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Kulwa
Eritrean pan-fried beef with onion, rosemary and berbere butter
Kulwa (also called tibsi in parts of the Horn) is the fast, sizzling beef dish that Eritrean restaurants in Asmara and Massawa bring to the table in a hot clay dish: small strips of beef fried hard with onion, green chilli, a sprig of rosemary and a spoon of spiced butter, with a dusting of berbere. It is eaten with injera or bread as a weekend treat. The mistake is overcooking the beef until dry: it needs only a few minutes over high heat. Chef's tip: let the pan get really hot before adding the meat, and serve it still sizzling.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ⅓ lb beef sirloin or rump dry. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan over a high heat until smoking.
Step 2: Add the beef in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes without moving, then stir-fry for 1 minute. Lift out. Cook in 2 batches if your pan is small.
5 minStep 3: Add 1 red onion, 2 green chillies, 2 garlic cloves and 1 rosemary sprig and stir-fry for 3 minutes until the onion softens at the edges.
3 minStep 4: Return the beef with 2 tbsp spiced clarified butter (tesmi) or ghee, 1 tsp berbere spice and ¾ tsp salt and toss for 1–2 minutes until glossy and sizzling. The strips should be browned outside; the centre of a strip should reach 145°F; for young children or pregnant guests cook until no pink remains (160°F).
2 minStep 5: Serve at once with injera or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kulwa take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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