Ethiopian dinner

When we were in college, there was this really good Ethiopian restaurant that we used to go.  I love the bread they serve with the food called injera.  It’s made from teff flour and is soft and slightly sour.  Luckily, we have an Ethiopian grocery store near us, so I picked up ready made injera from them.  I heated it right before we sat down to eat by giving it a quick steam (2-3 min).  Other than the injera, the menu was (please forgive misspellings):

Yetakelt W’et (vegetable stew)– left most item

Ye’abesha Gomen (collard greens)– right to the vegetable stew

Atar Allecha (split peas)– above the collard greens

Yemiser W’et (red lentil)– right of the split peas

Cucumber Tomato Salad– this is not Ethiopian.  It’s just cucumbers, tomatoes, and coriander chopped fine with salt and pepper.

Before cooking, there are two Ethiopian spices I want to comment on.  Again, I was lucky that the Ethiopian grocery store near me carries these, so I didn’t have to make the spice mixes.  If possible, I’d recommend using them since I think it makes a difference in the final taste of the dishes.

Berbere–  This is a spicy blend of chili peppers and other spices.

Niter Kibbeh– This is a spiced, clarified butter.  I made this at home by heating 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) on low heat and adding 2 tbsp of Yekibe Manteriya (another Ethiopian spice mix).  I let it simmer for 30 mins on low and then drained it through a cheese cloth.  The part to use is the strained part (a clear brownish liquid).  You can store it in a jar in the fridge if you have any left over.  Note: If you are vegan, you can make the niter kibbeh in oil and it still tastes good!