Shiro (Ethiopian chickpea stew)
Recipe No.: W-66
InternationalEthiopian40 minServes 4
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, Orthodox Christians fast on many days of the year, avoiding meat and dairy, and shiro takes pride of place on the table: a spiced chickpea or broad-bean flour cooked in water with onion, garlic and berbere until thick and velvety. It is a filling, simple dish, and hardly a home is without its powder. It is said that the quickest way to an Ethiopian guest's heart is a hot pot of shiro with soft injera, and the dish is at its best when everyone sits around it together.
Origin of the dish: Ethiopia (also known in Eritrea) — A much-loved fasting dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea
Photo: Taita and shiro.jpg by Temesgen Woldezion; edited by Merhawie Woldezion, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ingredients for Shiro
- 1 cup(120 g) shiro powder (spiced chickpea or broad-bean flour) — or 1 cup chickpea flour + 1 tbsp berbere + ½ tsp cumin
- 2onions, very finely chopped
- 3 tbspvegetable oil (for fasting days) or niter kibbeh (on non-fasting days)
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced, and 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbspberbere
- 1 tbsptomato paste (optional)
- 3 cupswater
- 1green chilli (optional) and salt to taste
- To serveinjera
Method
- Put the onions in a pot over medium heat with no oil and stir for 8 minutes until softened.
- Add the oil, garlic, ginger, berbere and tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Sprinkle in the shiro powder gradually while whisking fast so no lumps form.
- Lower the heat and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, adding water if it becomes too heavy.
- Adjust the salt and serve on injera with the green chilli.
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