Shiro
Ground chickpea flour whisked continuously into a browned-onion-and-tomato base until it turns silky and thick, not a chickpea puree like hummus but a genuinely cooked, whisked stew. The defining fasting-day (tsom) dish of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, eaten heavily on Wednesdays, Fridays, and through Lent, shared across both Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Vegan-optionalVegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup shiro powder (or plain chickpea flour plus 2 tbsp berbere)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or niter kibbeh for non-fasting days)
- 1 tomato, pureed
- 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Saute the onion in oil until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, berbere if using plain flour, and tomato puree, and cook 5 minutes.
- Add the water or broth and bring to a simmer.
- Whisk in the shiro flour gradually to avoid lumps.
- Simmer 15-20 minutes, whisking frequently, until thick and smooth.
- Finish with a drizzle of oil and serve with injera.