Help with Ethiopian-inspired side dishes
January 12, 2023 2:10 PM Subscribe
Need some ideas for Ethiopian-inspired side dish recipes.
I'm going to a party next weekend and it's a potluck, Ethiopian-themed. I've been tasked with bringing a side dish. Is there a side dish that's possibly Ethiopian-inspired that would use spices etc I would likely already have? I don't want to buy, say berbere spice and only use it once.
The only dietary restriction is gluten-free.
Thanks all!
I'm going to a party next weekend and it's a potluck, Ethiopian-themed. I've been tasked with bringing a side dish. Is there a side dish that's possibly Ethiopian-inspired that would use spices etc I would likely already have? I don't want to buy, say berbere spice and only use it once.
The only dietary restriction is gluten-free.
Thanks all!
Gomen wat (stewed greens) is another option - here's a recipe. You could sub butter for the ghee / coconut oil - it won't be exactly the same (they wouldn't use ghee in Ethiopia anyway; they'd use a spiced clarified butter), but it should be good enough!
posted by quadrilaterals at 2:27 PM on January 12, 2023
posted by quadrilaterals at 2:27 PM on January 12, 2023
Popcorn is the go-to during coffee ceremonies, so that would be fun to bring. Or...
In general, wats or wots are the Ethiopian recipes that have berbere (they are darker, reddish, and spicier) while alichas/alitchas are made with butter or oil, tend to be more yellow (from turmeric) than red, and aren't generally as spicy, or the spice comes from jalapeno. So an alitcha vegetable dish would work great.
I have a fantastic Ethiopian cookbook that has this recipe for dinich alicha, or potatoes and carrots in onion turmeric sauce:
Ingredients
5 tablespoons sunflower, canola, or other mild vegetable oil
4 medium red or yellow onions (about 1 lb 2 oz), finely chopped
5 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
salt
2 1/4 pounds medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
Place a large saute pan or wide saucepan over medium heat and add the oil and onions, and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in the turmeric and carrots, then season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, stir to mix, and cook for 2 minutes. Cover with 1 cup of hot water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add more water if needed or remove the lid to cook off excess liquid towards the end of cooking--the mixture should be moist but not too liquidy. Add the jalapeno, cook for a final 1-2 minutes, and serve.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:01 PM on January 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
In general, wats or wots are the Ethiopian recipes that have berbere (they are darker, reddish, and spicier) while alichas/alitchas are made with butter or oil, tend to be more yellow (from turmeric) than red, and aren't generally as spicy, or the spice comes from jalapeno. So an alitcha vegetable dish would work great.
I have a fantastic Ethiopian cookbook that has this recipe for dinich alicha, or potatoes and carrots in onion turmeric sauce:
Ingredients
5 tablespoons sunflower, canola, or other mild vegetable oil
4 medium red or yellow onions (about 1 lb 2 oz), finely chopped
5 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
salt
2 1/4 pounds medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
Place a large saute pan or wide saucepan over medium heat and add the oil and onions, and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until aromatic. Stir in the turmeric and carrots, then season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, stir to mix, and cook for 2 minutes. Cover with 1 cup of hot water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add more water if needed or remove the lid to cook off excess liquid towards the end of cooking--the mixture should be moist but not too liquidy. Add the jalapeno, cook for a final 1-2 minutes, and serve.
posted by bluedaisy at 3:01 PM on January 12, 2023 [5 favorites]
This Ethiopian spice company has a whole section of recipes on their blog (the only time I've found a proper buticha recipe in english was here):
Brundo Spice Company
posted by JaneTheGood at 3:57 PM on January 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
Brundo Spice Company
posted by JaneTheGood at 3:57 PM on January 12, 2023 [3 favorites]
The first one I thought of was tikil gomen as it's one of my favorites and turmeric might be the most "exotic" ingredient. Others I like are fossolia and azifa.
Another good option could be timatim. Now most recipes do use berbere, but I tend to like the ones that don't use it as the jalapeños usually give enough kick for me (it's a nice cooling side dish). You could always add some cayenne if you have it to try and duplicate the berbere.
posted by Fortran at 4:27 PM on January 12, 2023
Another good option could be timatim. Now most recipes do use berbere, but I tend to like the ones that don't use it as the jalapeños usually give enough kick for me (it's a nice cooling side dish). You could always add some cayenne if you have it to try and duplicate the berbere.
posted by Fortran at 4:27 PM on January 12, 2023
Timatim (Tomato Salad) or Ethiopian tomato salad is super simple but good, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
The ingredients include tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos , and injera bread if you want to go out on the a limb. The dressing is made of a mix of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and a smidge of berebere, which I've actually made before, undoubtedly omitting a few ingredients, though you'll have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
posted by Violet Blue at 5:31 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
The ingredients include tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos , and injera bread if you want to go out on the a limb. The dressing is made of a mix of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and a smidge of berebere, which I've actually made before, undoubtedly omitting a few ingredients, though you'll have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
posted by Violet Blue at 5:31 PM on January 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I really like fossolia, a simple little green bean (sometimes with carrots) dish flavored with garlic and ginger.
posted by drlith at 8:04 AM on January 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by drlith at 8:04 AM on January 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
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posted by theotherdurassister at 2:18 PM on January 12, 2023 [9 favorites]