🧑‍🍳RecipesEthiopian Recipes for a Tightfisted Budget

Ethiopian cuisine is known for its bold flavors, unique spices, and communal dining experience. However, many people assume that cooking Ethiopian food at home is expensive and time-consuming. In reality, there are plenty of delicious Ethiopian recipes that can be made on a tight budget. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the best Ethiopian recipes for a tightfisted budget.

1. Injera

Injera is a staple in Ethiopian cuisine and is used as a utensil to scoop up other dishes. It's a sourdough flatbread that's made from teff flour and water. Teff flour can be expensive, but you can make injera using a combination of teff and all-purpose flour to save money. You'll also need a large non-stick pan or griddle to cook the injera.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup teff flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the teff flour, all-purpose flour, and salt.

2. Gradually add water to the flour mixture, stirring constantly until you have a smooth batter.

3. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the batter sit at room temperature for 24-48 hours to ferment.

4. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat.

5. Brush the pan with oil and pour a ladleful of batter onto the pan, spreading it out into a thin, even layer.

6. Cook the injera for 2-3 minutes on one side, until the edges start to curl up and the surface is covered in small bubbles.

7. Flip the injera and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.

8. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with oil as needed.

9. Doro Wat

Doro Wat is a spicy chicken stew that's often served with injera. It's made with a blend of spices, onions, garlic, and chicken. You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks to save money.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp berbere spice blend
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups water
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.

3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the berbere spice blend, paprika, and salt and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the chicken to the pot and coat it in the spice mixture.

6. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring the mixture to a boil.

7. Reduce the heat to low and let the stew simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

8. Serve the doro wat with injera.

9. Misir Wat

Misir Wat is a spicy lentil stew that's also often served with injera. It's made with red lentils, onions, garlic, and a blend of spices. Lentils are an affordable source of protein and can be found at most grocery stores.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp berbere spice blend
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups water
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the berbere spice blend, paprika, and salt and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the lentils to the pot and coat them in the spice mixture.
6. Add enough water to cover the lentils and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to low and let the stew simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through and tender.
8. Serve the misir wat with injera.

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