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Shiro wat
Silky spiced chickpea flour stew, simmered with onion, garlic and berbere
Shiro is the most eaten dish in Ethiopia: on Wednesdays and Fridays and during Lent, when Orthodox Christians fast from all animal food, kitchens from Addis Ababa to Mekelle make it daily, and it is a favourite in Eritrea too. It is made from shiro powder, a ground mix of roasted chickpeas or field peas with garlic, ginger and berbere, whisked into a red onion base and simmered into a smooth, thick sauce. Served bubbling in a clay pot over injera, it is comforting, spicy and very cheap. On non-fasting days, a spoon of niter kibbeh stirred in at the end makes it richer. Chef's tip: whisk the shiro powder in slowly, a spoonful at a time, and keep whisking; dumped in all at once it forms lumps that never dissolve.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 red onions in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat and stir for 5 minutes until it softens and loses its raw smell. Cooking onion dry first is the Ethiopian way; it sweetens and deepens the colour.
5 minStep 2: Add 4 tbsp vegetable oil and 4 garlic cloves and cook for 3 minutes until golden at the edges.
3 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tomato and 1 tbsp berbere and cook for 3 minutes until the tomato collapses and the oil turns deep red.
3 minStep 4: Pour in 3 ¼ cups hot water and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and add 3 ½ oz shiro powder a spoonful at a time, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Adding the powder all at once is the classic mistake.
4 minStep 5: Simmer over a low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens into a smooth, glossy sauce that drops lazily from the spoon. It will spit, so half-cover the pan. Add a splash of hot water if it gets thicker than double cream.
11 minStep 6: Season with ¾ tsp salt, drop in 1 green chilli and serve hot, spooned onto injera.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shiro wat take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 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 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.
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- 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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