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Datta (Gurage green chilli relish)
Datta: fresh green chillies pounded with garlic, ginger and salt into a fiery paste
A small bowl of datta sits beside every plate of kitfo in Gurage country, and Addis kitfo houses serve it the same way; a dab of it wakes up mild ayib, kocho or a bowl of shiro. Fresh green chillies are pounded in a mortar with garlic, ginger and salt, sometimes with a little onion and lemon, into a coarse, bright paste that is sharp, grassy and very hot. It is a fasting-friendly relish, since it is nothing but vegetables, oil and lemon. Blitzing it to a smooth liquid in a blender is a common mistake: you lose the texture and the chillies turn bitter; pound it, or pulse briefly. Wear gloves when handling the chillies, and wash the board well afterwards. Chef's tip: for a milder datta, scrape out the seeds and pale ribs of half the chillies before pounding.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz green chilliessuch as finger or jalapeño chillies, stems removed
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerpeeled and chopped
- ½ red onion (optional)finely chopped
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Roughly chop 5 ½ oz green chillies, wearing gloves.
Step 2: Pound 3 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and ¾ tsp salt in a mortar for 1 minute to a paste.
1 minStep 3: Add the chillies and ½ red onion if using and pound for 5 minutes until coarse and juicy, with small flecks of skin still visible. Or pulse in a small food processor a few times.
5 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and taste for salt. Keep in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 55 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does datta (Gurage green chilli relish) take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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