The availability of greens at the farmers’ market this week inspired me to cook this delicious kale stir fry. In the Ethiopian community, collards rather than kale are the most common greens used. But because kale cooks and tastes like collard greens, it becomes an easy substitute in stir-fries and in dishes with lentils or lamb. Before cooking, make sure to cut off the tough stem ends, but keep the stem in the center of the kale leaves. Then, chop leaves into small bite-sized pieces. Like collard greens, kale requires a long cooking time to soften. In this recipe, I recommend boiling the kal ..read more

The season of Lent is a significant part of Ethiopian culture, as many people are followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church. During Lent, the 55 days before Easter, followers eat only plant-based foods. During this time especially, lentils and split peas are the main ingredients for Ethiopian dishes. Lentils are a versatile staple of Ethiopian cuisine, and a great source of both protein and fiber with a nutty flavor. They can be prepared as a stew, mixed with vegetables in a stir fry, added to cold salads, or used as part of an appetizer, as in fried sambusas. A variety of lentils ..read more

When you walk into an Ethiopian grocery store or look online for Ethiopian spices, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number and variety of spices available. Never fear! Here is a list of the five most important spices in Ethiopian cuisine, the ones you need for most Ethiopian food cooking. Berbere If there is only one spice to have for Ethiopian stews and stir-fries, it should be Berbere. Berbere is a blend of many spices, so adding just this to your stew will give lots of flavor and complexity. It’s easier to add Berbere to your cooking than to measure a tiny bit of each spice—so this ma ..read more

I get asked a lot: What is a simmer sauce? What do you use it for? Ethiopian simmer sauce, a base sauce known as “kulet” in Ethiopia, is the main product we carry in our online store. I am here to answer your questions about kulet in this month’s blog. When I first moved to Oregon, I missed food from my home in Ethiopia. I had a full-time accounting job and was also going to night college—so I had very little time to cook. At that time, there were no prepared Ethiopian foods in stores, and this is the reason I created my first Ethiopian simmer sauces: for convenience in preparation, and so I ..read more

In Addis Ethiopia where I grew up, Injera is traditionally made with 100% teff flour. Teff, an ancient grain that is very fine-- about the size of a poppyseed— is very nutritious and considered a superfood. Like sourdough, Injera is made from a fermented starter, a thin batter that is fed with water and grain flours and left to rise.  Here in the United States, it’s common to make Injera using grains other than teff. When I first came to the US, I tried to make Injera using only teff flour, but I had difficulty getting the batter to ferment. In Ethiopia, the fermentation had been easy—pe ..read more

Berbere is one of the most commonly used spice blends in Ethiopian Cuisine. I frequently get asked, where to buy Berbere? What ingredients should the blend use? How much should I buy? How do I know the Berbere I’m buying is authentic and of good quality? Here are some of my tips on choosing what Berbere blend is best to buy! Tip #1: Buy From Your Local Ethiopian Store, if possible: Most Ethiopian Stores have their Berbere directly imported from Ethiopia, which used fresh authentic herbs and spices needed to make Berbere. The authentic herbs and spices are not always readily available here loc ..read more

If you’ve had Ethiopian Food, then you’re no stranger to Injera, but what exactly is Injera and more importantly, how can we make it?  Injera is a famous sour fermented flatbread that is served with many Ethiopian dishes. It’s sponge-like texture is used to soak up the foods that it is served with. Injera is made from Teff, also known as the smallest grain in the world but that doesn't take away from how highly nutritious it is and it’s gluten-free! In fact, Teff is gaining major popularity amongst healthy food enthusiasts.  So what kind of pan do we use to make Injera?  To figu ..read more

Although not as popular as Gomen (Ethiopian collard greens), stir fried chards are one of the side dishes that occasionally accompany vegan stews on an injera platter. The type of chard available in Ethiopia has a white stem, but rainbow chard works the same. Ingredients: 2 bunches rainbow chard, leaves and stems separated and diced ¼ cup red onions, chopped ½ tbsp. garlic, finely minced 3 tbsp. cooking oil 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges Directions: Heat the oil in a large pan over low heat. Add the onions and the diced stems to the pan. Co ..read more

    If you have the small edible pumpkins at home, you can use them for this simple Alicha Duba Wot recipe (Duba is the name used for any kind of squash in Ethiopia, and Alicha Wot means mild stew). This dish can be served as a side dish to any meal. Ingredients 2 cups of pumpkin cut in small cubes (peeled and seeded) ½ small yellow onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 table spoon olive oil ½ tea spoon turmeric Salt Put a pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add turmeric a ..read more

Easy and quick recipe to upgrade your cauliflower using the Ethiopian berbere spice blend. I love cauliflower cooked in many ways but flavoring it with the Ethiopian spice mix berbere is my favorite of all. This Ethiopian cauliflower recipe can be done fast and it’s very easy to make, with only four ingredients. Cauliflower is also a good vegetable for Ethiopian stews because it cooks quickly on a simmer and takes on the flavor of the mild sauce, or kulet . Cauliflower also roasts well. In fact, another popular way to make an Ethiopian cauliflower side dish is to coat a whole head of cauliflo ..read more