Ethiopia is a country located in eastern Africa. Its cuisine relies heavily on the area's agriculture and is rich in legumes, vegetables, stewed meats and a variety of spices. Typical Ethiopian recipes begin with heavily seasoned flavor bases rather than using plain oil or butter. Many dishes are one-pot, such as soups, stews and salads, and are served with bread rather than utensils.
Flavored Butter
Butter flavored with spices (known as niter kebbeh) gives dishes a distinct Ethiopian taste. Melt 2 lbs. of butter over low heat, then increase the heat to high until it begins to bubble. Dice an onion and garlic clove and add to the butter, then stir in 4 tsp. diced fresh ginger. Add a cinnamon stick and a clove, then stir in 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 ground cardamom and 2 tsp. ground turmeric. Lower the heat back down to low, and let the spices flavor the butter for about 45 minutes. Pour the butter through a strainer and discard all the solid pieces. Use the butter to cook meats or vegetables, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future use.
Spice Paste
Spice paste (known as berbere) is often used to flavor dishes. Add 1 tsp. each of ground cardamom, fenugreek and ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. each of ground cinnamon, allspice and cloves into a large pan. Heat over low for about a minute so the spices can release their flavors. Pour the spices into food processor along with 2 tbsp. diced onion, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 tbsp. salt and 3 tbsp. water. Process the mixture until it's smooth. Add 2 tbsp. each of paprika and cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper into a large pan and cook over low heat for a minute, then add 1 cup water. Stir the mixture, then add the processed mixture into the pan. Heat for about 10 minutes. Add the spice paste to stewed meats or use as a condiment. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Bread
A very thin flat bread (known as injera) is essential in Ethiopian cooking because it is used as a utensil. Traditional Ethiopian injera is made from ground teff, a grain found primarily in the country; however, you can also use wheat flour. Mix together 1/4 cup wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour in a large bowl, then stir in 1 cup water and 1/8 tsp. salt. It will be a batter similar to a crepe or pancake batter. Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in enough batter to cover most of the pan. Heat for about one to two minutes or until bubbles appear across the top (similar to a pancake). Injera doesn't need to be flipped; just add to a plate when finished. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve injera with stews instead of spoons.
Stew
Ethiopia cooking often utilizes available vegetables and meats to make stews (known as wat). To make a basic wat, cook two sliced onions and three garlic cloves in 1/4 cup niter kebbeh (flavored butter) over medium heat. After about five minutes, stir in 1/4 cup berbere (spice paste) and 1 cup water. Raise the heat to high until the mixture begins to boil. Let the mixture boil for about five minutes, then turn the heat to medium and add in pieces of chicken or beef. Put a lid on the pan and cook for at least 15 minutes or until the meat is tender. Serve with injera.
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