Collard Greens

Ingredients

What You Do:

1. Wash the greens well in a sinkful of water. Drain.
2. Cut the coarse part off of the ends of the stems (about 1/2-1 inch).
3. Chop the stems well and set aside.
4. Chop the collard leaves coarsely and set aside.
5. In a pot, heat up some niter kebbeh. Add the onion, chopped collard stems and some salt. Saute until the onion turns clear and the chopped stem have softened.
6. Add the collard leaves and stir well. Cook until tender adding a small amount of water if necessary to help the greens steam. (You might cover for a little while, stir and cover again, until softened to your liking.)

Yataklete Kilkil

(Ethiopian gingered vegetable stew)

Yataklete kilkil, also known as yatakilt alicha, is a popular vegetarian, or ye'tsom, dish in Ethiopia,

especially during Lent.

4-6 servings

Ingredients

Method

1. Place the potatoes, carrots and green beans in a large saucepan, cover them with water and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, 10-20 minutes. Drain, reserving the water, and set aside.
2. Place the onion, garlic, ginger and chile pepper in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
3. Heat the oil, butter or niter kibbeh in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion puree and sauté until the moisture evaporates and onions lose their rawness, 6-8 minutes. Do not let the onions brown.
4. Add cooked vegetables, cardamom or nutmeg, salt, pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved water. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 15-30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations

• You may steam the vegetables instead of boiling them to conserve nutrients. The vegetables can also be cooked separately instead of all together.
• Try using different vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers.

Chow Mixes, Sauces
Yield: 1 cup

       1 cl Garlic; sliced

       1 ts Fresh gingerroot; grated

            -or ground ginger

     1/4 ts Caraway; ground

     1/2 ts Cardamom; ground

     1/4 ts Mustard seed; ground

     1/4 ts Avish; ground 

     1/4 ts Coriander; ground

     1/2 ts Tumeric; ground

     1/3 c  Water

     1/4 ts Fresh hot red chili

     1/4 ts Paprika

Process everything together into a smooth mixture that will be as thick as toothpaste. Refrigerate with a jar with a tight cover. Use when needed.   Makes 1/2 c.

Ethiopian Lentils (Vegetarian)
Yield: 6 servings

       2 c  Dried lentils; picked over

            -and washed

       6 c  Water

     3/4 c  Anaheim green peppers;

            -seeded and chopped

       2 c  Red onions; peeled, chopped

     1/4 c  Spiced butter

       1 tb Grated fresh ginger

       2 cl Garlic; peeled, crushed

       1 tb Berbere sauce

            Freshly ground blackpepper to taste

Boil the lentils in water for 5 mins. Drain, reserving liquid.

In 4 quart saucepot, saute the Anaheim peppers and onions in the spiced butter until the onions are tender. Add the lentils, 4c of the reserved liquid, and the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, over low heat 35-40 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Yield: 1 quart Iab is a white curd cheese very much like the Greek feta. Special herbs are added (and sometimes chopped vegetables) which give it its characteristically acid taste. Since the cheese used in Ethiopia is not available here, this recipe is an attempt to simulate lab.
In a 1-quart bowl:

The mixture should be moist enough to spoon but dry enough to stay firm when served. Drain off excess liquid. One or two heaping tablespoons of lab is placed on the Injera before each guest

Aleecha    Vegetable version



 Ingredients:
2 lg Onions, sliced
1 1/2 lb Potatoes, cut into chunks
1  Cabbage, each cut into eigths
1/2 Head of cauliflower, break into pieces
4-5 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 lb Butter, seasoned
1 tb Curry powder

Procedure:

Green Beans and Peanuts



Ingredients
3 Tbsp. olive oil or more if the skillet dries out
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted, skinned peanuts
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1.2 lb. (675 gr.) green beans
1 large green pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet heat the oil and in this saute the onions, nuts and garlic until the onions are translucent. To this mixture add the beans, green pepper, salt and black pepper. Continue to saute until the beans are tender. Serve hot.

Minted Rice

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped 

3 coves garlic, chopped finely 

l tsp. each ground cloves, cardamon and cinnamon 

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked 

1 cup seedless raisins 

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped finely 

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves 

1/4 tsp. ground ginger pinch of saffron 

3 Tbsp. lemon juice 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, toasted or plain

In a large saucepan heat the butter and in this saute the onion and garlic until the onion is golden brown. Stir in the cloves, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and rice. Continue to saute for several minutes. Add the raisins, mint, coriander, ginger and saffron, stirring well. Add 3 1/2 cups of water, the lemon juice and salt and bring to a boil. Stir with a fork just once and lower the flame. Cover and cook about 20 minutes over a low flame until the liquids are absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, garnish with the nuts and serve hot.

Chick Pea Fritters (Yeshimbra Assa)

3 cups chick pea flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

3/4 - 1 cup water

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the 3/4 cup water, onion, and garlic. If dough is too crumbly, add a little more water. Dough should form a compact ball.
On a lightly floured surface roll out dough until it is 1/4" thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes (fish shape is traditional).

Pour oil into a skillet 2-3" deep. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer. Fry fritters for 3-4 minutes, turning them frequently until they puff slightly and are golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a towel to drain. Then prepare sauce:

2 onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup berbere

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Place the fritters in the skillet and coat them with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet partially, and simmer for 30 minutes.