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Ye-beg kikil
Ye-beg kikil (የበግ ቅቅል): a mild, golden lamb-on-the-bone soup-stew with garlic, ginger, turmeric and green chilli
On chilly highland mornings, Addis Ababa's small eateries ladle out bowls of ye-beg kikil: chunks of lamb on the bone simmered slowly with onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and whole green chillies until the meat slips off and the broth turns golden. There is no berbere, so it is gentle and clean-tasting, a welcome change from the red wats, and people sip the broth on its own as a pick-me-up after a long night or an illness. It is eaten with injera or bread, often with a little awaze on the side for those who want more heat. The usual mistake is boiling it hard, which clouds the broth and toughens the meat; keep it at a lazy simmer. Chef's tip: skim the grey foam carefully in the first 10 minutes for a clear, bright soup.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bonecut into 5 cm pieces
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 6 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 14 oz potatoespeeled, cut into large chunks
- 3 green chilliesleft whole, slit lengthways
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ¼ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bone and pat dry. Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat and cook 2 onions for 6 minutes until soft and translucent, not browned.
6 minStep 2: Add 6 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger and 1 tsp ground turmeric and stir for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2 minStep 3: Add the lamb and turn it in the onion for 4 minutes, until it has lost its raw colour on the outside.
4 minStep 4: Pour in 6 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Skim off the grey foam for the first 10 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Partly cover and simmer very gently for 45 minutes, keeping just a few bubbles breaking the surface.
45 minStep 6: Add 14 oz potatoes, 3 green chillies and 1 ½ tsp salt and simmer for 20–25 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the lamb is soft enough to pull from the bone with a spoon.
22 minStep 7: Stir in ½ tsp ground cardamom or korerima and ½ tsp black pepper, taste for salt and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve hot in deep bowls with injera or bread.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ye-beg kikil take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 85 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.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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