Alicha Recipes

KEY SIR ALICHA (ETHIOPIAN BEETS AND POTATOES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir onion until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beets and stir to combine. Pour water over beet mixture and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil.
• Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until beets are easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft but not falling apart, about 15 minutes.

ALICHA (ETHIOPIAN STEW)

Steps:

• Cook onions and garlic in oil until transparent.
• Wash and chop vegetables and add them to the onions, lightly browning.
• Add nutmeg, garlic and cardamom then cook slowly for 30 mins.
• Season to taste then add chilli, parsley and basil just before serving.

GOMEN ALICHA

Steps:

• Brown the onions slowly in a pot with the vegetable oil. Add the carrots, potatoes and tomato sauce; mix thoroughly. Mix in the rosemary, fenugreek and turmeric and cook over low heat until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.
• In a separate pot, boil the cabbage until crisp-tender (not so long that it gets limp!). Drain.
• Add the cabbage to the sauce and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally but not too vigorously--you don't want the vegetables to break up.

ALICHA MISIR

Steps:

• For the lentils: Start with warming the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups of the hot water and bring it to a boil. Add the lentils and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and adding the remaining hot water as needed, until the lentils are thickened and can be broken with a spoon, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeño, cover and simmer for 2 minutes and let it settle. Add more salt, to taste.
• For the tomato salad: Stir to combine the olive oil, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice and onion in a medium bowl. Season with salt and add additional olive oil if needed.
• Serve the alicha misir over a flat piece of injera with the tomato salad and rolled, sliced injera on the side. It also can be served spooned over rice.

ALICHA

Steps:

• In dry pan over medium heat, stir fry onions for 2 minutes
• Add the oil and stir fry 1 minute longer. Add the meat and brown 5 mins, stirring frequently. Add all of the spices and seasonings at one time and stir well.
• Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook over moderate heat for about 45 mins, or until the meat is tender.
• Should the curry dry out too quickly, add another 1/2c water.
• At the end of the 45 mins, there should be very little sauce.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.