Ethiopian Barley and Flax Instant Meal (Besso Betelba)

Barley and Flax Besso is a kind of cereal which is perfect for breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups barley flour (Yebeso Duket)
4 tablespoon flax seed powder
2 tablespoons clarified butter (Nitir Kebe) or
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Mitimita (cayenne-type hot pepper)*
1 cup boiling water
½ teaspoon cardamom (Korerima)*
Salt (if needed)

Preparation:

1st Step: Boil water, remove from heat, combine it with butter or oil, mitmita, cardamom, and salt;

2nd Step: Place barley flour in bowl, gradually add the spicy marinated liquid and blend it well with spatula to avoid lump.

3rd Step: Using a tight sifter, spread the flax seeds powder over the blended barley and mix it well. Put it in individual serving plates and serve it with milk or orange juice.

Servings 2

Notes:

• Barley flour (Besso): If roasted barely flour is unavailable (a) Take 3 cups of barley seeds, soak and remove inedible outer skin (b) lightly roast the seeds for 10 minutes (c) grind the seeds (c) add ½ teaspoon roasted garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon ginger powder and salt to taste; grind it more; keep it in a tight container, store it in fridge; use it whenever needed.
• Flax seeds: Lightly roast the flax seeds, grind it; keep it in a tight container, use it immediately or keep it in the fridge for a day or two.

Click here to prepare Purified/Clarified Butter (Nitir Kebe)

* You will find the spices mentioned here in Ethiopian or Indian shops/groceries

Ethiopian Oat Cereal (YeAjja Qiniché)

YeAjja Qiniché is a breakfast meal easy to prepare and fulfilling.

Ingredients:
2 cups cracked oats
2 tablespoon purified butter (NitirKebe)* or
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups or more water
1½ cup milk (optional)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon raisins
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1st Step: Rinse the cracked oats very well;

2nd Step: in a medium cooking pot, boil water; add milk, 1 tablespoon butter or 2 tablespoon oil, garlic, black pepper, turmeric powder, salt.

3rd Step: In the spiced boiling pot, add the cracked oats and cook it in a lower heat;

4th Step: After 15 minutes of cooking the oats, sprinkle the raisins and cook it for another 5 to 10 minutes or until it absorbs the water, stir continuously and gently;

5th Step: Remove from heat; add the remaining butter or olive oil and mix it very well; serve it immediately or keep it in the fridge, serve it warm.

Serving 4 persons

* Click here to prepare Purified/Clarified Butter (Nitir Kebe)

Spiced Collard Green (YeGomen Kitfo)

This simple vegetable side-dish is appetizing and nutritious.

Ingredients:

1 lb collard green
2 teaspoons Mitmita *
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or
1½ tablespoon purified/clarified butter (Nitir Kebe) **
½ teaspoon cardamom powder (korerima) *
½ teaspoon garlic powder or fresh garlic (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste
Water as required

Preparation:

1st Step: Separate the leaves, cut and discard the end stems, wash well in cold water. Then finely chop the leaves. Soak it in cold water;

2nd Step: Boil 8 cups of water in a large pot and add the collard green, whenever needed add boiled water and cook it for 20 minutes or until tender or until it absorbs all water.

3rd Step: Step: In medium pot, on a lower heat melt the butter, remove from heat, add mitmita, cardamom, garlic, black pepper, salt. If oil is used, no need warm, just mix it with the rest of ingredients;

4th Step: Combine the cooked collard green with the spicy butter or oil; using fork and spoon, mix it until completely marinated.

5th Step: Serve it with Injera, pita bread or any bread of your choice.

* You will find these spices in Ethiopian or Indian shops/groceries
** Please click here to see how to prepare Purified/Clarified Butter (Nitir Kebe)

Sardines Wot (Sardines Stew)

Sardines Stew is my sister Haimi's favorite dish.
 
Ingredients:
12 oz sardines (4 canned)
1 cup shallot or red onions (finely chopped)
1 ½ tablespoons hot red chili powder (berbere)
2 tablespoon tomato sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
4 garlic cloves (diced)
¼ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
1½ cup water
Salt (if needed)

Preparation:

1st Step: Cook the onion with 1 tablespoon of oil and ½ cup of water (by gradually adding the water); stir and sauté continuously until it is very soft.

2nd Step: Add ½ cup of water, chili powder, tomato sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper and 2 tablespoons oil boil; stir and cook for 10 minutes and add ½ cup water and cook for 2 minutes;

3rd Step: Open the sardines, strain and discard the oil or water which comes with it; add the sardines in the stew and stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add cardamom powder and stir. Remove from heat.

4th Step: Serve it warm or cold as dipping sauce.

Serving 4.

Teff Injera (Ethiopian flat-thin bread)

Teff is tiny ancient grain grown in Ethiopia and Injera is mainly a product of Teff.

Ingredients:

4 ½ lbs (2kg) Teff flour
1 teaspoon dried yeast
water (as required)

Preparation:

1st Step: Starter - mix the yeast with one cup of warm water; keep until rises;
2nd Step: Meantime, sift the Teff into a big bowl, mix it by hand with cold water, or blend it lightly in a food processor; add the starter and mix it well;

3rd Step: Pour the dough in a medium tall container; add water generously; cover and set aside overnight to ferment;

4rd Step: The second day, discard the water from the dough; add fresh water to it generously and keep it outside for another 24 hours.

5th Step: The third day, discard the water from the dough;

6th Step: In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water; add one cup of the fermented dough, mix it well with spatula for 10 minutes or until it is thick; mix it with the fermented dough; add water as required. It should be thinner than pancake dough.

7th Step: Preheat a flat large skillet or Ethiopian Injera pan (Mettade), leave it on low fire when baking, take ½ cup or less dough, pour it in circle starting from the edge. Bake it for 30 -40 seconds. As Injera is delicate, remove from the pan carefully, put it on a flat surface or a flat platter to cool; depending on the size of skillet, you may get 20 to 30 Injera.

8th Step: Serve it at room temperature. Keep it outside for a day or two. If need, put them in the fridge; microwave each Injera for 40 seconds before serving.

Note:

- Teff flour is available in health store or in Ethiopian groceries.
- Use the dried yeast as a starter only the first time you prepare the dough, otherwise you keep one cup fermented dough in the fridge to use it as a starter.
- If you prefer less sour Injera, you may bake the Injera 24 hours after your prepare the dough.

Ethiopian Whole Chickpeas Mild Stew (Yeshinbera Alicha Fitfit)

This is a yummy side-dish. It looks like soup and served with Injera cut in pieces. I always prepare it when I have a big gathering during Lent time.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 cup onion (thinly chopped)
1 cup vegetable or corn oil
6 cloves garlic (diced) or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (korerima) *
¼ teaspoon turmeric *
1 teaspoon yellow mustard or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger-root juice
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 long hot green peppers, seeded and sliced
6 cups of water
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1st Step: Cook the onion with 2 tablespoons of oil and one cup of water (by gradually adding the water); stir and sauté continuously until it is very soft. Add five cups of water, boil it for five minutes;

2nd Step: Rinse and add the chickpeas, cook it for 15 minutes;

3nd Step: Add oil, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, mustard or ginger; mix it well and cook for 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are soft;

4th Step: Add salt and cardamom powder, remove from heat and add the green sliced pepper.
At room temperature, keep it in the fridge.

5th Step: Cut the Injera in pieces and place them in a serving bowl; pour the chickpeas mild stew and mix it gently. Serve it cold.

Note:
* You will find these spices in Ethiopian or Indian shops/groceries.
-If you prefer the chickpeas in a can, it would take less time to cook but rinse it well.
-You may use dried yellow peas instead of the chickpeas.
-To make the dried chickpeas soft and tender, it would be advisable to soak them for at least a day before cooking.

Ethiopian Chickpeas Fish Stew (Yeshinbera Assa Wot)

This is one of Ethiopian exotic dish. The literal meaning of Yeshinbra Assa is chickpeas fish but there is no fish inside the dish except the design which looks like fish. We prepare this dish, when we have a special occasion during Lent time. It is my mother's favorite dish.
Ingredients

4 cups spiced chickpeas flour
4 cups red onions or shallots (thinly chopped)
1 ½ cups hot red chili powder (berbere) *
5 cups water or more
2 cups vegetable or corn oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cardamom (korerima)*
¼ teaspoon black cumin*
½ teaspoon fresh ginger-root juice
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation
1st Step: In a medium bowl, combine the spiced chickpeas flour, salt, and ½ cup of oil; gently mix the ingredients together adding water slowly until the dough is smooth;

2nd Step: Spread the dough on a baking sheet using cookie scooping tools; shape them as fish or as desired;

3rd Step: Bake the chickpeas cookies for 25 minutes or until golden brown;

4th Step: In meantime, in medium pot, sauté the onion using one cup of water by adding two tablespoons each time until the onion is golden brown and soft;

5th Step: Add one cup of water to the cooked onion, hot red chili powder, garlic, ginger, black cumin, and stir it well; add 1½ cups of oil, stir for 15 minutes;

6th Step: Add three cups of water (or more if need); Cook for 15 minutes;

7th Step: To the boiling sauce, add the baked chickpeas cookies; stir and cook, in a lower heat, for 20 minutes or until it simmers;

8th Step: Add cardamom, salt and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

9th Step: Keep it in the refrigerator and serve it cold with Injera (Ethiopian Flat Bread) or bread of your choice.

Serving 10 or more.

* You will find these spices in Ethiopian or Indian shops/groceries.

For nutritional facts of this recipe please visit http://www.recipezaar.com/415801. For vitamin content please click on "Print Recipe" on aforementioned site.

Ethiopian Hummus (Elibet)

The broad beans paste is an appetizing and appealing side-dish. In Ethiopia, broad beans are cooked in many ways. This is one of my favorite dishes.
Ingredients:

3 cups dried broad Beans* (baqueella)
1 cup Sunflower seeds (Suff)
4 tablespoons lemon juice)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups or more water

Preparation:

1st Step: Rinse the sunflower seeds with cold water; in a cooking pot, cover it in cold water; boil for 15 minutes or until soft; strain in colander, discard the liquid; place the sunflower seeds in a food processor (blender), add 5 cups of cold water; grind and mash until all the seeds are crushed; strain and pour the sunflower juice into a cooking pot;

2nd Step: Rinse the broad beans and add to the sunflower juice; cook it for 30 minutes or until it is very soft.

3rd Step: Place the cooked beans in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, lemon, 1 cup or more the boiled sunflower liquid, and two cube ice. Blend it for 4-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

4th Step: Place the Elibet (Hummus) in serving bowl or in a container; Serve it immediately with Injera, pita bread or any bread of your choice. Keep the rest in fridge.
*As broad beans come in green, beige or brown, use the beige to get the creamy color.
Serving 6.
For nutritional facts of this recipe please visit http://www.recipezaar.com/416617 . For vitamin content please click on "Print Recipe" on aforementioned site.