Sauce

Shiro (Ethiopia)

Name: Shiro (Ethiopia)
Total time: 35 min
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 Onion; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 piece Ginger; 2 tbsp Berbere spice blend; 300 g Chickpeas

Preparation time: 35 min
Servings: serves 4

Ingredients

serves 4

Onion — to buy1
Neutral oil — to buy2 tbsp
Garlic — to buy2 cloves
Ginger — to buy1 piece
Berbere spice blend — to buy2 tbsp
Chickpeas — to buy300 g

Preparation

Drain the cooked chickpeas well.
Slice the onion and cook it in the oil over medium heat 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the crushed garlic, grated ginger and berbere, cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
Blend the chickpeas with a little water (about 150ml) until you get a smooth, fairly liquid purée, like a thick soup.
Pour the purée into the pan with the spiced onion, mix well and simmer 12-15 minutes over low heat, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens and becomes nicely smooth: it should coat the back of a spoon.
Add a drizzle of oil or a knob of butter at the end for extra shine and richness.
Serve hot with injera or flatbread for dipping: shiro is one of the most comforting, everyday dishes in Ethiopian cooking.