An Ethiopian Feast - Yeshinbra Assa Wot (Chick Pea Paste)

This is a very interesting and unusual dish and one I liked very much. Unfortunately, mine was very thick and came out lumpy on reheating. I did thin this one to reheat it, I had to! I'm calling for a bit more water than I used, and unlike the other legume-based dishes, I suggest that you DON'T make it in advance and reheat it. It cooks so fast - really, about 7 or 8 minutes from turning on the heat - so just have everything ready to go and cook it at the very end.

I have to admit I didn't see any recipes that called for prepared mustard, although my Ethiopian cookbook has a recipe for prepared mustard and a number of recipes calling for "mustard", although I think they mean ground mustard seed. So! I thought some ready-made mustard would not be going too far astray, and it works really well with the lemon juice. I used a bit heavier hand with the berbere here too, and made this really quite nippy. I'm thinking I will use this flavour profile for some other dishes.

4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time

1/2 cup chick pea flour
1 1/2 cups water
the juice of 1/2 large lemon
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons berbere
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon prepared (Dijon) mustard
3 large shallots
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

Put the chick pea flour in a small bowl, and slowly stir in the water a bit at a time to form a smooth paste, then stir in the rest with the lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.

Put the berbere, salt, and mustard aside together in a small bowl.

Peel and finely chop the shallots.

Heat the oil in a mid-sized saucepan over medium heat, and when hot add the shallots and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until they are softened and just slightly browned. Add the bowl of seasonings and mix in well. Cook for another minute or two.

Stir up the chick pea and water and slowly mix it into the pot of oil and seasonings. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes or less. Stir constantly. Dollop it onto the "injera" or put it in a storage dish for reheating later.




Last year at this time I made Gomel-Style Cutlets.

Posted in: Ontario Food