Ethiopian Spicy Beef Stew Key Wat Recipes

KAI SEGA WAT (SPICY ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Heat a medium, heavy bottom pot on the stove on low heat
• Put the chopped beef on a plate and season it with 1 tsp of salt. Place the beef in the fridge while you work on the next steps.
• Use a food processor to mince the chopped onions
• Pour the onions into the pot. Cover the pot and cook the onions until they turn into a puree (about 20 minutes). Use a cooking spoon to stir the onions occasionally to prevent burning. Add bits of hot water to the onions if they start to stick to the bottom of the pot and start to burn. You can also turn the heat down further to prevent burning.
• Add the oil to the onions. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour the berbere spice into the pot. Mix well with the onions and cook for 10 minutes with the pot covered. Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning.
• Add the beef to the onion mixture. Mix well and cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add and mix the garlic, ginger and niter kibbeh to the stew. Cook with the pot covered for 40 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally to prevent burning.
• Add salt (to taste) and ¾ cup of hot water to the stew. Cook covered for 20 minutes or until the stew is your desired thickness.
• Remove the stew from the stove once it's done cooking. Let it cool down for a bit so that it's not piping hot. Garnish the stew with fresh thyme (if desired ) and serve with injera or rice.

ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW | KEY WAT IN INSTANT POT

Steps:

• Turn the Instant Pot on Sauté mode. Wait 30 seconds till the inner pot is hot and add ghee or butter. Add chopped onion, ginger-garlic and salt and cook till slightly caramelized, about one minute.
• Add fried onions, tomato paste, berbere seasoning, ground coriander and 1/4 cup water, stir well and cook for one minute.
• Add the remaining water and beef cubes. Press "Cancel", close the lid and set valve to 'Sealing' position. Press Meat/Stew, 30 minutes. Wait for natural release of pressure.
• Open the lid and check for seasoning. Add sugar. This is optional, but highly recommended. If you like to thicken the curry, turn on saute and simmer the stew for 3-5 minutes until it reduces to your desired consistency. Serve with the traditional sourdough flatbread, injera.
• Heat a heavy bottom sauce pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Wait 30 seconds till the pot is hot and add ghee or butter. Add chopped onion, ginger-garlic and salt and cook till slightly caramelized, about one minute.
• Add fried onions, tomato paste, berbere seasoning, ground coriander and 1/4 cup water, stir well and cook for one minute.
• Add the remaining water and beef cubes. Cover and cook for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes or so, till the meat is fork tender.
• Uncover and check for seasoning. Add sugar. This is optional, but highly recommended. The pinch of sugar brings together all the warm spices in the stew. Serve with the traditional sourdough flatbread, injera.

KEY WAT (ETHIOPIAN SPICY BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• 1. Add the oil and ghee or butter to a pan over medium heat. (Niter kibbeh, the real thing, is a spice-infused clarified butter which is used as the frying medium for most Ethiopian dishes).
• 2. Gently fry the onion until very soft and just about caramelised. Add the garlic, berbere spice, tomato paste and sugar, mix well, and cook until thick.
• 3. Add a little of the stock (or water) to make a paste. Add the remaining liquid and the meat cubes, season with salt, and cook gently for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened and reduced.
• 4. Serve with injera, the Ethiopian flatbread. If correctly made and almost crispy, pieces can be used as eating utensils.

KAI WOT (ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• Wash the cubed beef well, pat them dry with a toe, and set aside in the fridge. (Please don't skip this step. It's an important part of the process for tenderizing the beef).
• Finely chop the onions in a blender or food processor, until almost puréed.
• Transfer the onions to a heavy pot and cook on medium heat until they are day and have turned a reddish-brown color. Add the water and Berberi. Cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring periodically, adding more water if needed so the sauce doesn't get dry (this process allows for the berberi to become less bitter).
• Add the meat to the sauce and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, adding a little water if needed, to prevent the onions and meat from sticking the bottom of the pan.
• After an hour or so of simmering, add the butter, salt, and more water if the sauce is getting dry. Simmer another hour.
• Just before serving, stir the freshly minced garlic into the sauce. Serve with Injera.

ERITREAN / ETHIOPIAN BEEF STEW -- TSEBHI SGA OR KEY WET

Steps:

• Chop onions into small fine pieces.
• Heat a shallow deep pan, about 3 to 4 inches deep.
• Add half of the spiced butter.
• Once butter is melted add the chopped onions and cook it until the onion is caramelized.
• Be sure not to burn the onions, keep stirring!
• Add the chili paste to the cooked onions.
• Mix it well by adding a drop of water at a time as needed.
• Cook for about 15 minutes by adding a drop of water as you stir to stop it from drying.
• Add tomatoes and cook for about 30 minutes more stirring it often and adding a drop of water as needed to prevent it from drying out.
• Cut beef into small bite sizes, about ½ inch cubes.
• Add beef to the cooking paste and cook covered for about 20 minutes or until it is cooked fully.
• Add the remainder of the spiced butter and mix well.
• Let cook of about 5 more minutes.
• Depending on your personal desire, you may add more water to bring it to the consistency you like.

KEY WAT (SPICY ETHIOPIAN STEWED BEEF)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown beef in batches in the dutch oven, about 3 minutes per side. Removing browned beef to a plate to catch its juices.
• Without cleaning the dutch oven, add remaining tbsp of canola oil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add RawSpiceBar's Berbere & Mitmita spices and sugar to onions and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add chopped tomatoes to mixture, combine until tomatoes brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add beef stock and beef and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low to simmer.
• Simmer the beef for at least an hour, up to two. Remove beef from the cooking liquid and shred it by pulling the chunks apart with two forks. Add beef back to the stock mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Serve with injera, couscous or butternut squash mash (see RawSpiceBar's monthly blog for recipes).