← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, very finely chopped
• 60 ml Vegetable oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Berbere
• 1 Tomato, finely chopped (optional)
• 600 ml hot water
• 70 g shiro powder (or chickpea flour)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tbsp Niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) (optional)
• 1 Jalapeño, sliced (optional)

Method

1. Cook the onion in a dry saucepan over medium heat for 3–4 min, stirring, until soft and starting to colour.
2. Add the oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the berbere and the tomato, if using. Fry for 4–5 min, stirring often and adding a splash of water if the spices catch.
3. Pour in the hot water and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the shiro powder a spoonful at a time so no lumps form.
4. Simmer gently for 8–10 min, whisking now and then, until the stew is smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon. Add more water if it gets too stiff.
5. Season with salt, stir in the niter kibbeh and jalapeño, if using, and serve hot with injera.

Tips

• Niter kibbeh gives the classic buttery aroma but makes the stew no longer vegan or dairy-free; leave it out or use a little more oil.
• Ready-made shiro powder from Ethiopian shops is already spiced; if using it, halve the berbere.

Sources

Adapted from “Shiro Wat (Ethiopian Pea Stew)” in the Wikibooks Cookbook, under CC BY-SA 4.0. This adaptation is shared under the same licence.

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