Ethiopian Mild Split Pea Stew / Kik Alich'a

Sometimes it's the simpler recipes that stick the closest with you, and that's certainly the case with me and this Ethiopian split pea stew, called kik alich'a (ክክ፡አሊጫ) in Amharic. I first fell in love with this dish as a teenager in Ethiopia and have stayed in love every since - just the smell of it cooking on the stove brings back so many memories. I wish I could remember our houseworker's recipe as it was the best, but what I use today is based on Ato Daniel's cookbook. I hope it brings you as much warmth and comfort as it does me!

Siga Wot' / Spicy Ethiopian Beef Stew

This dish - ሥጋ ወጥ in Amharic - is another old favorite from Ethiopia, and turns out beautifully tender using the pressure cooker. The core of the recipe is from Ato Daniel's classic Ethiopian cookbook, but I've tweaked it here and there to work better for me. The end result still tastes like the original to me, and is well worth a try if you already love Ethiopian food or are looking to try it out at home!

Ethiopian-style Spicy Split Lentils

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.

Spaghetti al Berberè (with beef)

One of my favorite meals when traveling by bus through the Ethiopian Highlands was Ethiopian-style spaghetti. I lived in Addis Abeba at the time, and there Italian food was beautifully faithful to Italian standards. (I'm still looking for a decent pizza place all these years later!) But in the countryside what Italian food there was made more in keeping with local tastes!

Spaghetti al Berberė (vegan)

One of my favorite meals when traveling by bus through the Ethiopian Highlands was Ethiopian-style spaghetti. I lived in Addis Abeba at the time, and there Italian food was beautifully faithful to Italian standards. (I'm still looking for a decent pizza place all these years later!) But in the countryside what Italian food there was made more in keeping with local tastes!

Ful Medames with Berberé

Ful medames has been a favorite of mine from my first samplings, the very first on a holiday in Egypt and the second during a visit to friends in Tigray in northern Ethiopia. I fell in love with both versions, and woke up recently with a craving for Ethiopian-style ful. What follows is my own recipe based on my (admittedly very rusty!) memory, what I had in the pantry, and it being a fast day when I made it.

Firfir

Firfir isn't terribly popular with non-Ethiopians/Eritreans, but it has been an all-time breakfast favorite of mine since living in the Horn of Africa. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This recipe comes compliments of my family longest-serving and much-loved የቤት ሰራተኛ, Imawaiyesh.

Shimbra Atkilt

It's Lent again in the Orthodox world and since the last half of my work week is much busier than my first I've been trying to cook ahead so that I have meals ready to go when things get busy later this week. This particular dish is an adaptation of one of my favorite Ethiopian dishes, atkilt. (And who knows, it may not be original. I never had something like this in Ethiopia, but chickpeas and atkilt are both popular there...)

Atkilt Wot' / Cabbage 'n Potato Stew

This is one of my all-time favourites from growing up in the Horn of Africa, and a relatively simple dish too if you disregard all the chopping. It's a comfort food for me, and also a good way to get more vegetables into your diet if you're not a big salad eater.

Ethiopian Chicken Stew / Doro Wot

An oldie but a goodie from Ethiopia! Chicken is expensive there (or was when I lived there), so this would normally be served around the holidays, the Nativity and Pascha especially. Any day's a good day for ዶሮ፡ወጥ (doro wot) though, and since I was in need of a pick-me-up I decided to try my hand at this. (It's been a long time since I made it last.) This recipe was last updated in September 2026.

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!