

Injera

4 c. self-rising flour

1 liter soda water

Water

Mix self rising flour and soda water together.  Add enough water to make a batter about the consistency of pancake batter.  Heat a large non-stick skillet.  Pour in about ¾ to 1 c. batter.  Swirl pan to make even.  When bubbles start to show on the top of the injera, cover with a lid and let bake for 2-3 minutes.  Injera should feel spongy to the touch, but not tacky.  Do not flip.  Remove from pan and repeat with remaining batter.  This will not have the sourness of real injera (which can be bought at any of the markets in Seattle), but it will give you an idea of how it should be.

Sidebar information:  If you are interested in trying Ethiopian food, there are several restaurants in the Seattle area:

Addis Café                       1224 East Jefferson            206-325-7805

Assimba Ethiopian Cuisine     2722 East Cherry     206-322-1019

Blue Nile Restaurant                 456 12^th Ave            206-320-8501

Enat Ethiopian Restaurant 11730 Pinehurst Way NE

                                                                        206-362-4901

Ghion Restaurant             7821 Rainier Ave S          206-723-5306

Kokeb Ethiopian Restaurant   926 12^th Ave           206-322-0485

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant  2800 E. Cherry       206-322-8565

Mesob Restaurant                  705 23^rd Avenue       206-860-0403

Saba Ethiopian Restaurant   110 12^th Avenue     206-328-2290

Zula Eritrean & Ethiopian Rest.   916 E. John           206-322-0852

If you would like to try your hand at the recipes themselves, there are four markets that have a great selection of spices available.  They also sell injera.

Ethiopian Markets/Groceries

Amys Merkato                                2922 E. Cherry    206-324-2527

                                                      11702 15^th Ave NE   206-362-1863

Ethiopian Food Grocery         507 13^th Avenue      206-320-1115

Warka Grocery                  2800 E. Cherry, Ste D.      206-325-1294