Detox Ethiopian Recipes

Last week I had off from work for our “midwinter” break.  It wasn’t a very relaxing week but cooking, for me, is very relaxing. Five hours of cooking can actually be quite relaxing as well.  And that’s what happened when I decided to take on the challenge that Joan of Foodalogue put in front of her readers – create a dish from Ethiopia.  I made six Ethiopian dishes and ingredients and, yes, it took me five hours to create all of it.  But, in the end it was all worth it.

Ethiopian cuisine is one that I have only recently become acquainted with and when I first tasted it, I was hooked.  While researching for this post I realized how little is out there on this fabulous cuisine.  Anthonly Bourdain recently said that he believed Ethiopian food would be the next big trend in eating and I have to agree that it should be.  It’s delicious, communal, flavorful, fun to eat and relatively healthy (except the ridiculously high amount of butter used in the dishes).  We’ll see if his prediction is correct.  I mean how can you go wrong when all you have to eat with is your hands and some deliciously sour, sponge and crepe-like bread called

(see both recipe below).  Many Ethiopian recipes utilize one or both of these ingredients.  The other staple and accompaniment to Ethiopian food is injera bread which is traditionally made from a specific type of flour called teff and usually takes three days in order for it to ferment causing its sour taste.  I didn’t have teff flour so I utilized Saveur magazine’s recipe which wasn’t as delicious as the authentic type but did the trick.  Brushing lemon on the bread gave it a bit of the sour flavor I was craving.  As mentioned earlier, injera bread is used as your plate,  fork, knife and spoon when eating Ethiopian food.  Your food will come in small piles scattered on a a big injera where you will tear off bits of the outside layer in order to get the food in your mouth.  You continue until you eventually have to eat the layer that has sopped up all the flavors of each dish you chose.  These are some of the best bits but you’ve got to get to the end of the meal to savor them.

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Ethiopian food is like no other – it borrows ingredients from Portugal (chile peppers), the Orient (ginger) and India (spices) to create a taste that is very, well, Ethiopian and very different to anything you’ve ever eaten.  Most of the recipes found below are based on things found in the cookbook Exotic Ethiopian Cooking and a blend of other website recipes I found.  I recommend you all give Ethiopian a try, whether you have five hours to cook or have always been curious to try that Ethiopian restaurant down the street.  Vegetarians and non-pork eaters will have a field day and even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this fun and fabulous cuisine.  So thank you, Joan, for pushing me to finally create Ethiopian food at home.  Now that I’ve done it I’ll be doing it again.  Now, I hope you will try your hand at it!

**Grind chiles in a spice grinder. Toast all seeds for about 3 minutes, allow to cool and add everything to spice grinder and blitz. 

NITER KIBBEH (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) – Makes about 1/3 cup – for the effort you may want to double or triple this recipeThese Ethiopian lentils are a classic recipe that's flavorful, filling and easy to make. Also called misir wat, these spicy red lentils are ready in about 40 minutes, vegan, high protein and full of spice.

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My first time trying Ethiopian food was in middle school when I took a trip to Washington DC. I wasn't sure what to expect from the giant platter set before me, but as soon as I started tasting each dish I was blown away. Not just by how flavorful it was, but how unique and delicious it was!

I've been a fan ever since, but haven't ever made any Ethiopian recipes at home. I guess I always just assumed it was going to be super time-intensive to challenging.

But I finally decided to try it and kicked things off with my favorite: Misir Wat (or Ethiopian lentils). They're red lentils that are slow-cooked in berbere, simmered to a soft, thick texture, and pop with spice. They're insanely good and to my surprise, insanely simple to make as well!

Ethiopian Berbere Spiced Cauliflower

Since we're essentially making an Ethiopian lentil stew, this is a really simple dish to make. And doesn't require fancy ingredients either. All you need is:

And in terms of making it, we basically just start by sweating out our onions. Then add the garlic and tomatoes and let them cook until fragrant. Then we add our spices, lentils, broth, and water (and a pinch of salt of course!), and cook it until the lentils are soft and the stew is nice and thick!

Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend that is made from a bunch of spices and is traditionally found in many Ethiopian dishes. Berbere is made from primarily chiles, onion, garlic, fenugreek, and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

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It's a very complex flavor, which can either be made at home or purchased. I bought mine from Amazon and found it to be quite flavorful (although homemade berbere would definitely be better!).

Ethiopian lentils would traditionally be served with injera. Injera is a fermented flatbread made from teff flour. Ethiopian food is traditionally eaten with your hands, using the injera to “scoop” up your food.

While you can certainly make injera at home, it's quite a time investment, so I usually keep things easy with my favorite savory chickpea pancakes. You'll still get the classic feel, but with less time.

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In addition to some sort of flatbread, you'll also find that Ethiopian meals are made of up many dishes at once. Usually some veggies, other types of curries/stews, and meat dishes as well (if you want).

And sometimes I'll also add a hard-boiled egg on the side as well! If you like these kinds of recipes or have a personal favorite from Ethiopian cuisine, let me know in the comments. I'd love to try more dishes!

These Ethiopian lentils are flavorful, filling and easy to make. Also called misir wat, these spicy red lentils are vegan and high protein!

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* traditionally this is made with clarified butter, so if you can eat dairy, feel free to use ghee. ** traditionally serve this with injera, but if you can't find injera (or have the time to make it), you can try my gluten-free naan or quinoa flatbreads.

Serving: 0.74 cup | Calories: 284 kcal | Carbohydrates: 35 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 541 mg | Potassium: 633 mg | Fiber: 15 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 647 IU | Vitamin C: 11 mg | Calcium: 43 mg | Iron: 4 mgWe love the bold flavours and vibrancy of Ethiopian dishes like this. A creamy, rich, spicy sauce, slowly cooked with seasonal vegetables and flavourful fava beans.

This is my version of an Ethiopian Wat (stew/ curry), maybe somewhere between Shiro and a traditional Wat, if you know you’re Berbere from your Radhuni?! Wat’s can take hours to cook, so I’ve cut the cooking time, without losing any of the flavours.

Detox Roasted Delicata Squash, Pardina Lentil, And Kale Salad With Maple Pear Balsamic Vinaigrette {vegan}

I’ve basically taken some local, seasonal, radiant Welsh veggies and treated them to an aromatic, creamy sauce, then served it on a warm chickpea flatbread with whole host of colourful trimmings. It’s a simple dish that looks the part.

I’ve just returned from a little jaunt around the world, stepping out to Israel, Palestine, Rome and Vienna, with a Christmas spell in Murcia. I’m taking it all in at the minute, having seen so many incredible sites and I’m happy to confirm that the world is still a miraculous place filled with warm hearted people. I’ve also packed in loads and loads of foodie inspiration and cooking!! I’ve eaten VERY well, a moveable feast of tasty surprises.

So I thought I’d cook Ethiopian! A flavoursome curveball. Recipes from these other fascinating countries will filter through, from notebook, to mind, to pan, to page, but at this time, I can’t forget the Ethiopian meal I had in Jerusalem. It was the real deal.

Ethiopian Lentils {misir Wat}

One of my most memorable experiences of the trip was hanging out with the Ethiopian monks/ priest in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A very powerful experience in a peaceful nook away from the hustle and bustle of old town Jerusalem. Afterwards, me and my Lithuanian travelling buddies, happened upon a traditional Ethiopian restaurant and enjoyed a right old feast.

, huge platters of colourful dishes, presented on the traditional Injera flatbreads (tangy, fermented, light and fluffy, grey flatbreads, made with the gluten-free Teff flour), pan fried vegetables orgomen (collard green with spices), atkilt wat (normally spiced cabbage, carrots, potatoes in sauce), legume stews like terkik alitcha (a yellow split pea stew),