4.6 Ethiopian Cuisine for the Multicultural Connoisseur: Your Senses Won’t Want to Miss This!

An Ethiopian meal is as much about the experience of the meal as it is about the food itself. The culture, spices, colors, and textures combine to offer a dance of the senses that you’re not likely to forget. A favorite meal of my family is called awaze (a-woz-ay) tibs, which is a spicy meat stew. Each time we prepare this meal, fond memories of our experiences and friends in Ethiopia flood our minds and our conversations. Before we get to the stew though, let me share some groundwork.

The Bread

One thing the 84 different ethnic groups of Ethiopia all have in common is their love for injera (in-jeh-ruh), which is a very large, sourdough flatbread and the foundation for every meal. It’s made of teff flour and baked (not flipped) on a circular iron. Injera is used within a meal for the base layer that many different stews and vegetables dishes are served on, and secondly, it’s used in place of utensils. Bite-size pieces of the flatbread are torn off to pick up, or mop up, the flavorful bites of food. I haven’t yet mastered the art of making injera, so we purchase it in Minneapolis.

The Spice

Rich and spicy stews are the heart of Ethiopian cuisine and berbere (bear-ber-ay) plays a large role. It’s a traditional and essential blend of 15 different spices that awaken taste buds and opens sinuses--it brings the flavor and the heat. Due to its complexity, we purchase the spice blend online or at Ethiopian grocery stores in Minneapolis.

Berbere Spice Blend

·      
garlic

·       ginger

·       onion

·       cayenne pepper

·       paprika

·       chili powder

·       allspice

·       coriander

·       cumin

·       cinnamon

·       fenugreek

·       cardamom

·       cloves

·       carom

·       nutmeg

 

The Preparation

There’s a cultural aspect of cooking in Ethiopia that involves community effort and socialization. My family is no different and we enjoy the afternoon preparation working together to create a family feast.  We each have our roles to play to complete the final product. Whether we end up with tears from the many onions that are cut, or tears from laughter, it’s a bonding time. While one person cuts the vegetables, another cuts the meat, another measures the garlic and spices, while another rolls the injera and cuts it into individual portions. The further into the process we get, the delicious smells begin to fill the air and it becomes a special time with family and sometimes friends.

The Stew

Awaze tibs is a tomato and wine-based meat stew. It’s prepared in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

 

Ingredients:

 

·       1 c. red onions, thinly sliced

·       ½ c. nitre kibbeh or unsalted butter

·       1 ½ lb. beef tenderloin, ½ inch cubes

·       1 t. salt

·       1 ½ T. berbere

·       ½ t. ground cardamom

·       ¼ t. ground ginger

·       ¼ t. ground cumin

·       ¼ t. ground cloves

·       ¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

·       3 garlic cloves, minced

·       3 tomatoes, chopped

·       2 jalapeno chilies, thinly sliced

·       ¾ c. dry red wine

 

Cooking Instructions:

 

1. Melt the butter over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until they begin to color around the edges, about 3-5 minutes.

 

2. Add the meat, sprinkle with the salt, and stir-fry until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes on each side.

 

3. Stir in the berbere, garlic, and other spices.

 

4. Tilt the pan away from you and carefully add the tomatoes, jalapenos, and wine. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with salt if necessary.

 

5. Serve over injera.

 

The Experience

Each time we enjoy an Ethiopian meal we put on some Ethiopian music and share food, laughter and a different culture than our own. It reminds me and my family of the warm and welcoming hospitality that we enjoyed together when we visited the country in 2016.

Consider discovering for yourself this unique meal experience. If you’d like to awaken your senses and try something different you might try Dilla’s Ethiopian Restaurant on Riverside Avenue in Minneapolis. I promise you won’t be disappointed!