Shiro
Shiro is the pantry stew that shows up on an Ethiopian table more often than almost anything else: ground chickpea or broad bean flour bloomed with berbere until it turns brick red. Raw legume flour scorches fast and clumps if it hits hot liquid unevenly, so this version starts from already-cooked chickpeas blended smooth, which gives the same velvety base with none of the babysitting. Berbere toasted in the pot with tomato paste does the rest of the work, and a splash of lemon at the end keeps the richness from feeling heavy.
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp Berbere, unsalted
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 3 cups Chickpeas, cooked and drained, liquid reserved
- 1/2 Lemons, juiced
Method
- Cook the onion in a dry pot over medium heat, stirring often and splashing in water as needed, until it softens and turns deep gold, about 10 minutes. This slow dry-fry stands in for the long butter-fried onion base of a traditional wot.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the berbere and tomato paste with a splash of water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the spices toast without scorching. This bloom is what turns raw chile powder into the round, deep heat berbere is known for.
- Blend the chickpeas with 2 cups (475 ml) water until completely smooth, like a thin batter. Traditional shiro starts from ground chickpea flour whisked raw into hot liquid, which clumps and scorches easily; blending already-cooked chickpeas reaches the same silky base without that risk.
- Whisk the chickpea puree into the pot along with 1 more cup (240 ml) water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes. It thickens quickly and will catch on the bottom if you stop stirring, so keep it moving until it turns a deep brick red-brown and holds a spoon upright.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste. The stew should be thick, spicy, and rounded, not sharp. Thin with a little more water if it is too thick to scoop.
- Serve warm, scooped up with injera or a whole grain flatbread, or spooned over an intact grain like teff or brown rice.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 245 calories, 12 g protein, 9 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
