If you ever go to an Ethiopian restaurant as a vegan, you will have a few dishes that you can order. There are many other lentil and veggie-based dishes, with most having a base of berbere sauce. One of the Ethiopian food staples, in both vegan and non-vegan cooking, is shiro wat. Vegan shiro wat is cooked with a little oil, a blend of spices, onions, garlic, and ginger.
Many of the mixed Ethiopian vegan food platters (yetsom beyaynetu) will include a portion of tomato salad (timatim salata) as one of the dishes, but if not, you can ask for it. Diced tomatoes, red onions, and slices of jalapeno, dressed in nothing more than salt, lemon / lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil, then scooped up with pieces of injera is an amazing flavor.
Ethiopian food characteristically consists of very spicy meat and vegetable dishes. Seattle has an abundance of Ethiopian food. After Indian, Ethiopian is always the next choice when we want some spice and deep flavors in the meal. The veggie platter filled with 2 to 4 different simmered lentil dishes, greens, simmered okra, cabbage pcarrot wat, all served up over the huge Injera.
Here are a few recipes to help you explore the flavors of Ethiopia from your own kitchen.
Atakilt Wat (Ethiopian Cabbage, Potato, and Carrots)
Atakilt Wat/ Atkilt wot is a cabbage side that is so close to the Indian cabbage dishes and yet has its own flavor profile. My Ethiopian cabbage recipe (Atakilt Wat) is an easy, vegan, and gluten-free dish. Made with simple spices, it’s perfect for a quick 30-minute meal that’s both delicious and convenient.
Read also: Ethiopian Cuisine: Philadelphia Guide
Even though this dish includes three staple vegetables: carrots, potatoes, and green cabbage, you can customise it to whatever you have on hand or enjoy. This healthy cabbage-based dish is inexpensive and easy to make. I love the simplicity of it but am always impressed by how much flavour is in such few ingredients.
Traditionally, Atakilt Wat is eaten with injera (a sour crepe made of a grain called teff). However, in the meantime, you can eat this Ethiopian cabbage recipe with any flatbread or even a nice cumin-infused rice. But my favorite way of eating it? Just ladle it in a bowl and dig in. No carbs needed!
Ingredients:
- Green cabbage
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Turmeric
If you want to make it a bit spicier, you can add in a habanero pepper and/or jalapeno pepper, but this is not traditionally done. The traditional recipe uses something called Nit’ir Qibe (pronounced Nitter Kibbeh) - which is essentially spiced, clarified butter.
Since I don’t usually have the infused oil ready, I add the spices to oil in the second step to infuse the oil while cooking (indian food style) for my interpretation of atakilt wat. You can omit the spices.
Atakilt Wat - Ethiopian Cabbage Potato Carrots 1 Pot | Vegan Richa Recipes
Instructions:
- In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium flame.
- After about 30 seconds, add garlic paste (or minced garlic), ginger paste, half the turmeric, and cumin powder - be careful to add before the oil gets too hot, otherwise it will splatter! Saute for 30 seconds to infuse the oil - when done, it should look dark throughout.
- Now, add the chopped onion and saute for about 1 minute until the onion gets brown.
- Then, add carrots, potatoes, water and turmeric and mix well to infuse with spices.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Then, open and check if the carrots and potatoes are cooked by piercing them with a fork.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, and the cabbage has been reduced by about half, add pepper and adjust the salt if needed.
One pot meal highlighting cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Heat a large saucepan or skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil and onions. Let the onions soften for another couple of minutes before adding the ginger and turmeric powder. Add carrots, potatoes, and ½ cup / 125ml of water. Reduce the heat to medium, stir well and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovering every few minutes to stir. Once you can pierce the potato with a bit of resistance, turn the heat back to medium-high and add in the cabbage and salt. There is a lot of cabbage, so make sure you stir it in well to give it a chance to cook down.
Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine
Tikil Gomen
Tikil Gomen is a spiced vegetable dish that highlights cabbage, potato, and carrots. From my research, tikil gomen is the most common name for this cabbage and potato dish. Other names are tikel gomen, atakilt wat, and atkilt wot.
Tips for the Perfect Tikil Gomen
It’s essential for this recipe to use a tight-fitting lid on your pot to trap the moisture inside the pot and that the vegetables cook in their own juices. You can easily double or triple batch this recipe for meal prep. It will keep well for around 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Spiced Ethiopian Chickpeas Side Dish
Spiced Ethiopian Chickpeas Side Dish - an easy vegetarian Ethiopian recipe to serve over injera or with some rice. Adjust the spice level to your liking! This recipe only requires about 15 minutes of hands-on time.
Ingredients:
- Berbere
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Turmeric
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cumin
Instructions:
- In a large saucepan or a wok, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced onions. Saute for 2 minutes, then add all the spices - berbere, coriander, cumin, paprika, and turmeric.
- Saute the onion in the spices for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Lower the heat if it starts to smoke a lot.
- Add the chickpeas, chopped carrots, vegetable stock, and salt. Stir well, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered for about minutes, or until the carrots are fully cooked and there is only a little bit of the liquid left.
- Taste the broth and add more salt if needed.
Ethiopian Red Lentil and Vegetable Stew
One spoonful of this flavor-packed berbere-spiced stew will have you hooked! This Ethiopian Red Lentil and Vegetable Stew is inspired by that savory, spicy cuisine!
Ingredients:
- Berbere Spice
- Turnips
- Red Lentils
- Vegetable Broth
- Yogurt (optional)
Berbere is a spice blend common in Ethiopian cuisine. It’s composed of chiles, garlic, fenugreek and a handful of other warm spices, such as allspice and cinnamon. The flavor is hot and peppery with a touch of tanginess.
Read also: A Taste of Ethiopia in South Carolina
Instructions:
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 5-6 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the carrots, celery and red bell pepper. Continue cooking another 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger and Berbere spice. Give it a stir and cook briefly or until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Add the turnips and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 5-6 minutes. Add the lentils and petite diced tomatoes.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar.
| Dish | Main Ingredients | Spice Level | Serving Suggestions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atakilt Wat | Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots | Mild to Medium | Injera, flatbread, cumin-infused rice |
| Tikil Gomen | Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots | Mild | Alongside other Ethiopian dishes |
| Spiced Chickpeas | Chickpeas, Carrots | Medium to High | Injera, rice |
| Red Lentil Stew | Red Lentils, Turnips, Carrots | Medium to High | With yogurt (optional) |
Enjoy exploring the rich and diverse flavors of Ethiopian cuisine with these delicious vegetable dishes!
