When I was visiting Ethiopia, my guide’s favourite food was shiro wat. It was during the Lent period, so many people were eating vegan foods. I enjoyed all of the different flavours and the healthy stews served with injera. This is a recipe for shiro wat, which is made with ground chickpea powder and spices. My version was a little lumpier than what I had in Ethiopia, so next time I might use a hand blender to make it smoother. Otherwise, the flavour was quite authentic, because I found the chickpea powder and berbere spices at an Ethiopian supermarket in London. The rest of the ingredients were easy to find in the normal supermarket
When I made this recipe for shiro wat at home, I served it with gomen wat (greens), misir wat (red lentils) and injera (spongey bread). It is very tasty and filling! The vegan version would use oil instead of niter kibbeh, which is clarified butter.
Ingredients
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
2 Tbsp of niter kibbeh (or substitute with 1 Tbsp oil)
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, skinned and de-seeded, then finely chopped
1- 2 tsp of berbere spice
500 ml water plus additional as needed
1 1/2 cups of finely ground, spiced chickpea powder (Shiro)
Salt, to taste
Garnish with sliced fresh jalapeño or chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
First, in a saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in oil (and niter kibbeh) over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes and berbere spice. Stir well and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add water. Then gradually add shiro powder and whisk into a smooth mixture. Use additional water to whisk in to avoid lumps from forming
Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. The Shiro Wat should thicken and become smooth. Adjust the consistency with additional water if needed. Season with salt to taste.
Finally, garnish with parsley or jalapenos, and serve hot with injera or rice.
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