Ethiopian-style Spicy Split Peas

This is another beautiful dish from Ethiopia, and makes for a nice break from meat when you find yourself wanting one. My recipe is based on the one in the classic Exotic Ethiopian Cooking cookbook, but with modifications to better fit my tastes and preferences. (In particular, my recipe differs from the book's in the oil department - I just can't use two cups of olive oil in one dish no matter how delicious it might make it!) Modify it, make it as is - whatever you do, I hope this recipe brings a little of the warmth and beauty of Ethiopia into your life.

And since it's Ethiopian New Year's Eve as I write this, I wish everyone celebrating the New Year a happy and blessed 2017! May it be a bright and peaceful year for Ethiopia and the world.

Spicy Split Peas / Kik Wot

(2 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup of red split peas*

2 cups of water

2 teaspoons of vegetable bouillon powder

1 teaspoon of powdered ginger

Black pepper (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 medium-large red onion (chopped)

5 cloves of garlic (minced/crushed)

4 tablespoons of berberé**

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 cup of water (half a cup if using red wine)

1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

1/2 tablespoon of honey

Injera*** (for serving)

*If you have yellow split peas on hand, then feel free to use those - I certainly do in a pinch!

**This makes for a comfortably spicy dish for me and my family. If you have a low spice tolerance, then you might want to halve or quarter this amount and see how you do.

***I've rarely lived in places where I could buy injera locally, and whenever I've tried making injera it's been a disaster, so if you have similar struggles do what I do - find a good, locally available flatbread and use that instead. (Paratha is my go to right now, it's just so flaky and beautiful!)

Directions

1) Sift through your split peas, rinse them thoroughly, and then add them to your pressure cooker or instant pot with the two cups of water, bouillon powder, ginger, salt, and pepper and pressure cook everything on high for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium-large pan over medium heat and then sauté your chopped onion until it begins to soften and become translucent.

3) Once the onion has started to soften, add the garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes before sprinkling the berberé into the pan and continuing to sauté for another minute, stirring the whole time to keep anything from burning.

4) Add the tomato paste to the berberé mixture, thoroughly incorporate, and then add the water, red wine (if using), and honey and stir well to make a thick sauce. (Once the sauce begins to bubble turn the heat down to low, adding water as needed to maintain the same consistency while the split peas cook.)

5) When the split peas have finished cooking add them to the pan, incorporate thoroughly, and do a taste test in case you need any extra salt, bouillon powder, et cetera. If you have time keep cooking the split peas on low for a few minutes to allow the flavors to marry more thoroughly.

6) Serve as is, over injera, with your flatbread of necessity, et cetera, and enjoy!