Shiro Wat (Silky Chickpea-Berbere Stew) with Tomato Salad

Toasted chickpea flour whisked into a smooth, spicy, garlicky stew in under an hour, with a sharp tomato-jalapeño salad to cut through. A vegan Ethiopian staple.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 Roma tomatoes (2 grated, 2 diced)
• 1 tbsp berbere
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 1 lemon
• 1½ cups rice, or store-bought injera

From your pantry: ⅓ cup oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt.

Instructions

1. Start the rice. Toast the chickpea flour in a dry skillet over medium-low with the berbere, cumin, cardamom and garlic powder, stirring constantly, until it smells nutty, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Warm ⅓ cup oil in a pot over medium-low and cook the onion until soft but not browned, 4 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and the 2 grated tomatoes and cook 3 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups water and 1 tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the spiced flour a little at a time so no lumps form.
4. Simmer over low, whisking every few minutes, until thick and creamy and the oil shines on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Add water if it gets thicker than gravy.
5. Toss the diced tomatoes with the jalapeño, lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt for the salad. Serve the shiro with rice or injera and the salad on the side.

Tip: Ethiopian markets sell ready-spiced shiro powder; use 1 cup of it in place of the chickpea flour and spices.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Urban Farmie.

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