AI-generated image
Silsi
Spicy tomato berbere sauce
Silsi (ስልሲ): spicy cooked tomato, onion and berbere sauce, mopped up with bread for an Asmara breakfast
Mornings in Asmara often start with a small pan of silsi set in the middle of the table and a basket of crusty bread beside it, everyone tearing off pieces and dipping. It is a quick red sauce of onion, garlic and fresh tomato cooked down with berbere until thick and glossy, sweet and sharp at the same time, with real heat behind it. Silsi is also the base for fata, where it is tossed with torn bread and topped with yoghurt and egg, and it doubles as a fasting-day relish for injera. Chef's tip: let the tomatoes cook until the oil separates and shines on the surface; stopping sooner is the common mistake, and the sauce then tastes raw and watery.
- Total time
- 27 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 red onionsfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 ½ tbsp berberesee our recipe
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoesabout 5, finely chopped or grated
- ½ cup water
- 1 green chillisliced
- ¾ tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add 2 red onions and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
7 minStep 2: Add 3 garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in 1 ½ tbsp berbere and 1 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 1 minute, until the oil turns deep red. Keep stirring so the spice does not catch.
2 minStep 3: Add 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoes and ½ cup water and bring to a lively simmer. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then and pressing the tomato against the pan, until it has broken down into a thick sauce and the oil shines on top.
9 minStep 4: Stir in 1 green chilli and ¾ tsp salt and cook for 1 more minute. It should be thick enough to sit on a piece of bread without running off.
1 minStep 5: Serve hot in the pan, with crusty bread or injera for dipping. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 165 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does silsi take?
- About 27 minutes in total: 7 minutes to prepare and 20 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.
- 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 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.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Mint and onion chutney
Onions fried gently until soft and sweet, then blended with fresh mint, green chilli and lemon juice. It's a mellow, fresh-tasting chutney that is great with bhajias, samosas, kebabs and tikka, or spread in sandwiches.
Indian
Sour cream dip
A simple, tangy dip made with thick home-made cottage cheese (hung yogurt) or ready-made sour cream, seasoned with garlic, chilli, black pepper and vinegar. Serve it cold with crisps, nachos and jacket potatoes. The book's other dips use this as their 'sour cream'.
Olive salsa dip
A chunky Mediterranean salsa of chopped black olives, tomato, pepper and spring onions with chives, basil, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Serve it cold or at room temperature with corn chips or toasted bread.