Infirfir Shiro

Disclaimer: This is not my favorite Ethiopian dish. (Far and away!) It is, however, a nice, spicy, healthy, and - most importantly of all - easy vegan dish to pull out on fast days, especially during winter when the spiciness of this will give your system the kick it needs to keep going!


What follows is adapted from Ato Dani'el's cookbook. Ato Dani'el tends to be a bit heavy on the olive oil - understandable when your country's been through a few famines over the last half a century - and so I generally reduce what he calls for by a quarter (at least!). If you're more in love with the oil than I am, then feel free to quadruple what's called for below!


Infirfir Shiro

Ingredients
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 onion (red or yellow)
4 to 6 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)
1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
4 cups of water
1/4 cup of berbere
2 cups of pea flower/shiro
Salt (to taste)
Injera or sourdough bread

Directions
1) Lord, bless!
2) Heat the oil over medium heat and brown the onions in the oil, adding the garlic as the onions begin to brown.
3) Add the ginger and cardamom to the onions and garlic.
4) Add 1 cup of water and the berbere, stirring until mixed thoroughly. Add the remaining water and bring to a boil.
5) Add the shiro gradually, stirring continually to keep the powder from forming lumps. The mixture should quickly become thick and paste-like - if it becomes too thick, then add a little extra water.
6) Serve with injera, sourdough, or, if worse comes to worse, French bread, and enjoy!