Facts about Ethiopia You may or may not know

1. Cradle of Human beings:Ethiopia is the land of the origin of the first human species, that is justified with discover of Lucy, “Lucy” was found in 1974 by an American Paleo Anthropologist and they have been listening to the music called “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds” from where she got her name. Lucy aged 3.2 million years and its scientific name is Australopithecus Afarensis.
scientists working in Ethiopia have discovered a skeleton of a three – years old girl “ Selam”  who lived 3.3 million years ago, that is 150,000 years before Lucy . It is found in Dikaka area, in North Eastern Ethiopia. Dikika Research Project Paleoantropolgical Research Team Leader, Dr. Zeresenay Alemsegd of the Max Plank Institute in Leipzig, Germany said that “The Skeleton is the earliest and most complete ever found”. Out of the 14th human and pre-human fossils that have so far been uncovered around the world, 10 are from Ethiopia, this underscores that Ethiopia is the origin of Human kind.

2. Ethiopian Calendar
Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and a 13th month  of five days and six days during the leap year. The Ethiopian Calendar is almost eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.

3. Ethiopian Alphabet and Numbers
Ethiopia is the only African country with its own Alphabet Letters and numbers that traces its origin back to Sabean. The Ethiopian Alphabet consists of 33 letters each with 7 characters.

4. Birth Place of Coffee
Ethiopians have a very beautiful traditional coffee ceremony, its unimaginable for most Ethiopians to start a new day with out several cups of coffee. Coffee is the best drink an Ethiopian family offers to honor guests, as coffee ceremony is the best occasion for a get-together with neighbors and friends. Ethiopian coffee ceremony might have been created with the discovery of coffee itself in its south western heartland, in particular place called “Kaffa” from which, many experts of the uniquely fragrant and relaxing bean believe, the firm coffee has originated and joined the international lexicon. Coffee, café, etc

5. Often women feed the men with their fingers as a mark of love and devotion to them.

6. Traditionally, parents and children do not share a last name. Most kids take their father’s first name as their last name.

7. Did you know that a large portion of the Ethiopian population claims descent from King Solomon of Jerusalem and Makeda, the queen of Sheba?

Sambusa (Ethiopian Appetizer)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 (1408 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Calories 51.0,Calories from Fat 21 41%,Total Fat 2.3g 3%, Saturated Fat 0.9g 4%,Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g 4% Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g 1%,Trans Fat 0.0 g 0%, cholesterol 7.6 mg 2%, Sodium 51.8 mg 2%, Potassium 32.5 mg 0%, Magnesium 4.0 mg 0%, Total Carbohydrate 4.8 g 1%, Dietary Fiber 0.2 g 0%, Sugars 0.0 g 0%, Protein 2.3 g 4%


Ingredients:

48 samosa /wonton wrappers


Filling

• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground lamb or 1 lb beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 sprigs fresh coriander, chopped
• 3 sprigs mint, chopped
• 2 cups water

Directions:

1. Combine all filling ingredients in heavy sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil and stir to keep smooth.
3. Reduce heat to medium and let mixture simmer uncovered.
4. Correct flavor for spices and salt balance.
5. As water simmers away, stir often to prevent mixture from sticking, especially during final stages.
6. Cook until all liquid evaporates.
7. If ground meat has a lot of fat, drain off at this point.
8. Let mixture cool slightly before stuffing.
9. Fill samosa/wonton wrappers with 1 to 2 tsp of filling. Moisten and press the edges together in a triangle shape.
10. Fry the Sambusas, several at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Place the golden brown Sambusas on paper towel to rid of excess oil. Serve hot or cold with or without chutney.

Kitfo

Kitfo (cooked)

Kitfo (sometimes ketfo) is a traditional dish found in Ethiopian cuisine. It consists of minced raw beef, heated and marinated in mitmita, a spicy chili powder based spice blend, and niter kibbeh (a clarified butter infused with herbs and spices). Kitfo cooked lightly rare is known as kitfo leb leb.Kitfo may be served alongside, or mixed with, mild cheese and cooked greens. In many parts of Ethiopia kitfo is served with injera, a flatbread made from teff, although in traditional Gurage cuisine, one would use kocho, a thick bread made from the ensete plant. An ensete leaf may be used as a garnish. Though not considered a delicacy, kitfo is generally held in high regard.

The word comes from the Ethio-Semitic root k-t-f, meaning "to chop finely; mince."

Ingredients

• ⅛ cup niter kebbeh (spiced butter, see recipe above)
• ¼ cup onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
• ¼ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom, ground
• ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon berbere (see recipe above)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef

Directions

1. Melt the niter kebbeh in a large frying pan.
2. Add onions, green pepper, chili powder, ginger, garlic, and cardamom, and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
3. Let cool for 15 minutes.
4. Add lemon juice, berbere, and salt.
5. Stir in raw beef and serve.

If you prefer the Kitfo cooked, saute it over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Dabo Kolo

They will look like flat peanuts, and are served as a snack or with cocktails; and like peanuts, once you start eating them you cannot stop. Traditionally, dabo kolo are favored by travelers because they keep for a long time without spoiling. Dabo Kolo are usually made from wheat flour, but can also be made from tef flour (which is more commonly used to make Ethiopias famous spongy flatbread, injera) or even chickpea flour

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup oil

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Add water slowly to create a stiff dough.
3. Knead on a lightly floured board for about 5 minutes. (To knead, flatten the dough, fold in half. Then turn the dough about one-quarter turn, and fold again. Keep turning and folding the dough.)
4. Pull off pieces of dough to fit on the palm of the hand.
5. Press or roll out (using a rolling pin) into a strip about ½-inch thick on a floured countertop.
6. Cut the strip into squares ½-inch by ½-inch.
7. Cook in a frying pan on medium heat until light brown in color on all sides.

Injera

Injera

Injera is a flatbread eaten in Ethiopia and neighbouring countries. It is made with teff flour. Teff is a tiny round grain that is grown in Ethiopia. While teff is very nutritious, pure teff flour contains no gluten, and little else in the way of binding proteins. This makes teff ill-suited for making raised bread, however injera still takes advantage of the special properties of fermentation. A period of fermentation gives it an airy, bubbly texture, and also a sour taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup teff flour
• 1½ cups water (warm - but not hot)
• a pinch of salt
• oil for frying
• optional: fermentation starter (see notes). Note that fermentation starter may contain gluten.

Directions

1. Mix the flour with the water, and the salt. Add your fermentation starter if using one (see notes).
2. Set aside to ferment overnight, or at least 12 hours. There should be bubbles on the surface from fermenting, before you use it.
3. Heat a large, flat pan until it is hot enough to make a droplet of water sizzle. Oil it very lightly, just enough to make the pan shine.
4. Pour or ladle some batter onto the pan, spiralling outwards from the centre. Only a thin cover is required, a little thicker than a crêpe but not by much.
5. As it cooks, the surface of the injera will become covered in holes or pits. When the entire injera has changed colour and the edges start to lift from the pan, remove it and set aside, then pour the next injera and repeat until finished.

Notes, tips and variations

• If you cannot get it to ferment by itself, try a good fermentation starter like a teaspoonful of kefir. Bakers yeast alone will not make for good flavour, as bacteria are needed also, but a teaspoonful of yoghurt plus a pinch of yeast might do the trick if you cannot get kefir.
• Traditional injera is made with teff, however if this is difficult to get, it can be made with sorghum or wheat flour.
• Since teff is often quite expensive outside of Africa, it is often mixed with wheat flour to give the injera some of the teff flavour but for less expense. Mix ¼ cup of teff flour with ¾ cup of sorghum or wheat flour, for the recipe above.

Servings: 6 - 8
Time: ferment: 12-24 hours
cook: 5 minutes per injera

Shiro Wat

Shiro wat, sometimes shiro wet, is a traditional Ethiopian Jewish pea stew.

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 spoons butter (optional)
• 4 spoon berberei (a spice mix with red pepper powder)
• 4 spoon shiro powder (made from different cereals and beans, typically split green peas)
• 2½ cups water

Directions

1. Take a medium-size cooking pan, add the onion and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
2. Add the oil, and after 1 minute add berberei, then cook it for 4 or five minutes (use water if it tries to stick on the pan, and stir regularly).
3. Add 2½ cups of water.
4. When the water boils, add the shiro carefully stirring it in the pan; it should not make lumps. Then cook it for 5 minutes, stirring it regularly.
5. Finally, add salt and the butter, and after 2 or 3 minute remove it from the heat.

It can be served hot or cold with injera.

Notes, tips and variations

• Shiro powder can be bought from Ethiopian grocers.
• Alternatively, split green peas can be used. Just extend the simmering period until the peas are tender and fall apart.

Ethiopia

On the whole, Ethiopian recipes are usually quite simple; they are typically a combination of meats, usually beef, lamb, or chicken, along with various indigenous vegetables and spices. Usually, recipes do not use any sort of pork, because of religious beliefs of the area. Also, many dishes tend to utilize very similar ingredients as bases during preparation. Some of these common items include niter kebbeh, a mixture of butter, garlic, and other spices, berbere, a popular seasoning consisting of a combination of chile powder and other spices, and fenugreek, a spice made from a local seed that gives Ethiopian cuisine a truly one of a kind flavor. Another item that is not necessarily an ingredient in many Ethiopian meals, but is definitely an important addition to any dish is injera, a large piece of flat bread similar to sourdough bread, which is sometimes combined with other common ingredients to form snacks and breakfast food items.

Ethiopian cuisine characteristically consists of spicy vegetable and meat dishes, usually in the form of wat (or wot), a thick stew, served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. Ethiopians eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. No utensils are used.

Furthermore, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes a number of fasting periods, including Wednesdays, Fridays, and the entire Lenten season, so Ethiopian cuisine contains many dishes that are vegan. This has also led Ethiopian cooks to develop a rich array of cooking oil sources: besides sesame and safflower, Ethiopian cuisine also uses nug (also spelled noog, known also as niger seed).

For more information on Ethiopian cuisine visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_cuisine

This will be an interesting week, hopefully the ingredients for the Ethiopian dishes will not be so hard to get.

Chicken Berbere

Ethiopian cuisine is mostly made up of breads, stews (known as Wat), grains, and spices. Typically, an Ethiopian meal consists of a combination of injera (flatbread) with different wats, yet each diverse cultural group has their unique variation





Ingredients

• 3 oz cooking oil
  
• 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into cubes
  
• 2 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic clove, chopped
• 4 tablespoons berbere, pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock (or chicken cubes dissolved in 1 cup of hot water)
• 1/2 lemon( grate the skin)
  
• pepper
• fresh cilantro stem (coriander)

Directions

1. Brown the chicken thoroughly on high heat in a skillet in some of the fat. Set aside. Don’t put too much meat into the skillet at once, or they won’t brown.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in additional fat in a pot on medium heat until it is transparent.
3. Add berbere, pepper and tomato paste and more fat if necessary so as not to burn the berbere.
4. Stir for a moment, then add chicken, tomatoes, stock and lemon peel.
5. Let simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender but not over-cooked (15-20 min).
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

NB:Berbere is a spice mixture whose ingredients usually include chile peppers, ginger, cloves, coriander, allspice, rue berries, and ajwain (also mistakenly known as bishop's weed). It is a key ingredient in the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea.