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Spicy Chickpea Stew and Gardener’s Vegetables

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Ethiopian food is hands down my favorite. Strangely enough, I had never attempted to make it at home, but I decided to finally try it. I knew what two dishes I wanted to make, and after I did some research, I realized I only needed two specialty ingredients: Berbere spice and Injera. Berbere is a crucial hot pepper spice found in many Ethiopian dishes, and Injera is a wonderful, spongy type of bread to use as your fork. Utensils are not needed. I purchased both at an Ethiopian market near me and created an incredibly authentic, perfectly spiced meal.

Spicy Chickpea Stew (Shimbra Asa):

Serves 4 if served with another dish like Gardener’s Vegetables (Atakilt Alicha).

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup minced yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup Berbere spice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3½ cups water, divided
  • 2 cups chickpea flour

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized pot, sauté the onions in oil over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, Berbere spice, cumin, and salt and continue to stir while cooking for 1-2 minutes to toast spices. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
  2. While the sauce is cooking, combine the chickpea flour with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup water into a ball of soft dough.
  3. When the sauce is ready, break off dime and pea sized pieces of dough into the sauce. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, so the bottom does not burn. While stirring, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the pieces and keep the mixture chunky with pieces no bigger than a dime.

Gardener’s Vegetables in Aromatic Spices (Atakilt Alicha):

Serves 4 if served with another dish like Gardener’s Vegetables (Atakilt Alicha).

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 cup minced yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled, large dice
  • 2 carrots, large dice
  • ½ green cabbage, 1-2″ pieces
  • 2 cups green beans, 1-2″ pieces
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, sauté the onions in oil until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt and toast for 1 minute. Add all of the vegetables, water, and tomato paste and stir to combine.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and all of the vegetables are very tender.
  4. Taste and season with salt.

This recipe originally appeared on Carly’s blog.

Posted in Dinner, Entrees, Recipes

Carly has been vegan since 2000; she is a wife, mother and professional baker raising her vegan family in Portland, Oregon. Her favorite foods include Ethiopian and anything with peanut butter. You can find more of Carly’s recipes at A Profound Hatred of Meat.