African – Veggie Turkeys

Nigerian Black Eye Pea Fritters (Akara)

Delphine — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 22:21:47 +0000

After a busy and eventful number of years, life somewhat calmed down in our second home, and Deniz and wanted to get back into testing recipes. So we decided to test try a new international dish from a different country every week, in search for new and interesting tastes and textures to titillate our taste buds. This Nigerian Akara is the first we tried. It’s simple yet surprisingly unique. Mild bean taste in a deep fried bread ball texture. It’s normally eaten for breakfast, yet, with some spices or sauce, I can see it making a great and fun fusion snack or appetizer.

Nigerian Black Eye Pea Fritters (Akara)

This Nigerian breakfast staple has a mild bean taste with a deep fried bread texture. Fun and lower carb alternative for those of us who like the taste but not the pastiness of beans.

Ingredients

2 c black eyed peas, dried
1 red onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalepeno, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
2 Maggi veg chicken or Knorr bullion cubes
1/2 t salt

Notes

In a large bowl, cover the black eyed peas in cold water. Let sit anywhere between 15 min to an hour to loosen the skins, no longer or the beans will get mushy.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients according to the ingredient list.
Drain, and then transfer to a blender and add approx 8 cups of water. You may need to do in 2 batches. Pulse the beans 10 times for 1 second each to loosen the skin off the beans, but not to pulverize the beans.
Pour back into the large bowl, mix. Let stand for 10 minutes. Massage the beans to help loosen the skin off the beans, and mix. Let stand for another 20 minutes to allow the skins to float to the top of the water.
Pour the top of the liquid into a colander to collect only the skins that are floating on the top of the water. Discard the skins. Refill with water and repeat until most of the skins are gone. It is okay if there are still some skins left.
Drain, and transfer the deskinned peas back to the blender. Add 1 c water, chopped onions, chopped garlic, chopped jalapeno, chopped red pepper, bullion, and salt. Blend for 3 minutes until the mixture is a paste. Remove from the blender and fluff up the paste to add air to the mixture.
Prepare a sheet with paper towels. Heat up a deep fryer full of oil.
Drop 1 T of the mixture into the deep fryer oil one at a time, dropping far enough apart to make sure the balls do not stick together. Using a mellon ball scoop can help to get the mixture out of the scoop easily and keep the Akara in a more rounded shape. Cook until golden brown, flipping over half way, approximately 6 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet to drain.

Ethiopian Chickpea Flour Crackers in Berbere Wine Sauce (Shimbra Asa Wot)

Delphine — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:26:02 +0000

Deniz and I had this dish at a restaurant once and were so impressed we learned to make it at home. The saucy chickpea crackers and the sauce give the dish a roasted meatiness that is not common in vegetarian dishes. It’s a great compliment to other Ethiopian dishes, especially those with turmeric, ginger and garlic, like kik alicha and tikil gomen. This recipe was based off a recipe that we found in Teff Love: Adventures in Ethiopian Cooking, with some modifications to fit our vegetarian diet and tastes.

Ethiopian Chickpea Flour Crackers in Berbere Wine Sauce (Shimbra Asa Wot)

The saucy chickpea crackers and the sauce give the dish a roasted meatiness that is not common in vegetarian dishes. It's a great compliment to other Ethiopian dishes, especially those with turmeric, ginger and garlic, like kik alicha and tikil gomen

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil

Chickpea flour crackers

2¼ c chickpea flour
1½ t berbere
1 t salt
¼ t turmeric
½ c water
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce:

3 onions minced
1½ t salt
8 T butter
1 t cumin ground
½ t cardamom ground
¼ t black pepper
1 pinch ground cinnamon nutmeg, cloves, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds (optional)
4 T berbere ground
2 T paprika
5 c vegetable broth 2 Knorr vegetarian bullion dissolved in 5 c boiling water
1 c wine

Instructions

Instructions;

To make the crackers:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the vegetable oil on top to cover.
Mix all of the Chickpea Flour Cracker ingredients together in a large bowl, first mixing the dry ingredients together and then adding and mixing in the wet ingredients. Knead the mixture with your hands, until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the dough is smooth.
Roll the dough into a long thin cylinder approximately ½ inches in diameter.
Cut the rolled dough into ¼ thick discs.
Place the discs onto the oiled baking sheet/parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over the pieces and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

To make the sauce:

Combine all the dry spices in the Sauce list.in a small bowl.
Heat a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the onions from burning.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the butter, stir to coat the onions, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the the combined dry spices in the Sauce list. Stir to evenly coat the onions and sizzle for 30 seconds.
Add the vegetable broth and wine. Cover and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.
Add the crackers to the sauce. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crackers are softened.
Serve with injera.

Ethiopian Timatim Fit Fit

Delphine — Sat, 28 Jan 2017 13:37:51 +0000

Living in Washington DC, we’re blessed with a plethora of Ethiopian grocery stores that we are happy to take full advantage of. =) There’s something so satisfying about being able to buy a fresh injera rather than having to make it yourself. We always buy a pack when we cook Ethiopian, but then end up with extra that we don’t want to waste. We’ve found that Timatim Fit Fit is a great use of excess injera. It’s like a healthy salad with a well-balanced spicy tangy dressing and welcome heartiness from the injera. We’ve adapted the following recipe from Cooking with Imaye to meet our tastes:

Ethiopian Timatim Fit Fit

We've found that Timatim Fit Fit is a great use of excess injera. It's like a healthy salad with a well-balanced spicy tangy dressing and welcome heartiness from the injera

Ingredients

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 t berbere
1 sprinkle garlic salt
1 sprinkle ginger powder
1 sprinkle black pepper
1/8 c white wine
1 t lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil

Veggie Injera Mix:

2 medium tomatoes chopped
1/8 red onion very thinly sliced
1/2 carliston pepper diced
1 clove garlic smashed and minced
1 fresh injera torn into small pieces
1 c lettuce chopped into 1 inch pieces (optional)

Instructions

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients as described in the Ingredients list
Mix the Sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the Veggie Injera Mix ingredeints and mix to combine well.

Ethiopian Pumpkin Stew (Dubba Wat)

Delphine — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 07:34:21 +0000

Modified a recipe from Cooking with Imaye: Second Edition to make this delicious Ethiopian dish. It’s such a boldly fragrant and tasting dish, I just love it. It’s a great balance of sweet kabocha squash and bold ethnic spices. Great even as a side dish to another meal.

Ethiopian Pumpkin Stew (Dubba Wat)

It's such a boldly fragrant and tasting dish, you just love it. It's a great balance of sweet kabocha squash and bold ethnic spices. Great even as a side dish to another meal.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 fresh kabocha squash peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion minced
1½ T fresh garlic minced
1/3 c oil
1 T berbere
1 t nigella seed / black cumin
½ t salt
2 t garlic powder
2 t ginger powder
1½ c water
2 Knorr vegetarian bullion cubes
2 t sugar or less, in case squash is not sweet

Instructions

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients as described above.
In a large pan, heat the oil over a low heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the fresh minced garlic, berbere, black cumin and salt. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the cubed squash and water.
Stir in the garlic and ginger powders and the bullion cube.
Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is tender, approximately 8 minutes.
Add additional water as needed during the cooking process to keep the mixture a stew-like consistency.
Smash a few pieces of squash and stir the mixture to make the sauce thicker.
Taste, and if needed (if squash is not sweet), add up to 2 t of sugar to desired sweetness (add 1/2 t at a time).

Ethiopian VegChicken Stew (Doro Wat)

Delphine — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 05:21:09 +0000

Doro Wat is the national dish of Ethiopia. It’s impossible to get a vegetarian version of it, so naturally Deniz and I had to vegetarianize the dish. We started with Marcus Samuelsson’s Doro Wett recipe, modified it for our vegetarian diet and taste, and simplified it for easier cooking. Below is our adapted version. It has a delicious earthy and savory flavor, perfect for pairing with Gardein’s mild Chick’n.

Ingredients:

42 oz Gardein Meatless Crispy Chick’n or Beyond Chicken
2 medium red onions, diced
1 ½ cups water
1 Knorr vegetarian vegetable bullion cube
¼ cup dry red wine
2 hard-boiled eggs

Spiced Butter:

4 T unsalted butter
2 T medium red onion, chopped
1/8 t garlic, minced
½ T ginger, pureed
1/8 t fenugreek seeds
1/4 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground cardamom
1/4 t dried oregano
1/8 t turmeric, ground
¼ t black pepper, ground
3 cloves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Berbere or chili powder
½ t salt

Instructions:

Bake the meatless chick’n according to package instructions. Slice each nugget in half and set aside.

Combine the Spiced Butter ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and the Spiced Butter to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the water, bullion cube, and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the eggs and simmer for another 5 minutes. The sauce will be loose and soupy. Season with salt to taste. Add the sliced baked meatless chick’n and stir to coat before serving.

Ethiopian Cabbage, Carrot, and Potato Stir-Fry (Tikil Gomen)

Delphine — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 04:37:36 +0000

Tikil Gomen is another must when ordering an Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo. It’s slightly sweet, and provides a nice vegetable texture that pairs well with the smoother yellow pea and red lentil stews. Below is a slightly modified version of a recipe we got from the Toronto Star to suit our tastes, including the addition the of bullion. Also, the dish is usually served with the vegetables cut in very large chunks, but we like them a little smaller so they fully absorb the flavors of the dish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 medium yellow onions, halved, sliced
3 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced on diagonal
1 white boiling potato, peeled, cut in ½-inch cubes
1 T garlic, chopped
1 T ginger, pureed
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t plus 1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 cup water
2 Knorr vegetarian vegetable bullion
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped

Instructions:

In large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook, stirring, 4 minutes.

Add carrots and continue cooking, stirring for 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cover, and cook for 4 more minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, 1/4 t salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add the water, bullion cube, cabbage and jalapeno. Stir, cover and continue cooking until vegetables are soft, about 9 minutes. Watch them and stir occasionally to ensure they do not burn.

Add the remaining 1/2 t of salt and stir well.

Ethiopian Yellow Split Pea Stew (Kik Alicha)

Delphine — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 04:21:01 +0000

Kik Alicha is perfect balance for every Ethiopian Vegetarian combo. It’s slightly sweet and nuanced, unlike its bolder companions. And it’s not hot… helps to relieve the heat from other stews in the combo. Below is a slightly modified version of a recipe we got from the Toronto Star. It was dynamite, better than I remember this dish every being. And I’ve eaten Kik Alicha at a lot of Ethiopian Restaurants…

Ingredients:

2 c dried yellow split peas
6 T butter
2 medium yellow onions, minced
2 T garlic, chopped
1 T ginger, chopped
½ t turmeric
3 c water
4 Knorr vegetable bullions
½ t salt, or to taste

Instructions:

Place split peas in medium saucepan. Cover with water; Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes. Let sit in water until ready to use; drain.

In medium saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onions. Cook, stirring, 8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in turmeric, then drained split peas. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the water and bullion.

Raise heat to high; bring to boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until split peas are very soft and stew is thick and not soupy, about 30 minutes. Season with salt if needed.

Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Mesir Wat)

Delphine — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 23:08:24 +0000

Ethiopian food is my favorite cuisine, and mesir wat with injera bread is my favorite Ethiopian dish. I’ve tried multiple mesir wat recipes through the years, and finally found this recipe on Saveur that matches the delicious taste of my favorite Ethiopian dish. I modified it slightly, including a bullion cube for additional depth of flavor. I also reduced the cooking time and added water so the final product has that moistness I love so much. The dish relies on berbere for its unique flavor. It’s worth noting that there are many different blends of berbere on the market with a wide diversity of spices and spice proportions. We purchased a few different brands before we found one that the ones from local Ethiopian groceries are the best, and we recommend them if you have access to them. We have also added Instant Pot instructions below regular instructions.

Ingredients:

2 c red lentils, rinsed
6 T butter (or clarified butter if you have it)
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 T garlic, finely chopped
2 T berbere (ethiopian spice mix)
4 Knorr vegetarian bullion cubes
2 tomato, chopped
4 c water
1/4 t salt or to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the ingredients as described above.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the lentils, the berbere, tomato, bullion cubes, and water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, and stirring occasionally to keep the lentils from burning on the bottom, until thick and the lentils are tender, approximately 40 minutes.

Add additional water as needed to keep the lentils moist.

Stir in the remaining 1/4 t salt.

Serve with injera.

Note: If cooking in an instant pot, cook as described above, in the instant pot, except when cooking the lentils, cook on high pressure for 13 minutes instead of cooking 40 minutes on the stove.

Garlic Eggplant Hummus

Delphine — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 05:59:03 +0000

This is a simpler variation on Marcus Samuelson’s Chickpea-Eggplant Dip in Soul of a New Cuisine. It’s by far the best hummus I’ve ever had, so smooth, almost silky with that deep eggplant taste. Love love love it.

Ingredients:

3 cans chickpeas, drained
1 carrot, sliced
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
2 t garlic, chopped
½ c olive oil
2 large eggplants, cut lengthwise in half
2 serrano chilies, cut lengthwise in half, seeds and ribs removed
1 t harissa
1 t ground cumin
2 t salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Mix the chopped garlic with the olive oil. Coat the eggplant in the garlic oil. Spread the chopped garlic on the cut side of the eggplant. Arrange the eggplant and serrano chilies on a roasting pan cut side down. Roast for 50 minutes. Set aside until cool. Scoop the flesh from the eggplant, including the garlic.

Boil the carrot and onions in 2 c of water for 20 minutes.

Put the eggplant/garlic/chilies, chickpeas, boiled carrots and onions with 1 c of cooking liquid, harissa, cumin, and salt into a blender. Puree, adding additional cooking liquid to give the hummus a silky texture.

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Harissa Couscous

Delphine — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 01:43:18 +0000

Deniz and I saw our tagine sitting on the shelf gathering dust this week and suddenly got a hankering for Moroccan food. Below is a modified fusion of recipes we found on BBC and Epicurous recipe for Vegetable Tagine and Harissa. It’s got that perfect balance of sweet, tangy, salty, and exotic Mediterranean spices.

Tangine Ingredients:

400g shallots, peeled and cut in half
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)

Squash mix:

1 medium butternut squash (about 2½ lb), peeled, deseeded and cut into bite size chunks
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground ginger

Tangine Sauce

2 c strong veggie broth (2 Knorr vegetarian bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water)
14 large pitted prunes, each cut into six even pieces
2 t honey

Tagine Garnish

3 T cilantro, chopped
2 T mint, chopped

Couscous Ingredients:

500g couscous (approx 2¾ c)
1 red pepper
1½ t tomato paste
2 T lemon juice
1½ T salt

Harissa dry spice mix:

1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
pinch of red pepper flakes

Harissa wet spice mix

3 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Tagine Instruction:

Prepare the ingredients as described in the ingredients list. Combine the Squash Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the Tagine Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the Tagine Garnish in a small bowl.

Fry the shallots in the oil for 5 mins until they are softening and browned. Add the Squash Mix, and stir for 1 min. Add the Tangine Sauce. Cover and simmer for 8 mins.

Add the peppers and optional chickpeas and cook for 8-10 mins until tender. Stir in the Tagine Garnish.

Couscous Instruction:

Place the red pepper under a broiler, turning occasionally for about 30 minutes until the skin is blackened and the pepper is soft. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to cool. Peel the pepper and discard its skin and seeds.

Prepare the ingredients as described in the ingredients list. Combine the Harissa Dry Spice Mix ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Combine the Harissa Wet Spice Mix ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour 1 L boiling water over the couscous in a bowl. Cover and leave for 5 mins. Fluff up with a fork.

Heat a dry frying pan over low heat and lightly toast the Harissa Dry Spice Mix for 2 minutes. Grin the mix to a powder using a mortar and pestle.

Heat the frying pan over medium heat, and fry the Harissa Wet Spice Mix for 10 to 12 minutes, until it is a dark smoky color and almost fully caramelized.

Blend the dry-fried Harissa Dry Spice Mix, fried Harissa Dry Spice Mix and remaining couscous ingredients (except for the couscous) together until smooth. Mix this completed salty Harissa into the couscous until completely coated. Add olive oil to the flavored couscous to taste.

Serve the Tagine on top of the seasoned couscous.