Injera

The key to injera is getting comfortable with fermentation. Just like sourdough bread, injera gets its flavour from wild (as opposed to commercial) yeast. But unlike sourdough, this recipe is much easier to prepare. A few days out on the counter and this batter will be happily bubbling away and ready to be made into Ethiopian flatbread.  It's a great introduction into the world of fermentation! The bread is gluten free but still rolls just like a crepe and is durable enough to scoop up whatever tasty stew you make. 

INGREDIENTS
Makes one dozen
- 3 cups teff flour
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Mix together teff flour and water. Pour into a large, clean glass or ceramic container (I use a 56 oz canning jar). Keep in mind that the batter will expand by 1/3 or more, so make sure you container is big enough. Secure a piece of cloth over the mouth of the container so everything can breathe--I put a cloth napkin over the mouth of the canning jar and secure it with the metal ring.

2. Let the batter sit for 2 to 3 days, stirring 3 times a day, until better begin to bubble and rise.

3. Once the batter is bubbly, stir in the baking powder and salt.

4. Let the batter sit while you heat a 10" non-stick pan over medium to med-hi heat.

5. Lightly oil the pan. Pour 1/2 cup of batter into the pan and tilt to coat (thin batter with water if necessary). Cook until the injera has bubbles all over, then cover with a lid so the injera can steam for 2-3 minutes. Regulate the heat so the bread does not burn.

6. Remove the injera to a cooling rack and roll it while warm. Cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter. 

Ethiopian Potatoes and Peas with Split Pea Puree

This is really just an Ethiopian vegetable stew repackaged a different way that photographs well and would make for a nice dish at a dinner party. You can eat this with a fork or spoon, or scoop it up with traditional injera. If you are using injera, make sure the potatoes are cut small enough to be picked up with your fingers.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1.5 lbs small red potatoes
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 sweet onions, halved and sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp tumeric
- berbere to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tomato, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- water as needed
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- pinch of allspice and cloves
- 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- parsley, to garnish

METHOD
1. Boil the 3 cups of water and get the split peas cooking. Simmer, covered, until very soft and breaking apart.
2. While split peas are cooking, parboil the potatoes, whole, for about 10 mins until tender but still firm. Rise with cold water and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Saute onions for 15 mins, until golden brown. Add pepper, garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 5-8 mins more, until onions are a deep brown. Add tomatoes and bring to bubbling.
4. Drain split peas in a fine sieve and add to the onion mixture. Add tomato paste and mix well. Blend until smooth in a blender or food processor, adding water as needed and adjust seasonings as taste. The mixture should be pourable but not runny. Set aside.
5. Heat margarine in a frying pan over medium heat. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and fry until golden. Add add spices and fry for 2 mins. Add peas, paste, and water and mix well. Let bubble until peas are cooked and mixture has thickened.
6. To serve: pour some lentil mixture into a shallow bowl. Top with some potato mixture and garnish with chopped parsley.

Pressure Cooker Ethiopian Stew

Here is another quick and easy pressure cooker meal if you are looking for something warm and hearty after a day at work. I have put a range of 1 cup of water for this one--3 cups will get you a thick stew easily scooped up with injera, and 4 cups make it thinner and perfect for quinoa and the like.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups yellow split peas, well-rinsed and drained
- 3 to 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp margarine
- 2 onions, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 cup diced potato
- 2 cups sliced carrot
- 1 cup cut green beans (fresh or frozen)
- Berbere to taste
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- salt to taste

METHOD
1. Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker and mix well. Test the broth to see if it is spiced to your liking, and adjust accordingly. Close lid and bring up to pressure over high heat. When pressure is reached, cook for 20 mins on low. Remove from heat and let pressure drop. Open lid, mix well, and serve.

Teff Biscuits

Thinking of making the Ethiopian Soup I posted yesterday? Then you also need to make these teff biscuits. The recipe is adapted/veganized from Rienhart's Artisan Breads Everyday--the best biscuit recipe around, I think. You really do need a pastry scraper for this recipe, so if you try it without one, don't say I didn't warn you! The method is similar to making croissants or other laminated doughs. The alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic helps the biscuits rise and contributes to their flaky texture. These biscuits are a little more dense because of the teff flour, but are still remarkably tender.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 oz coconut milk, or plain soy milk
- 1/2 Earth Balance margarine (1 stick of the baking margarine)
- 2.5 oz bread flour
- 2.5 oz all purpose flour
- 3.5 oz teff flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt

METHOD
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
1. Whisk vinegar into the coconut or soy milk in a small bowl. Keep in the fridge.
2. Put the margarine in the freezer for 30 mins to get nice and cold. Meanwhile, mix all the rest of the ingredient together.
3. When margarine is cold, grate it into the flour mixture, then work it with your fingers into something that looks like very coarse bread crumbs. Don't make the mixture too fine--some chunks of margarine is what you want.
4. Add coconut or soy milk mixture and stir until just combined. The mixture will be very wet (teff has no gluten) and starting to rise from the action of the soda and vinegar.
5. Turn the mixture out on to a very well floured surface. Dust liberally with flour, then pat the dough into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick, and square off the sides with the pastry scraper. The exact size does not really matter. The key here is that it needs to be big enough to fold into thirds, like a letter. Using the pastry scraper, fold the dough like a letter (it will most likely fall apart, on the first turn, so be patient). Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat, dusting with flour as needed. Rotate and repeat. Rotate and repeat. By this time enough flour will have been incorporated into the dough to make it more firm and workable.
6. Pat dough out into a final rectangle, 1/2 inch thick, then cut with the pastry scraper into whatever size biscuits you want (I like smaller ones for the kids, so I get about 20). Place on prepared baking sheet and put in the fridge while the oven heats.
7. Heat oven to 500 degrees. When heated, put baking sheet in, reduce heat to 450, and bake for 8 mins. Rotate the pan and bake for another 6 mins (more if you made huge biscuits). Serve while still warm.

Ethiopian-Style Soup

I say "Ethiopian-Style" soup because the flavours are inspired by the Ethiopian stews I like to make, but is not any "real" Ethiopian dish that I know of. In many ways it is just a simple and thinned down stew packed with that nourishing lentil-y goodness that I love about Ethiopian food. This was also a great way to use the first squash of the season (see below). I used Bonbon which had a delectable texture and gave the soup a wonderful sweetness to offset the spicy heat. It was even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS
Makes a lot
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cup sliced shallots
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp tumeric

- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg

- 1/2 tsp cloves
- berbere to taste
- 2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 10 cups water

- 6-8 cups chopped squash (or sweet potato)
- 1/4 chopped fresh parsley (more for garnish)
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Melt butter in a large stock pot over med-hi heat. Add onions and saute for a few mins, until the onions get a nice golden brown on the edges (don't burn them, though). Add shallots, garlic, and ginger and reduce heat to med-lo. Cook for about 20-25 mins, until the mixture has nice brown colour.
2. Add spices and lentils and raise heat back to med-hi, stirring to mix everything well. When sizzling (the spices will stick a bit), add 6 cups of the water. Bring to bubbling, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook for at least 30 mins (longer is nicer, if you have the time, so that the lentils and onions can break down), stirring regularly.
3. Add the remaining four cups of water along with the squash and parsley, bring to bubbling over med-hi heat, then cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20-30 mins, or until squash is cooked through. Adjust seasonings to taste, garnish, and serve.

Ethiopian Eggplant Stew

I'm not a big fan of eggplant. It can tasty a little bitter, and the texture sometimes makes me quiver (I have texture problems). But, since I did pick up some discount eggplants at the grocery store I needed to find a dish to use them up. The result was actually very good (and the kids didn't even realize they were eating eggplant!). I also thought I would try a new method for the onions that I have seen in several Ethiopian recipes--dry frying them for 30 mins until a deep golden colour. If you want to skip this step, just saute in oil for 8-10 mins.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 large red onions, halved and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp berbere (or to taste)
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 tomato, small dice
- 1/4 cup red lentils
- 1 1/2 cup water (more, of needed)
- 2 cups chopped green beans
- salt, to taste

METHOD
1. Heat a large non-stick pan (cast iron preferred) over medium heat. Add in onions and fry for 30 mins, stirring regularly, until a nice golden brown. When onions stick to much, deglaze the pan with a splash or two of water.
2. Add in garlic, ginger, and spices and mix well, until spices are fragrant. Add in margarine. When it melts, add carrots and eggplant. Fry for 5-7 mins, until eggplant begins to soften.
3. Add tomato, lentils, water, and beans and mix well. Bring to bubbling, then loosely cover and let simmer. The lentils will cook in 20 to 30 mins, but I cooked mine for about an hour, until the eggplant was really soft. Add water, if needed. Season to taste and serve with injera.

Ethiopian Lentils

Have you seen that Hamburger Helper commercial that claims you can (with the Helper's help)
feed a family of four, with vegetables, for under ten bucks? The last shot before the commercial ends shows a serving bowl of Hamburger Helper, a small bowl of peas, and a glass of milk. Some meal. Lentils are super cheap, high in fibre, iron, folate and protein. Ten bucks of lentils could feed your family of four for about a month. This is a fantastic dish that gets a lot of flavour from cooking the lentils with a whole whack of onions. The vinegar may seem like a weird addition, but I assure you it completes the dish.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cup green lentils
- 3 cups water (more if needed)
- 2 large sweet onions, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 fresh green chile or jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Rinse lentils then place in a large saucepan with water, onions, garlic, and chile. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 mins, until lentils and soft and onions have more or less disintegrated. Stir periodically and add more water if needed.
2. From here, you can add in the remaining ingredients, cook for 10 mins, and serve. However, if you have the time, I like to add in the spices and cook, uncovered, for another 45-60 mins. Green lentils are durable enough to withstand a lot of cooking without falling apart. This way you can cook off some more of the water and slowly make a nice thick stew. Then, stir in vinegar and cook for 10 mins, season to taste, and serve.

Ethiopian Sweet Potato Stew

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to make more Ethiopian food, so when my in-laws were here for a visit I whipped up a small feast of 3 dishes that I will post over the next few days. My father in law must eat a very low salt diet so well-spiced food is always a great way to go. This dish is so flavourful that I didn't miss the salt, but feel free to season to your taste. An essential element to any Ethiopian meal is some good injera bread. The recipes I see online require a 3 day fermentation period, so I go with Jennifer's recipe in Vegan Lunch Box. It is quick, easy, and has great taste even with the much decreased fermentation time. We all love abandoning our forks and scooping up our food with chunks of spongy, soft injera.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2" piece ginger, minced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced (around 3-4 cups)
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 1/2 cups water (more as needed)
- 1 large tomato, small dice
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (more as needed)
- 2 cups chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger for 10 mins, until onion is a nice golden colour. Add sweet potatoes and red pepper and saute for 1 min.
2. Add spices and fry for 1 min. Don't worry about things sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add water to deglaze the pan, then add tomato, lentils, tomato paste, and beans. Mix well.
3. Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins, until lentils and potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally. It is even better of you can let it cook on a low heat for an hour or two. Add more water if stew gets too thick.
4. Stir in parsley and season to taste. Adjust thickness of stew with more water or tomato paste--remember that you want to be able to scoop this up with injera.

Ethiopian Stew

This isn't any particular Ethiopian dish, but rather is a stew inspired by Ethiopian flavours. I was craving something hearty and this really hit the spot.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup yellow split peas

- 3 cups of water

- 4 tbsp oil

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp cloves

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1 large onion, halved and sliced

- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 1" piece of ginger, minced

- 2 cups chopped seitan (or 1 can of chickpeas), optional

- 1 lb cubed potatoes

- 1 large carrot, chopped

- 1 tbsp berbere (or more)

- 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes, with juices

- 2 cups chopped green beans

- 1 cup red lentils

- water

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

- 1 six oz can tomato paste

METHOD

1. Rinse split peas and place in a pot with the 3 cups of water. Bring to boiling, cover, and simmer until soft. Drain off excess water.

2. While peas are cooking, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add spices and fry for 1 min. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and fry for 5-7 mins, until onions are soft. The spices may stick to the bottom of the pot, so periodically add a splash of water to the pan to deglaze.

3. Add seitan (if using), potatoes, carrots, and berbere. Fry for 2 mins. Add tomatoes, beans, lentils, and cooked split peas, and mix well. Add enough water to the pot to cover the veggies by about 1/2 inch. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 mins. Stir periodically to keep lentils and veggies from sticking.

5. Stir in parsley and tomato paste and cook for 5 mins.

Atar Allecha

A colleague of mine moved in up the street yesterday, so tonight I brought over dinner to help her and her husband out. I mulled over what to bring for quite some time. In situations like this I always feel like veganism is on trial and that this is my chance to present a convincing case to the jury. At first I was going to make something with wheat gluten sausage--perhaps a gumbo or jambalaya. In the end I decided against fake meat and went with Ethiopian since it is already essentially vegan. This way they could enjoy the spices and flavours without having to compare the dish to "real" meat. I made Yetakelt We't and Misr Allecha, injera (from Vegan Lunchbox), and this dish.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cups yellow split peas

- 6 cups water

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tbsp niter kebbeh

- 1 tsp tumeric

- 1-2 green chiles, seeded and minced

- 2 cups water (plus more as needed)

- cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves to taste

- salt to taste

METHOD

1. Rinse split peas, remove stones and debris. Put into a large pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Soak for at least an hour.

2. Bring water to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer peas for 30-40 mins, until softened but not mushy (i.e. until they still hold their shape, but are soft enough to bite). Drain, rinse, and drain again. Remove from pot.

3. Dry pot and put back on the stove over med-lo heat. Add onions and garlic and dry fry for a few mins, stirring constantly. Add in nitter kebbeh and saute onion for a few more mins, until translucent. Add in peas, tumeric, chili, some salt, and water. Bring to bubbling then simmer, uncovered, until peas break down into a chunky paste, adding more water if needed.

4. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve. I always like to add some more cinnamon and similar spices to bring out more of the nitter kebbeh's flavour.

I also made banana split cupcakes. Best. cupcakes. ever. Check out this cupcake carrier that my sister-in-law gave us. If you want to spread the vegan cupcake love, then you need one of these. It has three removable trays that each hold 9 cupcakes. Here are the cupcakes, all ready to go. We all cried. Why didn't I make 2 dozen?

Yetakelt We't and Misr Allecha

Here are the other two dishes from last night's Ethiopian feast. Yetakelt We't is a tasty vegetable stew, and Misr Allecha is a wonderfully spiced lentil dish. Both taste best of you can let them simmer for a few hours before serving. I have included a picture of the Yetakelt We't but not the Misr Allecha. Although I think it is my favourite dish, let's face it, there is no good way to photograph a plate of lentils.

Yetakelt We't
INGREDIENTS- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- berbere to taste
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/4 cup niter kebbeh
- 1 cup green beans
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup peas
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Saute onions, garlic, berbere ans paprika in nitter kebbeh for 5 mins.
2. Add beans, carrots, potatoes and saute for 10 mins.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Mix well, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until veggies are tender and stew is thick.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Misr Allecha
INGREDIENTS
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp niter kebbeh
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 1/3 to 3 cups of water

METHOD
1. Heat niter kebbeh in large pan and saute onion and garlic for 5 mins. Add in rinsed lentil and spices and fry for 1 min.
2. Add in water, bring to bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft. Add more water if needed.

Seitan Wat

This is a vegan version of Doro Wat, an Ethiopian chicken stew. It is really easy to make and is quite tasty. You can make it as hot or as mild as you want by how much berbere you put in.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 large onions, diced

- 1/4 cup niter kebbeh

- berbere to taste (start with a little and add more)

- 1 tsp salt

- 4 cups cubed chicken seitan

- 1 tomato, finely diced

- 3/4 cup water

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1 tbsp water

METHOD

1. Fry onions in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until onions are a deep golden brown.

2. Add in niter kebbeh, berbere, salt, and blend well. Add in seitan and fry for 5 mins.

3. Add in tomato and water and simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. If stew is too thin, mix flour into water and add into stew. Serve with injera bread.

Niter Kebbeh and Berbere

We had some friends over tonight and served up an Ethiopian feast. The house smelled great with the stews simmering away all afternoon. The following two recipes are the basis for most Ethiopian dishes. Niter Kebbeh is a spiced margarine that gives off a wonderful aroma when you saute onions in it. Berbere is a roasted spice mixture that is incredibly potent. I use it pretty sparingly since the kids can't handle too much heat. If you can handle it, by all means pile it on, but don't say I did not warn you.

Niter Kebbeh

INGREDIENTS

- 1 lb margarine

- 1 small onion, small dice

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 tsp minced ginger

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 4 green cardamom pods, crushed

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 3 cloves

- 1/8 tsp nutmeg

METHOD

1. Melt margarine over medium heat. Add all other ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate.

Berbere

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup cayenne

- 1/3 cup paprika

- 1 tsp each salt, poultry seasoning, ground ginger

- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, ground fenugreek, ground cardamom, nutmeg

- 1/8 tsp each ground cloves, allspice

METHOD

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

1. Mix spices in a cake pan. Roast in an oven for 15 mins, stirring every 5 mins.

2. Cool and store.