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Recipes from Ethiopia
The food of Ethiopia is quite distinct
from other forms of African cooking, although it makes use of many of the same
ingredients. An important feature of Ethiopian cooking is the spice mix known as
Berbere. There are several recipes available to adapt berbere to
North American cooking, and one is given below.
Flat Bread (Ethiopia)
serves 6 to 8
Injera - In Ethiopia, these are usually made of the grain teff, a
relative of the millet family and one of the earliest cultivated grains in
the world. This is an adaptation for North American kitchens.
| 4 cups
self-rising flour |
1
teaspoon baking powder |
| 1 cup
whole wheat flour |
2 cups
club soda |
- Combine flours and baking powder in a
bowl. Add club soda, plus about 4 cups of water. Mix into a
smooth, fairly thin batter
- Heat a large non-stick skillet. When a
drop of water bounces off the pan’s surface, dip enough batter from
the bowl to cover the bottom of the hot skillet, and pour it quickly,
all at once. Swirl the pan so the entire bottom is evenly coated, then
set it back on the heat.
- When the moisture has evaporated and
small holes appear on the surface, remove the injera. It should be
cooked on one side only, and not browned. If your first try is too
pasty and undercooked, cook it a little longer or make it a little
thinner. Be careful not to cook them too long or you will end up with
crisp breads.
- Stack the injera one on top of the
other as you cook, covering with a clean tea cloth to prevent their
drying out. To serve, lay them on a platter in overlapping concentric
circles, beginning with the inside and moving outwards until edges of
the outer ring fall over the edge.
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Berbere (Ethiopia)
makes about 1 ½ cups
| 1
teaspoon ground ginger |
½
teaspoon ground cardamom |
| ½
teaspoon ground coriander |
½
teaspoon fenugreek seeds |
| ½
teaspoon grated nutmeg |
¼
teaspoon ground cloves |
| ¼
teaspoon cinnamon |
¼
teaspoon allspice |
| 2
tablespoons salt |
1¼
cup cayenne pepper |
| ½
cup paprika, |
1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
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- In a heavy saucepan or cast iron
skillet, toast the following over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes: ginger,
cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice.
Shake or stir to keep from burning.
- Add the salt, cayenne pepper, paprika
and black pepper and continue toasting, stirring constantly, 10 to 15
minutes.
- Cool and store in tightly covered glass
jars. It will keep well in the refrigerator for about 6 months.
Recipes from The Africa News
Cookbook: African Cooking for Western Kitchens, by Africa News
Service, 1985, p. 131 and p. 3 |
Chicken Wat (Ethiopia)
serves 4
Doro Wat (doh-roh wahtt) A wat
is an Ethiopian stew that is traditionally served with injera, but you
can serve it with rice and plenty to drink!
| Remove
skin from |
2
½ to 3 pounds of chicken pieces |
| Sprinkle
with: |
2
tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt |
| Let
stand while preparing other ingredients. In large saucepan,
melt: |
|
2
tablespoons margarine |
| Add,
cover and cook over low heat until onions are soft but not
browned |
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2
cups onions, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon garlic, minced, ½
teaspoon ground ginger |
| Add: |
¼
teaspoon crushed fenugreek, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom and c
teaspoon ground nutmeg |
| Stir
well and add: |
1/8c
to ¼ cup Berbere and 1 to 2 tablespoons paprika |
| Stir
over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. |
Pour in ½ cup water. Bring to a
boil over high heat, stirring continuously. Add chicken to sauce,
turning until pieces are coated. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and
simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, turning once or twice.
If the pan becomes too dry, add a little water. The sauce should be the
consistency of heavy cream.
Prepare 1 hard-cooked egg for
each person. Cut shallow slits in each egg to allow the color and flavor
of sauce to permeate. Add eggs to sauce and simmer an additional 10
minutes. Stew can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, adding the eggs
when reheating.
Recipe from Extending the
Table: a world community cookbook, by Joetta Handrich Schlabach,
Herald Press, 1991, p. 221 |
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